How to Lock Chrome on a Mac
Chrome keeps you signed in to everything, and its profile switcher shows every profile on the Mac to anyone who clicks it. Chrome has no setting that locks the browser as a whole.
Why people want to lock Chrome
For many people Chrome is the place where work email, personal email, banking and a dozen admin dashboards all stay signed in at once. Anyone who sits down at an unlocked Mac gets all of it with a single click on the dock icon.
What doesn’t fully work
Chrome profiles separate bookmarks and logins, but they are not locked: the profile picker is one click away and does not ask for a password. Guest mode hides your data from the guest, but it does not stop someone from opening your normal window instead.
Closing Chrome’s windows does not quit the app, and tabs are restored the next time anyone opens it. Using a second macOS user account only works if you log out first, which is rarely realistic when you just hand someone your laptop for a minute.
What actually works
Shoo! ends Chrome’s process when you lock it and starts it again only after Touch ID, Apple Watch or your private backup password succeeds. It does not draw a screen over an open browser, so nothing is visible while it is locked.
Two practical notes. Active downloads and half-written forms are interrupted when the process ends, so finish them first. After Chrome reopens it can restore your tabs if “Continue where you left off” is chosen in Chrome’s On startup settings.
Try it free for 7 days — full functionality, no credit card, $17.99 once if you keep it.
Frequently asked
Can I lock Chrome with Touch ID on a Mac?
Yes. With Shoo! Chrome only opens after Touch ID succeeds, or after Apple Watch or a private backup password if your Mac has no Touch ID.
Does a Chrome profile password or Guest mode lock the browser?
No. Profiles are not password-protected, and Guest mode only gives a visitor a clean window. Your own signed-in profile is still one click away.
Will I stay signed in to my accounts after unlocking Chrome?
Your sign-ins and settings are stored by Chrome itself, so they are still there when it reopens. Shoo! only controls whether the Chrome process is allowed to run.
Does this work for Safari and Firefox as well?
Yes. Shoo! works with any app. See the guide for locking Safari on a Mac.