Tag Archives: Chrome

Create a space for yourself in Chrome

If you're one of the many families who share a computer in your home, or someone who uses their computer for both work and personal browsing, these stories may be familiar: You spent the previous day hand-picking your favorite browser colors and theme, only to discover that someone changed everything up. Or, you're trying to login to a retailer site to buy a saved pair of shoes, but autofill keeps suggesting the wrong password (your partner's, you guess?). It can be frustrating and messy, and that's why Chrome is revamping its profiles experience, making it even easier to create, customize or switch to your personal space within Chrome.

Choose the profile you want to use when you restart Chrome.

Choose the profile you want to use when you restart Chrome.

You can easily give everyone with whom you share a computer a space that’s just for them, including a color scheme and background (check out the new theme series by Black artists for inspiration), bookmarks organized just the way they want them, and their saved passwords. Also new in this update: for all those articles you want to read later, you can now add them to your reading list in Chrome on Android and desktop.

Once everyone's set up, it's easy to select the right profile for the right moment, switch to another profile as needed or instantly create a new one. Using different colors for different profiles makes it easy to distinguish them at a glance.

Customize your profile, so you easily recognize “your space”.

Customize your profile, so you easily recognize “your space”.

You can also access your Chrome profile on your other devices. Just turn on sync and get that theme you’ve selected, along with anything else you’ve saved such as your new reading list, your favorite bookmarks and your saved passwords across your devices.

We hope Chrome's new profiles experience brings you more structure and ease, and helps you better separate work from personal activities for each member of the household. Keep an eye out for these new features as they roll out on desktop over the coming weeks.

Source: Google Chrome


Create a space for yourself in Chrome

If you're one of the many families who share a computer in your home, or someone who uses their computer for both work and personal browsing, these stories may be familiar: You spent the previous day hand-picking your favorite browser colors and theme, only to discover that someone changed everything up. Or, you're trying to login to a retailer site to buy a saved pair of shoes, but autofill keeps suggesting the wrong password (your partner's, you guess?). It can be frustrating and messy, and that's why Chrome is revamping its profiles experience, making it even easier to create, customize or switch to your personal space within Chrome.

Choose the profile you want to use when you restart Chrome.

Choose the profile you want to use when you restart Chrome.

You can easily give everyone with whom you share a computer a space that’s just for them, including a color scheme and background (check out the new theme series by Black artists for inspiration), bookmarks organized just the way they want them, and their saved passwords. Also new in this update: for all those articles you want to read later, you can now add them to your reading list in Chrome on Android and desktop.

Once everyone's set up, it's easy to select the right profile for the right moment, switch to another profile as needed or instantly create a new one. Using different colors for different profiles makes it easy to distinguish them at a glance.

Customize your profile, so you easily recognize “your space”.

Customize your profile, so you easily recognize “your space”.

You can also access your Chrome profile on your other devices. Just turn on sync and get that theme you’ve selected, along with anything else you’ve saved such as your new reading list, your favorite bookmarks and your saved passwords across your devices.

We hope Chrome's new profiles experience brings you more structure and ease, and helps you better separate work from personal activities for each member of the household. Keep an eye out for these new features as they roll out on desktop over the coming weeks.

Source: Google Chrome


Celebrate Black creative visions with Chrome

This Black History Month, the Chrome team is showcasing exciting new work by Black artists in a collection of themes that let you customize the look of your browser.

We commissioned six contemporary artists and invited them to turn Chrome into their canvas. Working in different mediums and bringing different points of view, each artist has presented their interpretation of the ways people use Chrome: finding new knowledge, connecting with each other, exploring our world and taking action towards our goals.

Our design team crafted themes around their work to fuse them seamlessly into Chrome, coordinating the colors of your tabs and making sure the work looks great on all types of laptop and desktop screens.

We drew inspiration from the #drawingwhileblack hashtag, organized by featured artist Abelle Hayford, as well as from the many artists who have used their talents to advance the call for justice and give us visions of a better future. We hope these themes help you discover new artists, and bring you energy and joy throughout your day as you go to new places through art. 

