If you travel internationally and update your Chrome, then your default google domain changes.  This is frustrating since the results are not as relevant and worse… in a different language.

How to change this in Windows 7

After searching for about 20 minutes, I found the answers in broken pieces. I’ve compiled the answers together for others:

1) Close Chrome

2) With Notepad or Notepad++ open up

C:/Users/**YourUserName**/AppData/Local/Google/Chrome/User Data/Local State

• Replace **YourUserName** with your Windows username
• And yes there are spaces in between (i.e Local State)
• If you try to browse there using your windows explorer, you may not be able to see the folders, since they are hidden

3) Once you’ve the file loaded up, change the last_known_google_url to http://www.google.XX and and also change last_prompted_google_url to http://google.XX

• Where XX is your preferred domain. In my case it’s .ca

4) Save and restart Chrome. Type anything on the address bar  and you should be taken to the Google domain you just set.

How to change on OSX

Same deal as above. Just the location of the file is

~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome

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Zaki Usman

Hello, I'm the founder and CEO at ShoutEx. I like to blog about marketing, mobile and web topics. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.