Quick answer: Chrome for Android allows a maximum of five open windows. When it will not launch and shows “Unable to launch Chrome. You can have up to 5 windows”, open the Android Recents screen and swipe away every Chrome window, then long press the Chrome icon, tap App info and tap Force stop. Chrome opens normally after that.
Why does Chrome say “You can have up to 5 windows”?
Chrome for Android supports more than one browser window at a time, and it caps that number at five. The error means Chrome believes five windows are already open. Sometimes a window is still held in memory even though you cannot see it, so Chrome refuses to open a new one and the browser will not start at all.
What you need before you start
- An Android phone or tablet with Google Chrome installed.
- Access to the device Settings app.
- No special permissions, and this is not tied to a specific Chrome version.
- Time needed: about two minutes.
How do I close the extra Chrome windows?
Even when Chrome looks closed, Android can still keep instances of the app in active memory. Clear them first.
- Swipe up from the bottom of your screen and hold, or tap the square Recents icon if you use three button navigation.
- Scroll through the open apps and look for more than one Google Chrome card, including split screen previews.
- Swipe up on every Chrome window to close them all.
- Open Chrome again from your app drawer.
How do I force stop Chrome if the windows are hidden?
If no Chrome cards appear in the Recents screen, end the background processes instead.
- Long press the Chrome icon on your home screen or in the app drawer.
- Tap the App info icon, the letter i inside a circle.
- Tap Force stop, then confirm.
- Open Storage & cache in the same screen.
- Tap Clear cache. Do not tap Clear storage, because that deletes your local Chrome settings.
- Open Chrome again.
How do I open Chrome when the icon is stuck?
The app shortcut menu opens a fresh window directly and skips the broken one.
- Long press the Chrome icon to open its shortcut menu.
- Tap New tab or New Incognito tab from that menu.
- If Chrome opens, tap the tab switcher icon at the top right.
- Open the three dot menu and close the windows you do not need.
What if the error keeps coming back?
A bad Chrome update can cause the problem to repeat. Rolling Chrome back to the version that shipped with your device clears it.
Note: uninstalling updates reverts Chrome to an older build that may be missing recent security fixes. Reinstall the latest version from the Play Store as soon as Chrome opens again.
- Open the device Settings app and go to Apps > All apps > Chrome.
- Tap the three dot menu at the top right.
- Tap Uninstall updates and confirm.
- Open Chrome to check that it launches, then update it again from the Google Play Store.
Frequently asked questions
How many windows can Chrome for Android have open?
Chrome for Android supports up to five windows at once. Each window holds its own set of tabs. Once you reach five, Chrome will not open another one until you close an existing window.
Will closing Chrome windows delete my tabs?
Closing a window from the Recents screen does not delete your tabs. Chrome restores them the next time you open that window. Clearing storage, on the other hand, does remove local browsing data.
Does clearing the cache log me out of websites?
No. Clearing the cache only removes temporary files. Your cookies and sign in sessions stay in place unless you clear cookies and site data separately.
Wrapping up
The five window limit in Chrome for Android is easy to hit and easy to clear. Closing every Chrome card in the Recents screen fixes it most of the time, and a force stop handles the rest. If it keeps happening, roll back the Chrome update and reinstall the latest version.