Browse all 24 themes in the collection on the Chrome Web Store, and read on to hear from the artists:


  • “Telepathy” - Sabrena Khadija

    “Telepathy” - Sabrena Khadija

    “Black women are my one true source of inspiration. For my ‘Telepathy’ theme I wanted to represent the bonds that connect us and allow us to uplift, empower, and embolden each other. To show that whether we are sisters or strangers, the bonds that connect us remain strong.” Sabrena Khadija is a Brooklyn-based illustrator from Prince George’s County, Maryland.

  • “Bubbly” - Olivia Fields

    “Bubbly” - Olivia Fields

    “One day, I was doing the dishes and a tiny bubble managed to escape from the kitchen and travel all the way to my workspace. As I watched it move slowly through the room, I realized I was still drawn in by its gentle movements as well as the urge to pop it before reaching its destination. ‘Bubbly’ is inspired by that warm nostalgic feeling of spending time at play. ”   Olivia Fields is a cartoonist and illustrator based in Brooklyn, New York, where she currently works as a freelancer.

  • "Stay Flo" - Laci Jordan

    “Stay Flo” - Laci Jordan

    “Inspired by exploration, escapism, and vacation. ‘Stay Flo’ captures the idea of the movement, flow, and lush vibes commonly experienced through exploring (and vacation).”   Laci Jordan is a multidisciplinary designer, illustrator and creative director. Born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, Jordan currently lives in Los Angeles.

  • "The Explorer" - Janelle Cummins

    “The Explorer” - Janelle Cummins

    “I wanted to create designs influenced by its fluidity. I arrived at a unifying theme of water, a versatile element that provides, sustains and captivates. This theme design shows a macro shot of scenes within water droplets caught on blades of grass. A curious ladybug enters one of the encapsulated worlds.”   Janelle Cummins is an illustrator born and raised in Barbados, who now calls the San Francisco Bay Area her home.

  • "Ntentan (Connections)" - Derrick Ofosu Boateng

    “Ntentan (Connections)” - Derrick Ofosu Boateng

    “Connection as a part of human existence is so vital for the society as a whole. Not just on the surface, but deep within us, where we’re joined spirit to spirit, heart to heart. It’s such a healing relationship. That was my inspiration for this collection.”   Derrick Ofosu Boateng is a Ghanaian digital artist inspired by the richness of Africa and the way of life of her inhabitants.

  • "A Spark" - Abelle Hayford

    “A Spark” - Abelle Hayford

    “For this illustration, I wanted to approach the concept of ‘finding’ in a more symbolic way. When I find or discover ideas or concepts it feels like a giant spark of inspiration coming to life.”   Abelle Hayford is a Los Angeles-based illustrator and artist working in animation and comics.

Extending enterprise zero trust models to the web

For over a decade, Chrome has been committed to advancing security on the web, and we’re proud of the end-user and customer safety improvements we’ve delivered over the years. We take our responsibility seriously, and we continue to work on ways to better protect billions of users around the world, whether it’s driving the industry towards HTTPS, introducing and then advancing the concept of a browser sandbox, improving phishing and malware detection via Safe Browsing improvements or working alongside Google’s Project Zero team to build innovative exploit mitigations. 


To continue our work of making a safer web for everyone, we’ve partnered with Google’s Cloud Security team to expand what enterprises should expect from Chrome and web security. Today the Cloud Security team is announcing BeyondCorp Enterprise, our new zero trust product offering, built around the principle of zero trust: that access must be secured, authorized and granted based on knowledge of identities and devices, and with no assumed trust in the network. With Chrome, BeyondCorp Enterprise is able to deliver customers a zero trust solution that protects data, better safeguards users against threats in real time and provides critical device information to inform access decisions, all without the need for added agents or extra software. These benefits are built right into Chrome, where users are already spending much of their workday accessing the apps and resources they need to be productive, and IT teams can easily manage these controls right through our Chrome Browser Cloud Management offering.


By extending zero trust principles to Chrome, we’re introducing the following advanced security capabilities that will help keep users and their company data safer than ever before:


Enhanced malware and phishing prevention: BeyondCorp Enterprise allows for real-time URL checks and deep scanning of files for malware.


Notification that reads "sample.zip is dangerous, so Chrome has blocked it."

Sensitive data protection across the web:IT teams can enforce a company’s customized rules for what types of data can be uploaded, downloaded or copied and pasted across sites.


Notification that reads "This file has sensitive or dangerous content. Remove this content and try again.

