6 Fixes For The Chrome Menu Button Missing (Full Guide)

Chrome always has a minimalistic approach to its interface. Due to this reason, there are few options and bars available on the browser, which you might have noticed. But, the disappearance of the menu bar has nothing to do with the user-friendly interface.

So, if you are in a situation where you can’t find the menu button and settings, it’s probably an error. But, do not worry as you can find plenty of ways to overcome it. Ahead are the solutions you are looking for, along with a step-by-step guide. Thus, check out all the solutions for the can’t use Chrome menu and see which one works the best for you! 

How To Fix Chrome Menu Bar Issues 

1. Relaunch Chrome
2. Check For Chrome Update
3. Turn Off The Extensions In Chrome
4. Reset Chrome’s Settings
5. Enable Chrome’s Home Button
6. Direct Access To Chrome Pages

Fix Can’t Find Chrome Menu Bar Or Button

1. Relaunch Chrome

If you cannot see the menu button, then there is a high probability of it being a technical glitch. The best way to overcome such technical glitches is to restart the application. Likewise, you can do so with your Chrome browser. All you have to do is close it and relaunch it on your computer system. But, if you are not sure how to do that, here are the simple steps for it:

• Click on the (X) close tab icon on the top right corner. Doing so will close the Chrome window, which was open.
• Hold the power button of your computer system to turn off your computer.
• After it’s switched off, wait for a while and restart your system.
• Once it’s open, take the mouse pointer to Chrome’s icon. Double click on it to launch it or right-click on the icon and tap open.

You can skip the third and the fourth step if you do not want to reboot your system. But, it would be better if you restart the system as it will relaunch chrome completely. Besides, it will terminate any activity on your system that’s causing the said issue.

2. Check For Chrome Update

Chrome updates by default. But sometimes, in the effect of other settings, it might reset the settings to manual. Updating Chrome might not have anything to do with the disappeared menu button, but it can fix it.

Thus, it becomes essential to check whether you are using the updated version of Chrome or not. To update the Google Chrome browser, follow the instructions given below:

• Launch the Chrome Browser.
• Now that you are unable to locate the menu button and settings, you will need to make use of the URL bar. Take your cursor to the URL bar and type the following:

chrome://settings/help

• After typing it press the enter key to open Chrome’s settings page.
• If your chrome is already updated, you will see a blue-colored encircled tick icon. Beside the tick icon, a statement will follow “Chrome is up to date” this ensures that you are using the new version. But, if you see the “Update Google Chrome” option, then click on it to update Chrome.
• Once the process of updating is over, close the Chrome browser and restart it.

Updating chrome should do the trick of fixing the error. But if it does not, then try turning off all the extensions. You can do so by going through the next section.

3. Turn Off The Extensions In Chrome

It is possible that any one of the added extensions on your Chrome might be the cause of this issue. This happens because sometimes, the extensions change the user interface settings. There is also a probability that extensions have specific settings to disable the menu bar. 

Checking the settings of each extension one by one can waste a lot of your time. Besides, you might find it impossible to relate enabled settings to the issue. Thus, the smart move is to switch off all the extensions plugged into your Chrome browser. To turn off the extensions, follow these steps:

• Launch the Google Chrome browser on your PC.
• Now that you can’t find the menu button, take your cursor to the URL bar and tap on the empty field to type:

chrome://extensions/

• Hit the enter key so that the extension page can open.
• You will find the list of all the plugged-in extensions on this page. You will see a toggle button next to each extension. Switch off the toggle buttons of all the extensions.
• Once you have switched every extension off, close Chrome.

After a few minutes, relaunch Chrome to check whether this method proved helpful or not.

4. Reset Chrome’s Settings

If you cannot see the menu button on your Chrome browser, something is up with the settings. But, as you might not be a professional, it might be hard to nit-pick the exact setting that is causing this error.

So, to overcome all the fuss of checking each setting, you can reset Chrome’s settings at once. This will save your precious time and fix the issue as well. To reset Chrome to its default settings, follow the instructions below:

• Launch the Chrome browser and type chrome://settings/ in the URL bar.
• The above step will navigate you to Chrome’s settings page.
• Scroll down on the settings page and find the Advanced option in the left panel.
• Select the Advanced option once you find it.
• An extended list of options will display in front of you. Choose the Reset and clean up option from the available options.
• Click on the “Restore settings to their original defaults” option.
• To proceed, tap on the Reset settings button on the dialogue box.

