Starting Google Chrome in application mode

The easiest way is to browse to the website in Chrome, and then follow these steps:

1. Click the Chrome menu button (⋮ or ☰)
2. Select More tools → Add to desktop...
3. Edit the name if you wish, and click OK

Alternatively, in earlier versions of Chrome:

1. Click the page menu.

   

2. Select Tools → Create application shortcuts.
3. In the Gears dialog box, select the checkboxes for the locations where you want shortcuts to be placed.
4. Click OK.

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The other way is from the command line:

"path\to\chrome\chrome.exe" --app=http://facebook.com

As of Chrome 67, it has changed again. The following works in Chrome 70:

1. Click the Chrome menu button (⋮ or ☰)
2. Select More tools → Create shortcut...
3. Go to chrome://apps and find your new shortcut
4. Right-click on icon, and select “Open as window”
5. Optional Right-click again, and select Create shortcuts... to create desktop or menu icons.

On windows with chrome 73, I can get app mode in the presence of existing chrome windows complete with extensions running like this:

chrome.exe --app=https://duckduckgo.com --new-window

Without --new-window, the --app argument is ignored if there is a running instance of chrome already.