We’re adding new Chrome performance settings to keep tabs running smoothly, and to extend your device’s battery life when it’s getting low.
We now have three site search shortcuts directly built into the Chrome address bar, starting with @tabs, @bookmarks and @history.
As a follow-up to a previous blog post about How Hash-Based Safe Browsing Works in Google Chrome, we wanted to provide more details about Safe Browsing’s Enhanced Protection mode in Chrome. Specifically, how it came about, the protections that are offered and what it means for your data.
Security and privacy have always been top of mind for Chrome. Our goal is to make security effortless for you while browsing the web, so that you can go about your day without having to worry about the links that you click on or the files that you download. This is why Safe Browsing’s phishing and malware protections have been a core part of Chrome since 2007. You may have seen these in action if you have ever come across one of our red warning pages.
We show these warnings whenever we believe a site that you are trying to visit or file that you are trying to download might put you at risk for an attack. To give you a better understanding of how the Enhanced Protection mode in Safe Browsing provides the strongest level of defense it’s useful to know what is offered in Standard Protection.
Enabled by default in Chrome, Standard Protection was designed to be privacy preserving at its core by using hash-based checks. This has been effective at protecting users by warning millions of users about dangerous websites. However, hash-based checks are inherently limited as they rely on lookups to a list of known bad sites. We see malicious actors moving fast and constantly evolving their tactics to avoid detection using sophisticated techniques. To counter this, we created a stronger and more customized level of protection that we could offer to users. To this end, we launched Enhanced Protection in 2020, which builds upon the Standard Protection mode in Safe Browsing to keep you safer.
This is the fastest and strongest level of protection against dangerous sites and downloads that Safe Browsing offers in Chrome. It enables more advanced detection techniques that adapt quickly as malicious activity evolves. As a result, Enhanced Protection users are phished 20-35% less than users on Standard Protection. A few of these features include:
By opting into Enhanced Protection, you are sharing additional data with Safe Browsing systems that allow us to offer better and faster security both for you, and for all users online. Ensuring user privacy is of utmost importance for us and we go through great lengths to anonymize as much of the data as possible. This data is only used for security purposes and only retained for a short period of time. As threats evolve we will continuously add and improve our existing protections for Enhanced Protection users. These features go through extensive privacy reviews to ensure that your privacy continues to be prioritized while still providing you the highest level of security possible.
Safe Browsing’s Enhanced Protection is currently available for all desktop platforms, Android devices and now iOS mobile devices. It can be enabled by navigating to the Privacy and Security option located in Chrome settings.
For enterprise admins, you have the option of enabling Enhanced Safe Browsing on your managed devices using the SafeBrowsingProtectionLevel policy and in the Admin Console.
For more details and updates about Safe Browsing and its Enhanced Protection mode, please visit our Google Safe Browsing website and follow the Google Security Blog for updates on new features.
The Beta channel is being updated to 108.0.5359.58 (Platform version: 15183.51.0) for most ChromeOS devices. This build contains a number of bug fixes and security updates and will be rolled out over the next couple days.
If you find new issues, please let us know one of the following ways
Interested in switching channels? Find out how.
Google ChromeOS.
Businesses all over the world rely on Chrome to get things done securely and collaboratively — both at home and in the office. And that’s due to the Googlers who work every day to make sure enterprise users stay safe online using Chrome.
We chatted with Robert Shield, a longtime Chrome Googler and the director of engineering on the Chrome Browser Enterprise team, to get an insider’s point of view on how Chrome evolved to become a secure browser for businesses.
Early on, we realized that businesses had specific needs for managing Chrome to a large workforce. Shortly after Chrome’s initial launch, we added a variety of enterprise management capabilities like Chrome Browser Cloud Management, and zero trust solutions like BeyondCorp Enterprise, to help with added security controls, distributing software and supporting legacy browsers.
The way we work has shifted quite drastically, from legacy systems connected over private networks to cloud-centric computing. Workers now need to access data from anywhere and on different types of devices. While this change brings more flexibility and productivity to organizations, it requires them to work even harder to secure their data.
Customers tell us they have a growing need to secure access to data hosted in the cloud, so we provide tools to prevent data loss right in the browser. We also make it easy for businesses to integrate Chrome with popular security solution providers, like Splunk, CrowdStrike and Palo Alto Networks. This allows customers to gain a deeper understanding of potentially harmful threats their users face on the web and be more proactive in their remediation efforts.