Visibility and insights: Organizations can get more insights into potential risks or suspicious activity through cloud-based reporting, including tracking of malicious downloads on corporate devices or employees entering passwords on known phishing sites. 


Three bar charts labeled "Chrome high risk users," "Chrome high risk domains," and "Chrome data protection summary."

Including Chrome in your zero trust strategy is critical not only because your employees spend much of the working day in the browser, but also because Chrome is in a unique position to identify and prevent threats across multiple web-based apps. Enhanced capabilities surrounding data protection and loss prevention protects organizations from both external threats and internal leak risks, many of which may be unintentional. We’ve built these capabilities into Chrome in a way that gives IT and security teams flexibility around how to configure policies and set restrictions, while also giving administrators more visibility into potentially harmful or suspicious activities. Naturally, these threat and data protections are also extended to Chrome OS devices, which offer additional proactive and built-in security protections.  


As with many of the major security advances Chrome has introduced in the past, we know it takes time to adopt new approaches. We’re here to help with a solution that is both simple and more secure for IT teams and their users. As you look at 2021 and where your security plans will take you, check out BeyondCorp Enterprise. 


Chrome will host a webinar on Thursday, January 28, highlighting some of our recent enterprise enhancements, and offering a preview of what’s to come in 2021. We’ll also talk more about the Chrome-specific capabilities of BeyondCorp Enterprise. We hope you can join us!

Source: Google Chrome


Better privacy when screen sharing with muted web notifications

Quick launch summary

Now when you’re sharing your screen, Chrome will automatically hide the content of web pop-up notifications. This includes notifications from Google Chat, email notifications, and other third party websites.

When you’re done sharing your screen, all muted notifications will be automatically displayed. Note that notifications are already muted when sharing a tab in Google Meet.

You’ll see where the notification is from, but the content of pop-up notifications will be hidden. When you’re done presenting, all muted notifications will be displayed.

There has been a dramatic shift in how many of us work – now more than ever, we’re relying on the use of Google Meet and other screen sharing solutions. We hope this feature will reduce distractions and prevent sensitive or personal information from accidentally being displayed while sharing your screen.

Getting started 

  • Admins: There is no admin control for this feature.

  • End users: When sharing your screen, notification content will automatically be hidden. You can hover over a notification and select “Mute” to dismiss a notification and prevent any additional notifications. Or you can select “Show Content”, which will display content for the current and future notifications.

Rollout pace 


Availability

  • Available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Essentials, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus, as well as G Suite Basic, Business, Education, Enterprise for Education, and Nonprofits customers 
  • Available to users with personal Google Accounts


Making Chrome extensions more private and secure

Every day 4 million Chrome extensions are downloaded, and with more than 250,000 extensions and themes available on the Chrome Web Store, no two Chrome browsers are alike. From productivity and learning tools to entertainment and shopping, extensions on Chrome open up a new world of possibilities that let you customize your experience and help you get things done. We make sure the extensions that our developers build meet your expectations for privacy and security so you can continue to explore and enjoy browsing the web with Chrome. Here's how we’ve improved in 2020 and what’s coming next year:

Stricter privacy rules and more control over your data

In 2021, we’ll change how extensions access data and how permissions work when an extension is installed. You will get to determine which websites the extension can access when you browse the web, instead of letting the extension decide. These updates follow other changes we made this year when we introduced the puzzle icon on the toolbar to make extension controls more visible and granular. 

Once you grant an extension permission to access a website's data, that preference can be saved for that domain. You can also still decide to grant an extension access to all the websites you visit, but that is no longer the default.

Gif showing that you will be able to manage the extension’s permissions, so you control which websites it can access as you browse the web.

In 2021, you will be able to manage the extension’s permissions, so you control which websites it can access as you browse the web. 

Transparent extensions’ data usage

We’ve also been improving our developer policies to make extensions more transparent. Starting January 18th, every extension will publicly display its “privacy practices” which will use clear visuals and simple language to explain the data they collect and use. We’re also limiting what developers can do with the data they collect. 


Image showing user interface for Chrome extension "privacy practices" feature

You will find the new privacy practices overview right on the extension listing.

