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Chrome SettingsPATCH 2026.10.18

How to Open Chrome Settings in a Separate Window

By VGSources Team 6 min read

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To open Chrome Settings in its own desktop window, create a new Chrome window first, then choose More (⋮) > Settings inside that window. On Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS, use Ctrl+N; on macOS, use Command+N. Settings will load as a tab in the new window, separate from the window you were using.

The quickest method: create a window before opening Settings

Chrome normally displays Settings as a browser tab. The reliable way to make it a separate window is to open an additional window and load Settings there. This keeps your original tabs and browsing session in the first window while the Settings page occupies the second one.

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  1. Click an existing Chrome window so Chrome has focus.
  2. Open a new window with the platform shortcut: Ctrl+N on Windows, Linux, or ChromeOS, or Command+N on macOS.
  3. In the new, blank window, click More (⋮) in the upper-right corner.
  4. Select Settings.

The Settings page now belongs to the new Chrome window. You can move, resize, minimize, or close that window without closing the original window and its tabs.

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Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS

Press Ctrl+N while Chrome is active. After the new window appears, open More (⋮) > Settings. If you prefer keyboard menus on Windows, Alt+F or Alt+E opens Chrome’s menu; use the menu commands to reach Settings.

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macOS

Press Command+N to create a second Chrome window, then choose More (⋮) > Settings. macOS also assigns Command+Comma to Chrome Settings, but that shortcut opens Settings in the current window as a tab. Use Command+N first whenever the requirement is a separate window.

Pop an already-open Settings tab into its own window

If Settings is already open, you do not need to create a fresh window. Chrome can detach that tab and turn it into a window while preserving the page you are viewing.

  1. Locate the Settings tab in the tab strip.
  2. Click and hold the tab.
  3. Drag it away from the tab strip and outside the current Chrome window.
  4. Release the mouse button when a separate window outline appears.

Chrome creates a new window containing the detached Settings tab. This approach is usually faster when you have already navigated to the exact Settings subsection you need, because it moves the existing page instead of opening a new Settings page from the beginning.

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What is preserved when you detach the tab

The tab’s current location and page state move with it. For example, if you were already inside a particular Settings category, that location remains in the detached window. The original Chrome window keeps its other tabs, but the moved Settings tab is no longer in its tab strip.

If dragging does not work

  • Start the drag from the tab’s title area, not from the page content or the address bar.
  • Move the pointer beyond the outside edge of the Chrome window before releasing.
  • If the window is maximized, try dragging toward the top edge until Chrome shows a detached-window preview.
  • When using a touchpad, keep the button or click held continuously; releasing too early activates the tab without moving it.

Can chrome://settings open in a separate window?

The chrome://settings address identifies Chrome’s internal Settings page, but an internal page still opens in whichever window and tab currently receives the navigation. To place it in a separate window, create the new window first and then navigate there, or open Settings in the current tab and detach that tab.

  1. Open a new Chrome window with the appropriate platform shortcut.
  2. Click the address bar in that new window.
  3. Enter chrome://settings and press Enter, or use More (⋮) > Settings.

Typing the address in an existing window does not automatically “pop out” a second window. The window must be created separately, or the resulting tab must be dragged outside its current window.

Shortcuts and menu paths by platform

Platform Open a separate Chrome window Open Settings in that window Useful menu shortcut
Windows Ctrl+N More (⋮) > Settings Alt+F or Alt+E opens the Chrome menu
Linux Ctrl+N More (⋮) > Settings Use the Chrome menu after opening it
ChromeOS Ctrl+N More (⋮) > Settings Use the Chrome menu after opening it
macOS Command+N More (⋮) > Settings Command+Comma opens Settings in the current window, not a new one

The shortcuts create the window; they do not themselves open the Settings page. The menu command, an address-bar navigation, or a detached tab supplies the second part of the process.

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Which approach should you use?

Approach Speed Best platform fit State preservation
New window, then More > Settings Fast and predictable once the shortcut is familiar Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, and macOS Starts a Settings page in a clean window; the original window is unchanged
Drag an existing Settings tab outside the window Fastest when Settings is already open Any desktop platform with a mouse or trackpad Moves the current tab and keeps its current Settings location
New window, then chrome://settings Fast for keyboard-focused users Any desktop platform Loads Settings in the newly created window

Choose the first method when you want a clean, repeatable setup. Choose tab detachment when you have already navigated to the right Settings page. Use the internal address when entering a command is more convenient than opening the menu.

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Keyboard-only workflow

A mouse is not required on desktop Chrome. Start with the new-window shortcut for your operating system. Then use the Chrome menu keyboard access available on your platform and move to Settings. On Windows, Alt+F or Alt+E opens the menu. On macOS, do not substitute Command+Comma if the goal is a separate window; that shortcut changes the current window’s active tab instead.

If menu navigation is inconvenient, create the new window and type chrome://settings in its address bar. This avoids searching through the menu while still keeping Settings in a distinct window.

Separate browser Settings from DevTools

Chrome also has an “undock” action for DevTools, but that command applies only to the developer-tools interface. Undocking DevTools creates a developer-tools window; it does not open the ordinary Chrome Settings page. For browser preferences such as privacy, search, appearance, or startup behavior, use More (⋮) > Settings in a Chrome browser window.

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Troubleshooting common problems

The shortcut opens a new tab instead of a new window

Check that Chrome has focus before pressing the shortcut. Click the Chrome window, then press the keys together. On macOS, use the Command key rather than Control. On Windows, Linux, and ChromeOS, use Ctrl+N. If another application has focus, its shortcut behavior takes precedence.

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Settings still appears in the old window

That usually means Settings was opened before the second window was created. Create the new window first, click inside it, and then select More (⋮) > Settings or enter chrome://settings in that window’s address bar. If a Settings tab is already in the old window, drag that tab outside the window instead.

Command+Comma did not create a second window on a Mac

That result is expected. Command+Comma is Chrome’s Settings shortcut for the current window. Close or leave that tab in place, press Command+N, and open Settings from the new window’s menu.

The tab will not detach

Drag the tab itself, keep the pointer held, and cross the window boundary before releasing. If the tab strip is crowded, first identify the tab title and begin the drag from its center. You can always use the new-window method if detachment remains unreliable.

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The new window is hidden or difficult to find

Chrome may place the new window behind the original or on another desktop, monitor, or workspace. Use your operating system’s window switcher to locate it, then confirm that the Settings tab is visible. The procedure has still worked if a second Chrome window exists, even when it is not immediately in front.

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Desktop versus mobile and tablet Chrome

The instructions above target desktop Chrome on Windows, Linux, ChromeOS, and macOS. Phone interfaces do not provide the same desktop menu layout or keyboard shortcuts, so Ctrl+N, Command+N, and desktop tab dragging should not be expected to work the same way on a phone.

Android tablets may provide a More > New window command. Availability and wording can vary by tablet form factor and Chrome version. When that command is present, create the additional window first and then open Settings within it. The desktop procedure is not a general instruction for Android phones or other mobile layouts.

A practical checklist

  • Confirm that you are using desktop Chrome if you need the desktop shortcuts.
  • Create the second window before opening Settings.
  • Use Ctrl+N on Windows, Linux, or ChromeOS, and Command+N on macOS.
  • Open More (⋮) > Settings in the new window.
  • Alternatively, detach an existing Settings tab by dragging it outside the current window.
  • Remember that Command+Comma on macOS opens Settings in the current window.
  • Do not confuse DevTools’ undock command with the browser Settings page.

Following this order gives Chrome a dedicated Settings window while leaving the original browsing window available for other work.

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