For a more private and secure browsing experience, you can use Chrome’s safety features, like Safety Check and Safe Browsing.
If you notice an unfamiliar activity on your account or think that your password may have been compromised, change your password immediately. Learn how to secure a compromised Google Account.
To change your password from another site, follow the instructions in Chrome. Learn how to manage passwords.
Safe Browsing protection levels
With Google Safe Browsing, you get alerts about malware, risky extensions, phishing or sites on Google’s list of potentially unsafe sites. Learn how to choose Safe Browsing protection level.
To make sure you're protected by the latest security updates, when available, Chrome can automatically update to the newest browser version.Learn how to update Chrome.
On-device encryption for passwords
Important: Make sure you’ve already set up on-device encryption. Learn how to set up on-device encryption.
Once on-device encryption is set up, you can use your Google password or the screen lock for compatible phones or tablets to unlock your password. This type of encryption means that only you have the key to unlock your passwords.
Review Safety Check on your computer
Chrome runs Safety Check automatically to help you find and fix privacy and security problems.
You can review your Chrome's privacy and security with Safety Check. On a computer, Safety Check searches for:
- Compromised, reused, or weak passwords: To ensure your online security, Safety Check can warn you if a username or password stored in the Google Password Manager was involved in a data breach. Learn more about how Chrome protects your passwords.
- Safe Browsing status: To ensure you’re protected against malware, phishing, and other risks, Safety Check can occasionally remind you to review your Safe Browsing settings. Learn more about Safe Browsing protection in Chrome.
- Available Chrome updates: To ensure that you’re protected by the latest security updates, Safety Check can occasionally remind you to update Chrome.
- Potentially unwanted notifications: From time to time, Chrome will remind you to review your notification permission grants.
- Unused site permissions: To protect your data, Chrome removes permissions from sites you haven't used recently.
- Potentially harmful extensions: To improve your security, Safety Check can warn you of extensions that might pose security risks.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, click More
Settings. - On the left, select Privacy and security.
- Under “Safety Check,” select Go to Safety Check.
- If Chrome finds any issues:
- Select the item with the issue.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
Settings.Tip: When Safety Check takes action, Chrome will notify you if there are issues that need your attention. These messages will show up when you select More 
. You can select the item with the issue and follow the on-screen instructions.
Manage Advanced security settings
Turn on Always use secure connections
When a website’s URL has HTTPS, it can indicate a secure connection. Connections to sites that use HTTPS are more secure than those that don’t.
When you turn on Always use secure connections, Chrome upgrades URLs to use HTTPS and displays a warning before you visit a site that doesn’t support it.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, select More Settings.
- On the left, select Privacy and security Security.
- Under “Advanced,” turn on Always use secure connections.
Tip: When you’re about to load a site that doesn’t use HTTPS in its URL, you'll find a “Not Secure” warning in the address bar.
Use a secure connection to look up a site’s IP address
When you visit a site, Chrome looks up the site’s host server’s IP address. To protect your privacy and security, if Secure DNS lookup is turned on, Chrome encrypts your information during the lookup process.
By default, Secure DNS in Chrome is turned on in automatic mode. If Chrome has issues looking up a site in this mode, it'll look up the site in the unencrypted mode.
You can select a custom provider. When you select a custom provider, Chrome won't default to unencrypted mode. If you have issues, like error messages, you can check your provider setting or turn Secure DNS off. The error messages may say that the server’s IP address couldn't be found.
Important: If your device is managed or parental controls are turned on, you can’t use Chrome’s secure DNS feature.
To turn Secure DNS on or off:
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, select More Settings.
- On the left, select Privacy and security Security.
- Under "Advanced," turn on or off Use Secure DNS.
- Select your current service provider.
- Or, from the drop down menu, select a custom service provider.
Important: To improve site performance, V8 is turned on by default.
For additional security but reduced site performance, you can turn it off by:
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, select More Settings.
- On the left, select Privacy and security SecurityManage V8 security.
- You can select your preferred permission:
- Sites can use the V8 optimizer: Increases performance and features that use JavaScript work as intended. This is recommended.
- Don’t allow sites to use the V8 optimizer: Reduces performance but makes V8 more secure.
Tip: You can also specify which URLs can and can’t use the V8 optimizer. To add the URL of websites that are allowed or not allowed to use V8 optimizer, select Add.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, select More Settings.
- On the left, select Privacy and security Security.
- Under “Advanced,” select Manage security keys.
- Select how you manage your security key:
- Manage phones: Control which phones you use as security keys.
- Personal Identification Number: Protect your security key with a PIN.
- Sign-in data: Manage sign-in data stored on your security key.
- Fingerprints: Add and delete fingerprints saved on your security key.
- Reset your security key: Delete all data on your security key, including its PIN.
Manage certificates
You can check and change your HTTPS or SSL certificates and settings.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, select More Settings.
- On the left, selectPrivacy and securitySecurity.
- Under “Advanced,”select Manage certificates.
Google Advanced Protection Program
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, select More Settings.
- On the left, select Privacy and securitySecurity.
- Under “Advanced,” select Google Advanced Protection Program.
Tip: Learn more about Google’s Advanced Protection Program.
Related articles
- Manage passwords
- Update Google Chrome
- Install and manage extensions
- Change site settings permissions
- Use notifications to get alerts
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