Google Chrome Privacy and Security Settings | Pro Guide
This is the best and concise guide for you to understand the privacy and security settings and features in Google Chrome browser. → Watch Video Tutorial below.
Is it Possible to Remain Completely Private while Using Internet?
In my assessment, while browsing sites on the internet, it is almost impossible to remain completely private. We have to share some of our browsing or personal data in some form to one service provider or the other. The ideal way to keep private on the internet is not using the internet at all. Therefore, I don’t buy claims of some browsers being the most private. For your ideal privacy wish, create your own operating system instead of using Android or Windows and create your own browser instead of using Chrome - by the way, even then you cannot hide yourself from other cyber players such as ISPs.
For me ‘TRUST’ is the big factor for my choice of using one browser or the other. I have been using services by Google and Microsoft since long and never faced any problem related to breach of this trust. I feel secure by saving my vital passwords and sharing some of my browsing data such as my location or interests with Google Chrome browser. Google Chrome can provide you the strictest privacy and security, but I don’t prefer such strictest privacy as it comes at the cost of poor browsing experience.
Settings Location of Privacy and Security in Google Chrome
To access privacy and security page, in settings of Chrome browser, please follow below navigation.
Click three dots … on top right corner of screen in Chrome browser → Settings → Privacy and Security. This setting is same for mobile (Android, iPhone), as well as computer (desktop, laptop).
You will get most privacy and security settings on the same page in Chrome browser.
Site Settings Chrome Android
Click three dots … on top right corner of screen in Chrome Android mobile, then Settings, then Site settings.
Here, click ‘All sites’ and tap any website to clear its cache data and cookies.
Come back to Site Settings page and click Cookies. Here, I choose ‘Allow cookies’, for best browsing experience.
For all next options, please watch our video where I have shown my preferences.
Click any option on your phone to see the toggle button to enable or disable the permission in Site Settings.
Best Settings for Privacy and Security in Google Chrome
You should explore yourself and tweak Chrome settings for privacy and security according to your own preferences and trust level on Chrome or type of websites you browse through Chrome.
Here I will show you my way of settings in Chrome browser according to my own preferences for security and privacy based on my profound knowledge about the working of browsers.
Tracking Prevention – Cookies Settings in Chrome
Learn cookies settings in Chrome web browser. Settings → Privacy and Security.
On the ‘Cookies and other site data’ page, I have turned ON the toggle button next to ‘Send a "Do Not Track" request with your browsing traffic’ option. It may limit some websites from tracking and showing you ads based on your activity on other websites. However, it is just a cosmetic setting and ineffective as most websites do not respect.
Settings in Chrome related to Cookies are ambiguous and confusing. To simplify things, On the ‘Cookies and other site data’ page, under ‘General settings’ you can safely select any of first two options: either ‘Allow all cookies’ or ‘Block third-party cookies in Incognito’ option.
However, I suggest you not to select third option of ‘Block third-party cookies’ as it will doom your browsing experience. By the way, cookies by most websites are not harmful. For detail, see another article about internet browser cookies on Dozro website. According to Google, when you block third-party cookies, webpages are not prefetched, making your browsing experience slow. [RD]
You should also not select fourth option of ‘Block all cookies’ as it will severely limit your browsing experience. For example, select the option and then try to login Google account and you will receive this notice → “Your browser has cookies disabled. Make sure your cookies are enabled and try again.”
However, if you prefer ‘Block all cookies’ option, I will suggest you click ‘Add’ next to Sites that can always use cookies’ and then enter websites which you trust and regularly browse such as microsoft.com, google.com, bbc.com, squarespace.com, dozro.com, for smooth, fast, and optimum browsing experience.
Similarly, if you have selected ‘Allow all cookies’ option, then should add websites for which chrome should delete cookies at the end of session or block cookies for specific websites.
I prefer to turn OFF the toggle button next to ‘Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows’ because if I turn it ON, it will create bad experience for my website browsing on start of each browser session by downloading again all cookies, required for websites. It will also incur additional internet data charges.
Clearing Browsing Data in Chrome
These are the settings for clearing browsing data in Google Chrome browser.
Through these settings in Chrome browser, you can delete various types of your data from Chrome browser such as saved passwords, download history, history of your browsed sites, cookies and cached images and files.
I do not come here often to delete Chrome data. I only delete some of data after some timespan, say few months, when I notice that Chrome data is eating up resources from SSD of my device.
I never delete passwords and download history. I only prefer to delete cached images and files, cookies and browsing history after lapse of some time.
I am very choosy about visiting websites. I do not visit suspicious websites. I will suggest you that if you visit suspicious websites (such as some adult sites, unknown http sites, or sites with unusual activity) then you should delete your browsing history, cached images and cookies, right at the end of your session.
If you are more sensitive about your privacy, you should tweak privacy settings in your Google account at this link → URL: https://myaccount.google.com/data-and-privacy and choose your preferences.
