3 Fixes for Chrome Send to Devices Missing or Not Working Issue

Quick Tips

• Sometimes, restarting Chrome or your device can resolve glitches. Ensure Chrome is updated to the latest version.
• Verify both devices are on the same Wi-Fi and that Chrome syncing is enabled.
• Try disabling extensions that might interfere. If all else fails, consider resetting Chrome settings.

Note: The steps are the same for Windows and Mac on desktop and Android and iOS on mobile. For demonstration, we will use Windows on desktop and Android on mobile.

Preliminary Fixes

• Check connectivity: Check if the device (mobile or computer) to which you are sending a tab is connected to the internet. If you haven’t enabled Wi-Fi or cellular data or have enabled Airplane Mode, then sending a tab to such a device will fail.
• Clear cache and cookies: By clearing the cache and cookies, you can remove this potentially problematic data, allowing Chrome to refresh and restore its functionality. To do this, navigate to the Chrome settings menu > select Privacy and security > choose Clear browsing data.
• Update Google Chrome: Send to Your Devices is available only starting with Chrome version 77.0 and higher. So, you will find the option missing on any device that runs an older version of Chrome. Ensure you have installed the latest Chrome browser on your desktop and mobile.

Fix 1: Sign in to Chrome

Ensure to sign in to both the device you’re sending a tab from and the device intended to receive the tab.

Note: You must use the same Google account on all of your devices.

Desktop (PC and Mac)

Step 1: Firstly, open Google Chrome and click on the profile icon at the top-right corner.

Check if you have signed in to Google Chrome, along with the associated Google Account.

Step 2: From the drop-down, click on the Turn on sync… button.

Finally, if you haven’t already, sign in to your account by following the on-screen instructions. If you want to do the same on a mobile device, continue reading.

Mobile (Android and iOS)

Step 1: Launch Google Chrome on your Android or iOS device.

Step 2: Once launched, tap on the profile icon at the top-left corner.

You can check to see if you are logged into any account. If not, add an account to your device and check.

Fix 2: Enable Open Tabs Sync

Send to Your Devices requires a certain Chrome sync setting to be active to work properly — the Open Tabs sync option, to be exact.

On Desktop (PC and Mac)

Step 1: Firstly, open Google Chrome, click the three dots, and choose Settings.

Step 2: Under the People section, click Sync and Google services.

Step 3: Now, click the option labeled Manage what you sync.

Step 5: Finally, under Manage what you sync, scroll down to toggle on the Open Tabs.

Note: You don’t need to take any action if Sync everything is already enabled. However, if you use Customized sync, ensure to enable the Open Tabs option.

Enabling Send to Your Devices on Chrome should resolve any issues related to it.

On Mobile (Android and iOS)

Step 1: Launch Google Chrome and tap on the three-dot icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.

Step 2: Select Settings > tap on Sync.

Step 3: On the next screen, scroll down and check the box for Open Tabs.

Note: If the Sync everything option is enabled by default, you don’t need to do anything. If customized sync is enabled, ensure to enable Open Tabs.

Now, when you launch Chrome again, you should see the Send to Your Devices option whenever you attempt to share a webpage in Chrome.

Also Read: How to disable ‘Send to your devices’ in Google Chrome

Fix 3: Enable Chrome Notifications

If you’ve gone through the fixes above and still don’t receive any notifications on the device you sent a tab to, ensure that you have enabled notifications for Google Chrome.

On Windows

Step 1: Press the Windows key, type Settings, and click Open.

Step 2: Navigate to System and choose Notifications.

Step 3: Scroll down to locate Google Chrome and click on it.

Step 4: Ensure to turn on the Notifications toggle and check the Show Notification Banners box.

On Mac

Step 1: Click on the Apple icon and choose System Settings.

Step 2: Under System Settings, go to Notifications and choose Google Chrome.

Step 3: Finally, enable notifications for Chrome and choose Banners as the alert style.

On Android

Step 1: Launch Google Chrome and tap on the profile icon at the top.

Step 2: Under Settings, tap on Notifications. Ensure to enable notifications and turn on the toggle for Sharing.

On iOS

On iOS, Chrome doesn’t feature integrated notification support. Hence, Send to Your Devices alerts will only show up within Chrome itself.

So, after sending a link from another device to Chrome for iOS, simply open the app and check the top of the screen for the alert.

FAQs