After applying the final step, Chrome’s settings will reset to default. Before using Chrome, close it and wait for a few minutes. Relaunch Chrome and see if the error continues.

5.  Enable Chrome’s Home Button

This method is for the situation where all the previously mentioned methods do not work. Now, the only option left for you is to enable the Home button and set its address to Chrome’s settings. It might sound complicated, but the steps to do so are straightforward. So, to do the said changes, follow these steps:

• Open the Chrome browser on your computer.
• As the menu bar is not visible, go to the settings by typing chrome://settings/ in the URL bar.
• Hit the enter button on your keyboard to open Chrome’s settings.
• From the settings, select the Appearance option, which is on the left side of the page.
• You will find the “Show Home Button” option among the other options displayed on the screen. It’s usually disabled by default. Enable it by tapping on the toggle button on the right.
• Now choose the “Enter custom web address” option.
• Once you select that option, an empty field will get visible, and you can type in it.
• Type chrome://settings/ in the box.

The address of the Home button will be set to the settings page. This way, whenever you click on the Home button icon, it will navigate you to Chrome’s settings page. You can find the Home button icon on the left of the URL bar on your Chrome browser.

6. Direct Access To Chrome Pages

This method is more like a workaround for you than a solid solution. It is evident that if nothing works, you would need to seek professional guidance. But till then, you would need some shortcuts that might come in handy while surfing on Chrome.

To open some of the settings pages of Chrome, you will require to enter the address in the URL bar. By searching these addresses, Chrome will take you straight to these pages. So, here are some of the addresses that will navigate you to some of Chrome’s pages:

To open Chrome’s settings.

• Type chrome://settings/ in the URL bar and press the enter key.
• You can also press Alt with E key or F key simultaneously. This will open Chrome’s menu bar.
• From the menu bar, you can click on Settings to open Chrome’s Settings.

To open Chrome’s bookmarks:

• Type chrome://bookmarks/ in the URL bar and press enter.
• You can also tap the keys Shift, Ctrl, and O simultaneously. By pressing these keys together, you will open the bookmarks on Chrome.

To open history on Chrome:

• Type chrome://history/ on the URL bar or press the Ctrl key along with the H key.
• To open the downloads on Chrome:
• Type chrome://downloads/ in the URL bar or press the Ctrl key along with the J key.

About Chrome Menu Button

 The Chrome menu button is located at the top right corner of the browser. The icon of the menu button looks like three vertical dots. When you open the menu button, you will find several options.

Usually, there are around 15 options divided into four sections. The first section deals with the options related to tabs. The second section contains access to the history, downloads, and bookmarks of Chrome.

The third section has a zoom option along with print, cast, find, and more tools. The final section has edit options and settings, help, and exit. You can find pretty much everything in this small menu bar.

Difference Between Chrome Menu On Windows And Mac

Chrome is a third-party application that has a unique user interface. Still, in some cases, the interface changes depending on the system you are using it on. For instance, Chrome you use on Mac is quite different from the Chrome you use on Windows. Mac has its limitations.

You can choose to limit the browser according to your preferences. More importantly, it inserts its menu bar in every application. Comparatively, Windows does not restrict Chrome in any way. To make it easier to understand ahead are some comparisons based on Chrome’s features.

Language Settings

In Windows, you can change the language settings by going into Chrome’s settings. While on Mac, you will need to change the language settings of your Mac’s device. This will change not only your Chrome language but also your entire device.

Cleanup Option

The cleanup option is helpful in cases to detect and clean your system from malware. Windows supports this option, but Mac does not.

Menu Bar

Windows have the standard version of Chrome’s menu bar without any alteration. But Mac inserts its menu bar and the options of Chrome’s menu bar. As a result, the simple interface of Chrome becomes complicated to understand.

Creating Webpage Shortcut

You can create a desktop webpage shortcut in Chrome while using it on Windows. There is no option available that supports creating a webpage shortcut on Mac.

Closing

Once you close all the tabs in the Windows version of Chrome, it will close by default. But in Mac’s version, despite closing all the tabs, Chrome keeps running in the background.

FAQs