More security updates to keep you safe

Over the last year,  we’ve updated our security practices to help us identify more harmful extensions before they enter the Chrome Web Store. For instance, thanks to our integration with Google Safe Browsing, the number of malicious extensions that Chrome disabled to protect people grew by 81 percent.

Earlier this year we also updated Chrome’s Safety check in Settings to help you quickly confirm if harmful extensions are installed and learn how to remove them. Next year, we’re planning to launch more protections through Enhanced Safe Browsing. 

Image showing user interface for Chrome’s Safety check. Image dialogue box reading "2 potentially harmful extensions are off. You can also remove them."

If malicious extensions are installed, Chrome’s Safety check will tell you how to remove them.

Ready to start customizing your experience on Chrome? Check out the extension collections we feature on the Chrome Web Store, including the regularly updated Editor’s Pick, Staying at home, Enhance your gameplay or Personalize Chrome collections. Our priority is to continue developing features that protect your data and keep you safe, while you choose extensions that help you get the best out of Chrome.

Announcing Bonus Rewards for V8 Exploits

Posted by Martin Barbella, Chrome Vulnerability Rewards Panelist

Starting today, the Chrome Vulnerability Rewards Program is offering a new bonus for reports which demonstrate exploitability in V8, Chrome’s JavaScript engine. We have historically had many great V8 bugs reported (thank you to all of our reporters!) but we'd like to know more about the exploitability of different V8 bug classes, and what mechanisms are effective to go from an initial bug to a full exploit. That's why we're offering this additional reward for bugs that show how a V8 vulnerability could be used as part of a real world attack.

In the past, exploits had to be fully functional to be rewarded at our highest tier, high-quality report with functional exploit. Demonstration of how a bug might be exploited is one factor that the panel may use to determine that a report is high-quality, our second highest tier, but we want to encourage more of this type of analysis. This information is very useful for us when planning future mitigations, making release decisions, and fixing bugs faster. We also know it requires a bit more effort for our reporters, and that effort should be rewarded. For the time being this only applies to V8 bugs, but we’re curious to see what our reporters come up with!

The full details are available on the Chrome VRP rules page. At a high-level, we’re offering increased reward amounts, up to double, for qualifying V8 bugs.

The following table shows the updated reward amounts for reports qualifying for this new bonus. These new, higher values replace the normal reward. If a bug in V8 doesn’t fit into one of these categories, it may still qualify for an increased reward at the panel’s discretion.

[1] Baseline reports are unable to meet the requirements to qualify for this special reward.

So what does a report need to do to demonstrate that a bug is likely exploitable? Any V8 bug report which would have previously been rewarded at the high-quality report with functional exploit level will likely qualify with no additional effort from the reporter. By definition, these demonstrate that the issue was exploitable. V8 reports at the high-quality level may also qualify if they include evidence that the bug is exploitable as part of their analysis. See the rules page for more information about our reward levels.

The following are some examples of how a report could demonstrate that exploitation is likely, but any analysis or proof of concept will be considered by the panel:

  • Executing shellcode from the context of Chrome or d8 (V8’s developer shell)
  • Creating an exploit primitive that allows arbitrary reads from or writes to specific addresses or attacker-controlled offsets
  • Demonstrating instruction pointer control
  • Demonstrating an ASLR bypass by computing the memory address of an object in a way that’s exposed to script
  • Providing analysis of how a bug could lead to type confusion with a JSObject

For example reports, see issues 914736 and 1076708.

We’d like to thank all of our VRP reporters for helping us keep Chrome users safe! We look forward to seeing what you find.

-The Chrome Vulnerability Rewards Panel

A faster Chrome, for everything you need to get done

Today we're offering up our final Chrome release of 2020. The updates can help you get things done this holiday season (and beyond), so you can make life's work a bit smoother and reclaim precious time.


Faster to start, faster to load, and way more battery life

This month's update represents the largest gain in Chrome performance in years, thanks to many under-the-hood improvements. Here’s what’s starting to roll out today:


  • Chrome now prioritizes your active tabs vs. everything that’s open—reducing CPU usage by up to 5x and extending battery life by up to 1.25 hours (based on our internal benchmarks).

  • Chrome now starts up to 25 percent faster, loads pages up to 7 percent faster, and does all of this using less power and RAM than before.

  • Chrome on Android now loads pages near instantaneously when you navigate backward and forward, making these common tasks super fast.