We’re really focused on helping businesses safeguard their whole computing stack, from cloud services to the desktops, laptops and phones used by workers. With the move to cloud workloads accelerating over the coming years, we’re investing in tighter integrations between Chrome and the full slate of security tools and services that organizations use every day to provide complete end-to-end security for users and data. It’s exciting to see the browser evolve to play an active role in securing business environments.
It’s Native American Heritage Month in the U.S., a time when we honor the history, traditions and contributions of Native Americans. As a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, I celebrate this month by taking time to reflect and express gratitude for my ancestors, the resilience of my tribe and other Indigenous people, and future generations carrying our tribal traditions forward.
As a product manager at Google, I’m also proud of how we’re celebrating across our products. On Google Assistant, for example, just say “Happy Native American Heritage Month” or “Give me a fact about Native American Heritage” throughout the month of November to hear a collection of historical facts and stories from the Native American community. Meanwhile, a recent Doodle on Google’s homepage celebrated the history of Stickball, a traditional sport created by Indigenous tribes.
We also commissioned five Native American artists to create a collection of themes for Chromebooks and Chrome browser. This collection has a special meaning to me because it showcases important traditions and reminds me of home. Richard D. York’s piece “ᎤᎧᏖᎾ (Uktena, or Horned Serpent)” in particular brings me back to my childhood listening to the stories of Uktena and other tales from my elders. A more solemn work, “A Lot Meant,” reminded me of growing up in Oklahoma and how historical policies like allotment impacted my family and so many others.
Now available globally, these themes reflect the unique experiences and identities of each artist. Here’s what they shared about their work:
To apply one of these themes (or others from Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ artists) to your Chrome browser, visit the Chrome Web Store collection, select a theme and click "Add to Chrome." You can also open a new tab and click the “Customize Chrome” button on the bottom right to explore background collections. To apply one of these wallpapers to your Chromebook, right-click your desktop, choose "Set wallpaper and style," then select "Native American Artists.”
Posted by Komal Sandhu - Global Program Manager, Google Developer Groups
“The pace of technology is changing so quickly that it’s impossible sometimes to know where to start and how. What are the things I need to focus on? It’s just too hard to work out. I’m motivated to give developers a clear direction that cuts through a lot of this challenge.”
Learn Chrome tools and tips from Chrome Lead, Paul Kinlan, and hear from him first-hand on how to get involved.
Tell us about yourself:
“My name is Paul Kinlan, and I lead the Chrome & Web Platform Developer Relations team. I’m in a very lucky position, in that I get to work with a huge range of people who are passionate about the web and put their whole careers into continuing to help the web thrive for decades to come. If you are interested, you can follow my site: paul.kinlan.me”
What is your origin story?
“I grew up on the Wirral in the UK, a peninsula located in North West England and part of Wales. I’ve been surrounded by computers since my earliest childhood memories, like watching my dad fix computers in the house (it's hard to count how many warnings I got to not touch the capacitor at the back of the monitor... but it looked fun).
I also was going to computer clubs and watching the demo and cracking scenes (I might have “loaned” some games from people) and was keen on finding friends in school who were just like me and liked games & computers.”
How did you get started in this space? Why did you get into Web technology specifically?
“When I was a kid, my dad tried to get me to program, but I just didn’t get it. Then, when I was about 12 years old and first saw the Street Fighter arcade game, it clicked. I got the concept of loops, reading joysticks, and getting things on the screen.
At the same time, my grandad was struggling to pick his lottery numbers, and I thought I could help him with some software. I fired up QBasic, read the manual and got started. I almost quit though, when I didn’t realize the US had a different spelling for colour... (I do wonder how life would have been different if I’d stopped there).
Jump forward a couple of years, and the web came about, and I was just tinkering, and I realized that I could build simple sites and applications with a bit of Perl and HTML. I was hooked, started a business, and went from there. Now I’m here, on the Chrome team, hoping that I can offer the same opportunities to developers that I had.”
What are some challenges that you have observed developers being faced with?
“Information overload. The pace of technology is changing so quickly that it’s impossible sometimes to know where to start and how. What are the things I need to focus on? It’s just too hard to work out. I’m motivated to give developers a clear direction that cuts through a lot of this challenge.”
What do you think is the most interesting or useful learning resource for learning more about Chrome & Web? Is there a particular library or codelab that everyone should learn?
“I’m biased, but https://web.dev/learn is a great resource that covers some core fundamentals of web development, and we’re always improving it with the latest guidance on how to do good web development.
I know most people aren’t like me, but I found engrossing myself in programming reference materials (combined with a lot of tinkering) was a great way to start, and if you combine MDN (Mozilla Developer Network) with sites like glitch.com or GitHub, you have the ability to quickly learn and test ideas without having to have any installed software. It’s a really incredible time to be a developer.”
