How to sync Google Chrome bookmarks across devices

You are on a train and have some time to kill. A useful way to pass the time is to do a bit of research for that essay due next week or that presentation you need to make at the end of the month. Browsing away on Google Chrome on your phone, you find some really helpful articles and bookmark them for later.

Back in the office or the university library, you open your laptop to find the bookmarks haven't been saved. However, they are saved on your phone. Copying and pasting the link on your phone and emailing it to yourself is a faff. Don’t they just automatically save the bookmarks to your Google account?

Well they can do. It is possible to sync your Google Chrome bookmarks across devices. However, it is a feature you need to opt into. It doesn’t take long to set up. Just follow the instructions below. But before you do, just make sure you are signed into the relevant Google account on the device you are using.

How to sync bookmarks across devices on a Computer

1. Open Google Chrome
2. Click the kebab menu icon (3 vertically stacked dots) in the top right-hand corner of the browser.
3. Select “Settings” (a new tab will open).
4. Click the “You and Google” option from the menu on the left-hand side of the screen.
5. Select “Sync and Google services”.
6. Click “Manage what you sync.”
7. Choose one of the following sync options as applicable:
8. Sync everything
9. Customise sync* (for bookmarks only, select this option)
10. Switch the “Bookmarks” toggle to on.

* As you can see, there are a lot of features and settings that you can sync across devices. Beyond bookmarks, you can sync:

• Apps
• Extensions
• History
• Settings
• Theme
• Reading list
• Open tabs
• Saved tab groups
• Passwords and passkeys
• Addresses and more
• Payment methods, offers and addresses using Google Pay

How to sync bookmarks across devices on Android

1. Open up the Google Chrome app on your Android device.
2. Tap the kebab menu icon (3 vertically stacked dots) to the right of your search bar.
3. Tap “Settings.” 
4. Tap “Turn on Sync.”
5. Select the Google account you want to sync up.
6. Press “Yes, I’m in.”
7. Tap “Sync.”
8. Choose one of the following sync options as applicable:
9. Switch the “Sync everything” toggle to on.
10. Opt into syncing specific features by tapping the relevant tick boxes. In this case, select the “Bookmarks” option.
11. Go back to the previous screen. Sync should now be “On” and the sync icon (2 arrows in a circular motion) should have turned green.

How to sync bookmarks across devices on iPhone

1. Open up the Google Chrome app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the meatball menu icon (3 horizontal dots) in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
3. Scroll across the icons on the top row and select “Settings.”
4. Tap “Sync.”
5. Choose one of the following sync options as applicable:
6. Switch the “Sync Everything” toggle to on.
7. Switch individual feature toggles to on as applicable. In this case, select the “Bookmarks” option.
8. Tap “Done.”

Now you know how to sync your bookmarks across devices. By syncing bookmarks, you have more flexibility to carry out tasks such as research whilst you are on the go.

At Appdrawn Software Development, we are all about utilising tech to work smarter and not harder. Check out our tech tip blog series for more productivity hacks!