

Google Chrome Desktop Shortcuts

Like many others, my first browser was Internet Explorer, and I became accustomed to the easy webpage desktop shortcut procedure; one sorely missed in the newer breed of browsers. However, Chrome offers at least two different methods, one of which will also work in Firefox and Opera. In all three browsers, it’s easiest to begin on the page that will become a shortcut.

If you’ve never created a desktop shortcut in IE, under the File menu, click Send, and select Shortcut to Desktop.


When following this step in versions prior to IE9, it may appear as if nothing happened, but the shortcut will (should) appear on the desktop.

When creating a shortcut in IE9, the following message will appear. Just click Yes.


The first of the two methods in Chrome, creating an application shortcut, begins by clicking the wrench icon in the upper right. Under Tools, click Create application shortcuts. This can also be used to create shortcuts to applications installed from the Chrome web store [1] (hence the name).


In the Create application shortcuts dialog box, check shortcut destination(s) and click the Create button.


However, when an application shortcut is opened, the window that appears will not contain an address bar, tabs, menus, or buttons.


To open a full browser window, right-click the title bar at the top of the window and select Open browser window, or use the shortcut Ctrl+T.


The other method for creating shortcuts in Chrome involves resizing the browser window and dragging the icon at the left in the address bar to the desktop. This also works in both Firefox and Opera.


In Chrome, the URL can also be highlighted and dragged.


Once placed on your desktop, these shortcuts will open in your default browser.