What are some most surprising or inspiring ways developers and technologists are building together using Chrome and Web?
"Oh – amazing question!
Right now, the intersection of Web and ML is incredibly exciting. People are building sites and apps that do things that we never thought were possible and are then able to give people access to it via a simple URL."
"I was watching the folks over at Corridor Crew (Visual effects technologists), and they had this challenge to rotoscope a person out of a video, replace the background with a different video, and then put the person back on top - the fastest solution was built in the browser using ML. ?
At the same time, I also love that people are bringing Apps to the web that we never thought would be possible on the web, such as Photoshop and Audacity. People are now building full blown video editors on the web, enabling anyone with a browser to become a video producer. It’s amazing.
The web enables so much, and so much that I never thought possible, just at the click of a link. Every day, I see something that excites me, and that’s why I love it.”
What’s a specific use case of Chrome / Web technology that excites you?
“I’m personally very passionate about the Fugu (deep hardware) set of APIs because they enable entire classes of businesses to come to the web for the first time.
I’m also very excited about the new range of CSS and UI related APIs because they make once complex things incredibly simple. The Web is primarily a visual medium; however, the perception of quality has lagged what people get on other platforms (such as Android and iOS apps), and these new primitives and concepts will enable richer and more fluid user interfaces, with less work needed from the developer or designer.”
How can developers be successful building on Chrome & Web?
“It all depends on the stage you're at - if you’re an established site, then I would look to improve the user experience with things like Core Web Vitals.
If you are just starting, just start - there are so many tools that now let you start to prototype in the browser and get something that people can use incredibly quickly. In the past, you used to have to worry about the full-stack (Hosting -> Front-end), now that is getting less of an issue.”
What’s next for Chrome & Web Community? What might the future look like?
“Whatever I say will be wrong ? - But I like these questions, so I hope people will humor me.... It looks like it takes about 3-5 years for a feature launched in one browser to become available across Blink, WebKit and Gecko, so with that in mind, the near future probably looks a lot like right now, but more evenly spread (in terms of compatibility) - projects like Interop 202X are making it easier to build sites that work everywhere.
The further future though....? I made a talk years ago about the concept of “The Headless Web” - where I see a lot of opportunities for services or assistants like Siri or Google Assistant to make more sense of a web page and let you interact with it (and not just read it back).
At the same time, there are heaps of other platforms that are changing the definition of what the Web means. Facebook, WeChat, and others - are browsers and platforms in their own right, with hooks back into their own platforms. When I look at the billions of people that have come online in the last couple of years, as the world went mobile (and the billions more still to come online) - will they use the browser as we know it? Or will they use these ‘alternative browser’ platforms...
All I know is that we need to keep making the experience of the web better for everyone.”
What is the focus for Web & Chrome currently and why?
“Chrome is still focused on the principles that it set out at its launch: “a web that is Speedy, Simple and Secure.” - when you look at that lensing, so much of our work has been in service of these. Take, for example, “Core Web Vitals” - we worked out a set of metrics that could be used to determine if your site had a great user experience, and I believe it’s fundamentally changed the web. Or, on another axis, you look at technologies like WASM, which are enabling native code (e.g C/C++) to run safely in a sandbox in the browser, at speeds that are getting close to what you would expect an installed application to reach.”
How do Web & Chrome help expand the impact of developers?
“Universal access. The link enables this, and we need to fight to keep it open and accessible to all.’
Anything else you would like to share with the community of Google developers around the world?
“There is a lot of turmoil right now in the world; spend time listening to people, supporting them, and raising them up. When I got started, the community around me was so supportive and helped me more than I could help it - I use my time now to give people from all backgrounds the opportunities that I was fortunate to have access to. I hope that others can do the same.”
Want to learn more about Google Web Technologies and Google Chrome? Hoping to attend a DevFest or Google Developer Groups (GDG)? Find a GDG hosting a DevFest near you here.
We designed Chrome to be secure by default, protecting you from dangerous and deceptive sites that might steal your passwords or infect your device. Chrome pioneered many of the techniques that are now foundational to browser security (such as sandboxing and site isolation), and with recent advances like predictive phishing protection, you can be confident that we’re using the latest technology to keep your data safe.
