How to Use a Blank New Tab Page in Chrome (about:blank)

How to Use a Blank New Tab Page in Google Chrome (about:blank)

by Heinz Tschabitscher | Apr 8, 2026 | Useful Tech

Tired of the shortcuts and icons and doodles and search box and links and what not you get by default when you open a new tab in Chrome? Wish to start with a clean, fast and fresh slate instead? Find out here how to use a blank new tab page (about:blank style) in Google Chrome ⤓.

How to Use a Blank New Tab Page in Google Chrome (about:blank)

Chrome does not let you set about:blank as the page for new tabs, but with a simple custom extension, you can get the same effect.

Create and Use a Local Extension

Time needed: 10 minutes

To create your own extension that sets up new tabs in Google Chrome (on Mac, Windows and Linux) to appear with an empty page:

  1. Create a new folder on your computer.

    No matter: It matters not where you put it or how you name it; something like empty_ntp in your Documents folder works fine.

  2. Now create a plain text file called manifest.json in it.

    Here’s how: Start a new file in Notetab, FileEdit or Vim, for example, and save it as manifest.json in the folder just created.
    File extension: Make sure the file extension is .json, not .txt.

  3. Enter the following minimal information in the manifest.json file:

    {
      "name": "Blank New Tab Page",
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "chrome_url_overrides":
      {
        "newtab": "blank_page.html"
      },
      "manifest_version": 3
    }
    Blank New Tab Page manifest.json

  4. Create another plain text file in the same folder called blank_page.html.

  5. Enter the following minimal HTML code for a blank page to serve as your new tab page.

    <html>
      <head>
        <title>New Empty Tab</title>
      </head>
      <body>
      </body>
    </html>
    Blank New Tab Page blank_page.html

  6. In Chrome, select the three dots Customize and control Google Chrome button in the toolbar.

  7. Select Extensions | Manage Extensions from the menu that has appeared.

  8. Turn on Developer mode.

  9. Click Load unpacked.

  10. Highlight and select the empty_ntp extension folder in which you created the two text files.

    Download: You can also download a (slightly expanded) version: truly_blank_ntp.zip.
    The data: This minimal extension runs locally and does not send data anywhere.
    More comfort: You can also install this extension from the Chrome Web Store; see below.
    Their word: Google include information on overriding Chrome pages in Chrome developer documentation.
    Install your home-made blank new tab page extension in Google Chrome

Delete parts of a page already loaded: How to Remove Elements from a Web Page in Chrome
New tab for half the browser How to Open Pages Side by Side in Google Chrome

Other browsers: The extension works as is (also from the Chrome Web Store; see below) in other browsers using Chromium (such as Edge and Brave) with one notable exception: you cannot replace the new tab page in Opera browser.

Install a Blank New Tab Chrome Extension

To spare yourself the effort and have the blank new tab page added to all your Google Chrome automatically:

Truly Blank New Tab Page (Light/Dark)
Install the Truly Blank New Tab Page (Light/Dark) extension from Chrome Web Store.

The extension accomplishes the same as the minimal code above with support for both light and dark mode as well as internationalization.

The extension is trivial, and others with essentially the same function exist including Blank New Tab Page, Blank New Tab, Bruce’s Blank New Tab, Blank New Tab Page - White Smoke and many more.

New, shiny, clean tabs?

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How to Use a Blank New Tab Page in Google Chrome (about:blank): FAQ

Can I make the new tab page use the Chrome theme color?

No.

There is no way for Chrome extensions to access information about the current browser theme.

Will changing the new tab page interfere with my browsing, bookmarks or history in Chrome?

No.

A blank new tab page only changes what you see when you open a new tab in Chrome. Everything else stays and works the same as before.

Is it safe to use an extension for a blank new tab in Chrome?

Yes (with caveats).

If you set up your own local extension as above, you are in full control of your safety. For extensions installed from the Chrome Web Store, do be vigilant and examine the reviews, of course.

(Tested with Google Chrome 125–147, Edge 120, Ecosia Browser 123 and Brave 1.61–1.88; first published May 2024, last updated April 2026)

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