Short answer: start with the protection Chrome already has, then add one tracker blocker. Turn on Enhanced protection and Always use secure connections in Chrome’s security settings, choose whether to block third-party cookies, and install Privacy Badger or Ghostery to stop trackers that follow you from site to site. Every extension below was checked live in the Chrome Web Store when this page was written, and each link goes to its official listing.
Turn on what Chrome already has
All of these are in Chrome’s settings on a computer. Open them by pasting this into the address bar:
chrome://settings/security
- Enhanced protection. Under Settings > Privacy and security > Security, choose Enhanced protection. Chrome then warns you about dangerous sites, downloads and extensions, including ones Google did not know about before. To check them, Chrome sends the address of the site, a small sample of page content, extension activity and system information to Google Safe Browsing, which Google says is used only for security (Google’s help on Safe Browsing). If you prefer not to send that, Standard protection, the default, still warns you about known dangers.
- Always use secure connections. On the same Security page, under Secure connections, turn on Always use secure connections. Chrome upgrades sites to HTTPS and warns you before opening one that does not support it. The EFF, maker of the old HTTPS Everywhere extension that did this job, announced in 2021 that it was retiring the extension and says you no longer need it.
- Password breach warnings and secure DNS. Also on the Security page, under Advanced: Warn you if a password was compromised in a data breach, and Use secure DNS, which encrypts the lookup of a site’s address (Google’s help on these settings).
- Third-party cookies. Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Third-party cookies and select Allow third-party cookies or Block third-party cookies. Third-party cookies come from other sites embedded in the page, such as ads, and can be used to learn what you do on other sites. If you block them, some sites may not work as expected, and you can allow them for a specific site (Google’s help on cookies). In Incognito mode they are blocked by default.
- Safety Check. Under Settings > Privacy and security, select Go to Safety Check. It looks for compromised or weak saved passwords, your Safe Browsing status, available Chrome updates (see how to update Chrome) and potentially harmful extensions.
For a walk through every privacy setting, see our Chrome privacy settings guide.
Privacy and security extensions worth installing
- Privacy Badger, from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). It learns which hidden trackers follow you and blocks them, sends the Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track signals, and replaces embedded widgets such as video players and comment boxes with placeholders you can select to load. Its listing says it also removes link tracking on Facebook and Google.
- Ghostery AdBlocker for Privacy, from Ghostery GmbH. It blocks ads and trackers, shows which trackers a site uses and which company runs them, and removes cookie consent pop-ups for you.
- DuckDuckGo Search & Tracker Protection, from Duck Duck Go, Inc. It blocks trackers and third-party tracking cookies and pushes many sites to HTTPS. Know before you install: its listing says it sets your default search engine and homepage to DuckDuckGo.
- uBlock Origin Lite, from Raymond Hill. Mainly an ad blocker, but its default lists include EasyPrivacy and Peter Lowe’s ad and tracking server list, so it blocks trackers too. Our ad blocker guide compares it with the others.
- Bitwarden Password Manager, from Bitwarden Inc. It creates a strong, different password for every account and keeps them in an end-to-end encrypted vault. Chrome’s own Google Password Manager does the basic job without an extension; see our password manager comparison to choose.
Pick one tracker blocker rather than stacking several. Privacy Badger, Ghostery, DuckDuckGo and uBlock Origin Lite overlap, and when a site breaks it is easier to find the cause with only one running.
Extensions can be a privacy risk too
A tracker blocker has to see every page you open to do its job, which is why Chrome asks you to allow it to “read and change all your data on all websites” when you install one. Only install privacy tools from their store listings, like the links above, and remove ones you stop using. Our guide to choosing extensions you can trust shows how to check an extension before you install it and how to limit the sites it can see.
On a phone or tablet
Extensions are for Chrome on a computer. If you open a store listing on your phone, Google’s help says the button reads Add to Desktop, and the extension is installed the next time you open Chrome on your computer while signed in to the same Google Account (Google’s Chrome Web Store help).
Common questions
Does Incognito mode stop tracking?
Only partly. Third-party cookies are blocked by default in Incognito mode, but it is not a tracker blocker. See how Incognito mode works for what it does and does not hide.