But what can you do yourself to make sure you stay safe online? To mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we talked to a few Chrome security engineers to share a few pieces of advice:
Hundreds of security engineers across Google work to keep Chrome safe against the latest threats, and those improvements come out at least every two weeks. “We try to shorten the time between when a security bug has been discovered or reported and when a fix is released,” says Amy Ressler, a security technical program manager. “No matter how fast we work, we know motivated adversaries are looking for opportunities to exploit the ‘patch gap’ between when we release the fix and when some users update to the newest version.” Chrome checks for updates regularly, and when one is available, Chrome downloads it immediately and then applies it when you close and reopen the browser. But if you haven’t closed your browser in a while, you may have a pending update visible in the upper right corner of the browser window. To apply the update, click “Update” or simply close and reopen Chrome. Don’t worry: You won’t lose your tabs, and it will only take a few seconds.
Using a password manager (even if it’s not Google’s) will help you store and use a strong, unique password for each site you log into. “If your password is compromised through a phishing attack or a security breach,” security software engineer Nwokedi Idika says, “using a unique password on every site reduces its value to an attacker because it only provides access to a single site — not multiple ones.” If you’re using a password manager to store “fido1234” as your password for every site, you're not making the most of the tool. Google Password Manager can suggest and save a strong, unique password of gobbledygook (like KZamPPzj43T9mQM). Then, Chrome will autofill the password next time you need it — on any device. Chrome should suggest a new strong password when creating a new account, or you can always right click in the password field and click “Suggest Password.”
Chrome and Safe Browsing work to ensure that we warn you about dangerous downloads when possible. When you see a download warning, you can still download the file, but we strongly recommend against it. Computers are often compromised by malware because people misunderstand or ignore warnings. "We hear feedback from people that think Google disapproves of that download or software, so they ignore the warning,” says software engineer Daniel Rubery. “But the file is actually malicious!" We are constantly working to remove warnings that aren't useful; for example, we recently reevaluated our list of dangerous file types which reduced low risk warnings by more than 90%. This means you can trust that a download warning really means danger.
To be even more secure while browsing the web in Chrome, turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing protection in your Chrome settings. It substantially increases protection from dangerous websites and downloads by sharing real-time data with Safe Browsing. “This is how you can get the most out of Chrome's security features,” recommends security software engineer Javier Castro. “By enabling enhanced protection, you are letting Chrome use the latest threat intelligence and the most advanced user protections to keep you safe while you browse.” If you’re signed in, Chrome and other Google apps you use (Gmail, Drive, etc) will be able to provide improved protection based on a holistic view of threats you encounter on the web and attacks against your Google Account. As a result, people using Enhanced Safe Browsing are successfully phished 20-35% less.
Two-factor authentication can use your phone to add an extra step to verify that it's you when you sign in. Signing in with both a password and a second step on your phone protects against password-stealing scams. Software engineer Diana Smetters says, “It's simple to turn on, and you only have to use your phone the first time you sign in on each of your devices. If an attacker gets your password online and tries to sign in, they'll be blocked because they don't have your phone.” If you sign into Chrome with a Google Account, be sure that you’re enrolled in 2-step verification to protect your account.
To stay even safer online, take a few minutes this month to update Chrome, start using Google Password Manager, turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing and enroll in 2-step verification. One last tip–you can always confirm your use of security features by running Safety Check in Chrome settings.
Tablets let you browse the web at home or on the go, whether you’re shopping for a new TV or finishing up some work. With the next release of Chrome on Android, we make it easier to navigate between tabs and get work done faster on your tablets.
Here’s a closer look at the latest Chrome updates available now on all Android tablets, and on the new Pixel Tablet, when it launches next year.
It can sometimes be challenging to grab the right tab on a smaller screen, especially when you have a bunch of tabs open. That’s why we added a new side-by-side design that makes finding the right tab easier in Chrome. If you’re switching back and forth between two tabs, the auto-scroll back feature can help you swipe back to your previous tab. And to help prevent you from accidentally closing tabs in the first place, we’ll hide the close button when tabs become too small. If you close a tab you didn’t intend to, one-step restore can get you right back to where you were.
If you constantly have lots of open tabs, the visual tab grid is perfect for you. Instead of searching through all your tabs in one single horizontal stream, tabs are shown in a grid, with a preview that helps you navigate with fewer taps. Visual tabs also help if you have a foldable device, because the smaller, folded screen on the outside matches the bigger screen on the inside of your tablet.
To help you share and save content while you browse, you can now easily drag images, text and links that spark your interest from Chrome and drop them into another app like Gmail, Photos or Keep.
