| Steve Kobes | 22fb19c | 2017-07-05 21:49:08 | [diff] [blame] | 1 | # User Data Directory |
| 2 | |
| 3 | [TOC] |
| 4 | |
| 5 | ## Introduction |
| 6 | |
| 7 | The user data directory contains profile data such as history, bookmarks, and |
| 8 | cookies, as well as other per-installation local state. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | Each [profile](https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2364824) is a |
| 11 | subdirectory (often `Default`) within the user data directory. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | ## Current Location |
| 14 | |
| 15 | To determine the user data directory for a running Chrome instance: |
| 16 | |
| 17 | 1. Navigate to `chrome://version` |
| 18 | 2. Look for the `Profile Path` field. This gives the path to the profile |
| 19 | directory. |
| 20 | 3. The user data directory is the parent of the profile directory. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | Example (Windows): |
| 23 | |
| 24 | * [Profile Path] `C:\Users\Alice\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default` |
| 25 | * [User Data Dir] `C:\Users\Alice\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data` |
| 26 | |
| 27 | ## Default Location |
| 28 | |
| 29 | The default location of the user data directory is computed by |
| 30 | [`chrome::GetDefaultUserDataDirectory`](https://cs.chromium.org/chromium/src/chrome/common/chrome_paths_internal.h?q=GetDefaultUserDataDirectory). |
| 31 | |
| 32 | Generally it varies by |
| 33 | |
| 34 | * OS platform, |
| 35 | * branding ([Chrome vs. Chromium](chromium_browser_vs_google_chrome.md), based |
| 36 | on `is_chrome_branded` in [GN |
| 37 | args](https://www.chromium.org/developers/gn-build-configuration)), and |
| 38 | * [release channel](https://www.chromium.org/getting-involved/dev-channel) |
| 39 | (stable / beta / dev / canary). |
| 40 | |
| 41 | ### Windows |
| 42 | |
| 43 | The default location is in the local app data folder: |
| 44 | |
| 45 | * [Chrome] `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data` |
| Raymond Toy | 4e660807 | 2021-04-15 21:38:26 | [diff] [blame] | 46 | * [Chrome Beta] `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome Beta\User Data` |
| Steve Kobes | 22fb19c | 2017-07-05 21:49:08 | [diff] [blame] | 47 | * [Chrome Canary] `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome SxS\User Data` |
| 48 | * [Chromium] `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Chromium\User Data` |
| 49 | |
| 50 | (The canary channel suffix is determined using |
| 51 | [`InstallConstants::install_suffix`](https://cs.chromium.org/chromium/src/chrome/install_static/install_constants.h?q=install_suffix).) |
| 52 | |
| 53 | ### Mac OS X |
| 54 | |
| 55 | The default location is in the `Application Support` folder: |
| 56 | |
| 57 | * [Chrome] `~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome` |
| Raymond Toy | 4e660807 | 2021-04-15 21:38:26 | [diff] [blame] | 58 | * [Chrome Beta] `~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome Beta` |
| Steve Kobes | 22fb19c | 2017-07-05 21:49:08 | [diff] [blame] | 59 | * [Chrome Canary] `~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome Canary` |
| 60 | * [Chromium] `~/Library/Application Support/Chromium` |
| 61 | |
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