Tabs: pin ‘em, group ‘em, and now search ‘em

Many people use tabs to organize their stuff online—from read-worthy articles, to sources of inspiration, to everyday to-do’s. This range of utility is why you can pin tabs (for those go-to pages), send tabs to your other devices and even group tabs in Chrome. This month we're adding tab search to the toolbox.


You’ll now be able to see a list of your open tabs—regardless of the window they’re in—then quickly type to find the one you need. It’s search … for your tabs! The feature is coming first to Chromebooks, then to other desktop platforms soon.
Searching for a tab in Chrome

Even if you have multiple Chrome windows, you can find a tab no matter which window it’s in.

Taking action directly from the address bar

The address bar is one of those multi-sport athletes in Chrome: you can type a search, a URL, or just tap on a suggestion, and it gets you where you’d like to go. In fact, we call it the "omnibox" inside of Google (#TheMoreYouKnow).


In this release, we’re expanding what you can do in the address bar with Chrome Actions—a faster way to get things done with just a few keystrokes. For example: when you type “edit passwords,” or “delete history,” you can now take action directly from the bar. Our first set of actions—available initially on desktop—focuses on privacy and security, so you can increase your peace of mind in a few clicks.

Chrome Actions in the search bar

Our first set of Chrome Actions makes managing your privacy and security settings even easier.

A way to pick up where you left off

You know when you find that delicious recipe online, then you can't find it again when it’s time to cook dinner? We’ve heard similar stories from lots of people, for lots of different scenarios.


To help you jump back into activities like planning a meal, researching a holiday gift, or winding down with a video, we'll soon add cards to your new tab page in Chrome. Clicking on them will take you to recently-visited and related content on the web, and save you time in the process

Cards displaying recipes, shopping, and entertainment content

Cards in Chrome will help you pick up where you left off. They include recently-visited and related content, and they'll start showing up for some users on the new tab page, underneath the shortcuts.

We’re starting with a few experiments in areas like cooking and shopping, and we plan to add entertainment early next year. This is a definitely a new type of experience in Chrome, so we welcome your feedback.


All of the above—plus some other features we’ll share on Twitter—is rolling out over the next few weeks. So stay tuned, and here’s to what’s next!

4 reasons to set Chrome as your default browser on iOS

With iOS 14, you can now change your default browser (the browser that automatically opens links) to Chrome on your iPhone or iPad. If you already use Chrome on your computer, Chrome on iOS delivers the same familiar and easy-to-use experience, with a look and feel that’s right at home on your iPhone or iPad. Here are four reasons you should try it—including a couple of recently released features and some new ones coming soon.


1. Your Chrome on any device

When you’re signed in to your Google account you can sync Chrome across your phone, tablet or computer so your passwords, payment details, autofill information and bookmarks are automatically available on all of those devices. No need to take out your credit card or type in your address if you need to buy something while you’re on the go. 


Chrome also makes switching between devices really easy. From the search bar of Chrome for desktop or the sharing menu of Chrome for iOS, you can send a tab to another signed-in device with just a click. If you find a recipe on your computer, you can easily pull up your recent tabs and open it up on your phone to check the ingredient list while you're out shopping. 

Chrome on any device
2. Get organized and be productive

The tab grid in Chrome for iOS already gives you an easy way to view and organize your tabs, and you can save a tab to your Reading List to read later, even if you’re offline. If you want to quickly share one of those tabs with a friend, we’re adding the ability to generate QR code that will take them right to that website. We’re also adding a download manager—one of our most-requested features—so you have a download folder to store and find files you’ve saved from Chrome.


If you have an iPad, you can now drag and drop links from Chrome to another app (and vice versa) when you’re in Split View. We’re also working on a feature that will let you open multiple windows in Chrome on iPad so you can view two tabs at one time. Chrome already supports mouse usage on iPadOS, and soon we’re adding support for Scribble integrations with the Apple Pencil for those who prefer writing over typing or tapping. 