Sometimes, a website on a tablet just doesn't feel the same as it does on your computer. If a website isn’t working the way it should on your tablet or you just prefer the desktop experience, you can set Chrome to always request and display the desktop version of the site. This may give you capabilities that are currently only found on the desktop version, like certain menus and buttons.
If you use Chrome on your computer, you probably already know how convenient tab groups are. Keep an eye out — tab groups are coming soon to Chrome on Android tablets. You'll be able to stay organized by grouping related tabs together so you can better focus on one task without seeing the clutter from other open tabs.
No matter if you prefer using a mouse, a stylus or your finger, the Chrome on Android experience should be as intuitive and familiar on tablets as on your computer or phone. We're constantly exploring new ways to make it easier and more enjoyable to use Chrome on your Android tablet — whether it’s easier navigation with the visual tab grid, switching to desktop mode or finding the tab quickly.
Welcome to our new advice series, Help Me Out, where we ask expert Googlers to share their best tips for navigating common tech conundrums. Whether you're trying to achieve inbox zero or want to get a handle on all those Chrome tabs, we've got a Googler who can help you out.
Help me out!
I come to you in need of Chrome tabs tips. First, you should know that Ilove my Chrome tabs. Exhibit A: I apparently have 42 Chrome tabs open on my work laptop right now. Exhibit B: Rumor has it I have 83 additional Chrome tabs open on my personal laptop. You could say closing my tabs feels…taboo.
There’s just so much internet to explore — so many fascinating rabbit holes to fall down with a simple search. Sometimes I’ll bookmark all open tabs into folders that are too vaguely named to be useful. What differentiates “New Folder 1” from “New Folder 2?” No one can say. I’m never going to give up my tabs, but I definitely could use some tidying tips.
—Keepin' tabs on my tabs
Dear Keepin’ tabs on my tabs,
Coming to you live from a tab that’s buried amongst its kind! I confess that I, too, am a tab enthusiast. Since I’ve got the same issue, I decided to ask a Chrome expert to help me help you.
Edward Jung is a UX engineer who works on the Chrome team and describes himself as a “tabs maximalist.” “I’m using an extension right now that tells me I have 250 tabs open,” he says. The difference between us and Edward? He’s got a solid tabs organization system on his side. Edward says in the 12 or so years he’s been working at Google, he’s come up with various strategies to cope with his tabs use. And his tips can help us, too.
First, something that’s helpful to know if you accidentally close tabs: You can always restore them (although Edward says whenever this happens he takes it as a sign from the universe that it’s time to let those tabs go and start over!).
But that doesn’t quite solve your specific issue about organization. For starters, Edward suggests using Tab Groups. “I helped design Chrome Tab Groups because tab organization was a problem I was experiencing,” he says. This feature allows you to group various tabs together, so if you want to open a handful of tabs all at once related to a subject in particular, a project you’re working on or even something like a trip you’re planning, you just need to find that label and everything will open simultaneously. Plus, after grouping, the tabs collapse together, keeping your tab strip less cluttered. You can even add color-coding or use an emoji when you’re naming a Tab Group, which helps you immediately identify it.
Right click a tab and select “Add tab to new group” to find grouping options, including color-coding.
If you have multiple windows full of tabs, a great way to instantly recognize which tabs are in which windows is to use Chrome’s window naming feature; you can access this by right-clicking on the empty space in the tab strip and selecting “name window.” “So if you have a window open that has various tabs related to ‘project x,’ you can name the window ‘project x.’ That way you don’t have to remember what a tab was related to, and in your toolbar you’ll see the label, not the name of some random website or document,” Edward explains.
Right-clicking on the empty space at the top of your browser window will give you the option to name a window.
Now that you’ve got a way to organize and identify your many tabs, you still need a way to search them. Edward says there’s a method for that, too: You simply hit the little “down” arrow at the top right of your Chrome browser and type in what you’re looking for, or scroll down the list of what’s open. If you have too many tabs open, you can close some right from this list. Another incredibly easy way to search your tabs? Start typing whatever it is you’re looking for into the URL bar — you don’t need the complete phrase either; if it's a tab you’ve used recently or often, Chrome will fill in the rest. And if you already have the tab open somewhere, Chrome will prompt you to switch to that one instead of opening a duplicate.
Can't find a tab? Cut to the chase by clicking on this arrow and searching for it directly.
Hopefully this helps you organize your tabs better! I’ll leave you with this excellent metaphor from Edward, who likens good tab organization to a utensils drawer. “Youcould just throw everything in a drawer, but it would be chaos! This is like using the organizers so everything has a recognized place, and you easily know where to find what, right when you look at it.”
Browse on,
Molly
