9 Fixes When Images Not Loading in Chrome

There are many reasons this could be happening

Have you ever visited a web page only to find that none of the pictures on the page load? Images not loading in Chrome can have several causes.

In this article, you’ll learn some of the first things to check that should fix this problem quickly. If those don’t, there are some more advanced options to try toward the latter part of the article.

Why Images Aren’t Loading in Chrome

There could be many reasons images may not load in web pages when you’re using Chrome.

As you can imagine, with so many causes, finding the actual problem isn’t always easy. However, this step-by-step guide should help you resolve the issue.

1. Try a Different Browser

The first thing to check is whether the issue is only with your Chrome browser or any browser. Why does this matter? Each browser uses its own browser engine to process incoming web page code.

Chrome uses the Chromium engine. So, the first test to try is using another Chromium-based browser likeVivaldi.

If images aren’t loading in Vivaldi, it could either be your internet connection or something to do with the Chromium engine on your PC.

Another good test to try islaunching Firefox and visiting the same web page.

Firefox uses a completely different browser rendering engine called Gecko, running a new code-named Quantum.

If Firefox doesn’t load images either, your internet connection could be the issue. If this is the case, you’re going to need to work on troubleshooting your internet connection.

2. Check the Show All Images Option

If other browsers work fine, then it’s most likely that the issue is with Google Chrome. Therefore it’s time to start troubleshooting Chrome.

First, check that the settings that can stop images from loading are improperly configured. The first setting to check is theShow All ImagesChrome setting.

To find this:

  1. Select the three dots on the right to open the menu and selectSettings.

  2. Scroll down to thePrivacy and securitysection and selectSite Settings.

  3. In the Site Settings menu, scroll down to theContentsection and selectImages.

  4. In theImagesmenu, make sure thatSites can show imagesis enabled.

This setting is one of the most common reasons people see broken image icons when opening web pages. Hopefully, this setting has fixed your issue.

3. Check JavaScript Settings

Some web pages use JavaScript code to load images on the web page. Because of this, if you’ve disabled JavaScript in Chrome without realizing it, images won’t load on that web page.

You can make sure JavaScript is enabled in Chrome to see if this is the problem. To do this, use the same process above to open Chrome settings. Scroll down to theContentsection and selectJavaScriptto see Chrome JavaScript settings.

In JavaScript settings, make sureSites can use JavaScriptis enabled. This will ensure that if the web page does use JavaScript to load images, it’ll work in Chrome.

Restart your Chrome browser and then try to reaccess the page. If this setting was the issue, the web page should load the images now.

4. Test No Extensions with Incognito

Another issue that can cause problems with images loading in Chrome are browser extensions. It’s difficult to troubleshoot which extension is causing the issue, especially if you’re running a lot of them.

The easy way to test this is to run Chrome in Incognito mode. This will launch the browser without any extensions loaded. To do this, just select the three dots at the upper right to open the Chrome menu and selectNew incognito window.

Try loading the problematic web page in this new incognito window. If the pages load, then the issue is most likely one of your extensions. If this is the case, close incognito mode and open a regular browser window.

Access the extensions menu by opening settings, selectMore tools, and then selectExtensions.

Disable the active extensions one at a time and keep testing the web page.

Once you disable one and the web page can load images, you know that extension is the issue. Consider selectingRemoveto delete it completely from Chrome.

5. Clear the Google Chrome Cache

Google may have cached a version of the web page when the images weren’t working. Until the cache is refreshed, the cached version of the page will continue to load.

Clear the cache to pull the newest version of the web page to see if the Chrome cache is the problem.

  1. Typechrome://history/into the URL field of your browser and pressEnter.

  2. In the left menu, selectClear browsing data.

  3. This will open theClear browsing datawindow. Make sure at leastClear images and filesis selected and selectClear data.

  4. Another way to do this is to select theAdvancedtab. Make sureCached images and filesis selected and select theClear databutton.

Either of these will work. Once the cached images and files are deleted, restart the browser and then try reloading the page. If the Chrome cache was the issue, the web page should now load all images.

6. Make Sure Chrome is Updated

An out-of-date Chrome browser could easily lead to issues loading web pages, including loading images. This is especially true if the web page has been recently updated and uses the latest web code that requires the latest version of the Chromium rendering engine.

It’s quick and easy to update Chrome. Just select the three dots at the upper right and selectHelpfrom the menu. Then, selectAbout Google Chrome.

When the About Chrome page opens, Chrome will automatically reach out to check if it’s fully updated.

If it isn’t, it’ll automatically update itself with the latest build. Wait for theChecking for updatesmessage to change toGoogle Chrome is up to date. Once you see this message, restart the browser and test the web page again.

7. Try Renaming the Chrome Data Folder

According to many Chrome users, an issue with Chrome’s data folder (files are deleted or corrupt) can cause images to not load in Chrome.

You can test if this is the problem and fix it by renaming the default data folder.

  1. Select the Start menu, typeRun,and select theRunapp.

  2. In the Open field, type%localappdata%and select theOKbutton.

  3. In the Windows Browser window that opens, navigate to//AppData/Local/Google/Chrome/User Data.

Rename theDefaultfolder to anything else. Then, relaunch Chrome. Chrome will recreate a newDefaultfolder inside ofUser Data.

If the old Default folder was causing the problem, then you should now see images when you visit the problematic web page.

8. Reset Your Chrome Browser

If you’ve tried all settings adjustments above and nothing seems to work, resetting all Chrome settings back to default could fix the problem.

Open the Chrome settings window, selectAdvanced, and scroll down to theReset and clean upsection. SelectRestore settings to their original defaults.

This will reset all Chrome browser settings. Restart the Chrome browser and try the web page again. If images load then you know that one of the many Chrome browser settings was causing the problem.

9. Try Different DNS Servers

A final thing you can try is a test by connecting to the internet using different DNS servers. When a web page attempts to load images, it uses a URL link to those images. If the site you’re visiting uses a Content Delivery Network (CDN) service (which serves images from different servers worldwide), the DNS server you’re using matters.

If your current DNS servers have the incorrect IP address for your local CDN servers, your browser won’t load the images.

To test if this is the issue, try changing your DNS servers to Google DNS servers.

  1. In the left navigation menu, selectChange adapter settings.

  2. You will see all network adapters listed. Right-click on the active network adapter that you’re using and selectPropertiesfrom the menu.

  3. In the Wi-Fi Properties window, selectInternet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)underThis connection uses the following items. Select thePropertiesbutton under this.

  4. SelectUse the following DNS server address. Enter8.8.8.8for thePreferred DNS serverand8.8.4.4for theAlternate DNS server.

SelectOK. Restart your computer to make sure these settings take effect. Then, relaunch Chrome and test the web page again.

Images Not Loading in Chrome

As you can see, the issue causing images not to load in Chrome isn’t always straightforward. But hopefully, by carefully working through the steps in this guide, you’ve discovered and resolved the issue.

Ryan has been writing how-to and other technology-based articles online since 2007. He has a BSc degree in Electrical Engineering and he’s worked 13 years in automation engineering, 5 years in IT, and now is an Apps Engineer.Read Ryan’s Full Bio

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