Get organized and be productive
3. Feel safe browsing the web 

Chrome keeps your information secure, so you don’t have to be a security expert to feel safe on the web. Its built-in password manager generates unique passwords, securely stores them, and helps you identify and fix compromised passwords. For an added layer of protection, soon you will be able to use your fingerprint to confirm your identity when filling in passwords in Chrome. Plus, the password manager can now autofill saved Chrome login details into other apps or browsers. In addition to helping you with your passwords, Chrome on iOS now includes Google Safe Browsing, which alerts you with a warning before you open a potentially dangerous site. 

Stay safe on the web
4. The browser with Google built in

Chrome is built with Google Search at the core, which means you get answers quickly with personalized search results and instant answers that appear as you type. Google Translate is also integrated into Chrome so you can automatically translate sites in over 100 languages with a single click. And the “Articles for You” section of the Chrome new tab page brings you articles, stories and blogs from around the web, tailored to your interests.

Google built in

To set Chrome as your default browser, you’ll need to first make sure your iPhone or iPad is running iOS 14 and you have Chrome installed. Then complete the following steps:

  1. Visit iPhone Settings, scroll down until you see “Chrome” and tap on it

  2. Tap on “Default Browser App”

  3. Choose “Chrome”

Source: Google Chrome


Easier access to Search, Chrome and Gmail in iOS 14

iOS 14 has launched, and with it comes new features that make it easier to access some of the Google apps you use most often. Starting today, you can add a Google Search Widget to your Home Screen to let you find information even faster. You can also set Chrome as your default browser app on your iPhone or iPad, and in the coming days, you’ll be able to set Gmail as your default email app. 

Find it even faster with new iOS Home Screen Widget for the Google app

In iOS 14, you can add Widgets to your Home Screen so you can access apps more quickly or get information at a glance. Starting today, we're giving you lightning-fast access to Search with a Widget in two sizes: one with just Search, and one with shortcuts to three additional ways to search, depending on your preference.

The Google app is a great way to find relevant and helpful information on your iPhone or iPad-- from web pages and quick answers to images, products, news, even life-size AR animals. And you can choose from several different ways to search, including typing, talking, or using your camera with Lens. 

With the Quick Search Widget, you can search for anything, right from your Home Screen. The Shortcuts Widget includes a quick Search bar and additional search modes: Lens, which lets you search what you see through your camera; Voice Search if you don’t feel like typing; and Incognito mode for an extra layer of privacy. 

iOS Homescreen Google Search Widget

To set up Search as a Home Screen Widget, first make sure you have the Google app downloaded from the App Store. Then follow these steps:


  1. Press and hold on the home screen of your iPhone or iPad

  2. Tap the plus icon on the upper left corner to open the widget gallery

  3. Search for & tap the Google app

  4. Swipe right/left to select the widget size

  5. Tap “Add Widget”

  6. Place the widget and tap “Done” at the upper right corner

Google Search Widget

Set Chrome and Gmail as your default browser and email app 

If you set Chrome as your default browser, when you open a link from another app, it will open in Chrome. Similarly, if you set Gmail as your default email app, any time you tap on an email icon on the web, it will open the Gmail app. 


With Chrome and Gmail, you can:


Chrome

  • Sync Chrome on your computer or tablet to automatically access your bookmarks, saved passwords and payment methods, settings, and recently opened tabs

  • Get answers quickly with personalized search results from Google that instantly appear as you type

  • Browse safely with advanced protection from threats like phishing and dangerous websites

  • Easily view and open your tabs with an uncluttered tab grid design

Gmail

  • Easily retract an email right after you send it with undo send

  • Write emails faster with Smart Compose or respond to emails quickly with Smart Reply

  • Schedule emails to send at a later time or date with schedule send

  • Protect sensitive information from unauthorized access, set an expiration date for messages or remove options to forward, copy, print, and download with confidential mode 

To set Chrome and Gmail as your default browser and email apps, first, make sure you have both Chrome and Gmail downloaded from the App Store. Then follow these steps:


Chrome

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, scroll down until you see “Chrome” and tap on it

2. Tap on “Default Browser App”

3. Choose “Chrome”

How to make Chrome your default browser in iOS

Gmail

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad, scroll down until you see “Gmail” and tap on it

2. Tap on “Default Mail App”

3. Choose “Gmail”

How to make Gmail your default email app in iOS

Now that you’re set up with Google on iOS 14, take it for a spin! And stay tuned for more Google Widgets in the coming weeks to make your iPhone even more helpful. 

Source: Google Chrome