On the ‘Cookies and other site data’ page, I turn OFF ‘Clear cookies and site data when you close all windows’ option. Please remember that here if you have turned ON the toggle option, you will see nuisance of privacy notice, each time you launch Chrome browser, where you have to click ‘I accept’ button. Therefore, it is better to turn OFF the toggle for this option.
On ‘Privacy and Security’ page in browser settings, click on ‘Clear browsing data’ and on the popup window select ‘Basic’ or ‘Advanced’ and then choose time range. Then check the options you want to clear data for. Here you can check or uncheck options including browsing history, download history, cookies and other site data, cached images and files, and passwords. After selecting the type of data, click on ‘Clear data’ to remove the data from your device.
Manage Certificates: Often you do not need to do anything. Browser automatically adds and updates certificates for websites. However, in case you get warning in browser for one of your trusted websites, you can import and add certificate for that website. [RD]
Best Security Settings in Chrome Browser
Click three dots … on top right corner of screen in Chrome browser → Settings → Privacy and Security → Security.
Always use secure connections: I keep this security setting turned ON. Connections to sites that use HTTPS are more secure than those with HTTP. If it is turned ON, Chrome will try to use HTTPS for all sites and warn you for a site with lack of secure connections. You will be able to know more about the security of a website by clicking padlock icon, left on the address bar.
Use secure DNS: Keep this turned ON. It provides you secure environment for DNS resolving. Some ISPs, especially in countries with autocratic regimes log your browsing history of visited websites. If so, then you can also use some trusted DNS providers such as Google Public DNS or Cloudflare, Open DNS by selecting one from the list. You can also specify custom provider. Personally, I prefer to select ‘With your current service provider’ option. However, I turn ON the toggle button next to ‘Use secure DNS’ option so that Chrome can encrypt my information during the DNS lookup process.
Safe Browsing: On ‘Security’ page in Chrome settings (chrome://settings/security) select ‘Enhanced protection’ option. You can also safely select ‘Standard protection’ option. However, avoid selecting ‘No protection’ option. If you select ‘Standard Protection’ then you should also toggle ON ‘Warn you if passwords are exposed in a data breach’ option. Safe Browsing technology of Google examines billions of websites daily to determine whether website is safe or compromised.
Google also provides you additional resource to check status of a particular website to know whether a website is safe to visit or otherwise. [RD]
It is a good idea that you should turn ON Safe Browsing by visiting following link in your Google account.
🔗 URL: https://myaccount.google.com/security-checkup?hl=en
You can also customize settings related to secure online presence in this security check-up by Google.
Additional Security Features in Google Chrome
Following are some extra security features for your safe online presence by Google and Chrome browser.
Run Safety Check on Your Computer
Chrome Settings → Privacy and Security → Safety check → click Check now. If it points out any compromised passwords, immediately change those passwords. Chrome ‘Safety Check’ also checks harmful extensions and other software in your computer. It also updates chrome browser.
Clean up computer
Chrome Settings → Reset and clean up → Clean up computer → Find harmful software. Click on ‘Find’ button and remove any suspicious or harmful programs on your computer by clicking ‘Remove’ option, in case Chrome finds a suspicious program. Chrome will display ‘No harmful software found’ note if it finds that your computer is clean.
Protection from malware, phishing, and malicious sites
Settings for detection of malicious and phishing websites is turned ON by default in Chrome browser. Web browser may warn you about harmful sites and you should not open those sites. Such warning may include ‘The site ahead contains malware’ or ‘Deceptive site ahead’ or ‘Suspicious site’ or ‘This page is trying to load scripts from unauthenticated sources’ etc. Chrome protects against phishing attacks, malicious websites, malware applications. It also prevents you from downloading of potentially malicious files.
You should take the warning serious, however if you still visit the website, Chrome tries to protect your device from the threat. [RD]
Advanced Protection Program
This program by Google protects your sensitive information from targeted online attacks. Businesspersons, social activists and journalists should enrol their Google accounts into this program. You need Titan Security Key - a physical key which costs around $30. You can also visit Google website page to get answers for your FAQs about Advanced Protection.
Control Permissions and Security Settings for a Specific Website in Chrome
Open a website in a Chrome tab and click on ‘Padlock’ icon on the left of address bar. It will show you whether your connection and other private information such as payment detail, is secure or not.
Click on Cookies to know how many cookies are set by the website. Here, you can quickly remove or block cookies. Here you can also allow cookies for a specific website. You can also choose to delete cookies when you exit the site.
After clicking ‘Lock’ you can also quickly go to the site settings and customize several permissions for a specific website. For example, by selecting ‘Site settings’ under lock, you can allow or block your location, camera, microphone, ads permission for the website.
Check Online Security Tips and Internet Data Safety – Steps to Guard Yourself.
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