After you join your Chrome organization, you can use your Google Account to sign in to Chrome and ChromeOS devices that are managed by your organization. Your administrator can set up or restrict certain features, install extensions, monitor activity, and control how you use Chrome. This provides a consistent experience across Chrome browsers and ChromeOS devices.
Admin settings apply when you sign in with your account within your organization on ChromeOS devices.
Admin settings and policies don't apply when:
- Signing in to a Google Account outside of your organization, such as a personal Gmail account.
- Signing in to a ChromeOS device as a guest.
What happens when you join
When you accept the invitation to join a Google service, you’ll create a Google Account (if you don’t already have one).
If you already have a Google Account
If you join your Chrome organization with an address that already uses Google services, here’s what happens:
You’ll lose access to Google services
For example, you can’t use services such as YouTube, Google Ads, and Google Analytics with the account you use to join your managed Chrome organization.
Your Chrome data becomes managed
Your admin controls information in your Chrome Profile, such as passwords, bookmarks, and history.
You can save your data before you join
If you want to continue to manage personal data in services that aren't available with managed Chrome, do one of the following:
- Use Google Takeout to save a copy of your data.
- Change the email address for your account and continue to access all your data. Then sign up for a new account using your work email address.
You get data back if your account is removed from Chrome
If your admin later removes your Google Account from your Chrome organization, you can resume using any services that weren't available with managed Chrome. And their data becomes available again (it’s kept with your account).
Your admin can convert your Google Account to managed account
If an administrator unlocks additional business features for Chrome Enterprise or another Google service (by verifying your organization's domain name), your Google Account will be converted to a managed account.
You'll receive a notification after the conversion. You can then discuss options for handling your account and data with your admin.
Problems joining?
If you have a conflicting accountIf you create a new Google Account when joining a Google service, make sure you haven't previously signed up to use a Google service with the same business email address. If you have, you'll see this error message: "This email address is already taken."
To use your business email address for a Google service, you'll need to remove your address from the previously created account by changing your username in 1 of 2 ways.
- You can change your username to another email address that you own.
- You can add Gmail to your account, create a new Gmail username, and remove your business email address as the alternate address on the account.
Once you complete either option and your business email address is no longer associated with a Google Account, you can sign up for a Google service with that address.
If you'd like to move data in between your old Google Account and your new account for a Google service (on a per-product basis), go to How to download your Google data.
After you join your Chrome organization
See if your ChromeOS device is managed
Check what extensions are installed
To check the extensions your organization set up on your browser, click Managed by your organization in the Chrome menu.
You can also type chrome://management in the address bar and press Enter.
Check what policies are configured
Open Chrome
In the address bar, type
chrome://policy and press Enter.