Chrome has three Safe Browsing levels. Standard protection is on by default and warns you about sites, downloads and extensions that Google has already identified as dangerous. Enhanced protection also warns you about dangers Google did not know about before, and to do that it sends more of what you do in Chrome to Google. No protection turns the warnings off, and Google does not recommend it. That is how Google’s help page Choose your Safe Browsing protection level in Chrome describes them.
If you are happy for Chrome to send Google the address of each site you visit, pick Enhanced. If you would rather keep that to a minimum, Standard still blocks known dangerous sites. Either is a sound choice; turning protection off is not.
Standard and Enhanced side by side
- What you are warned about. Standard: sites, downloads and extensions already on Google’s lists of dangerous ones. Enhanced: those, plus potentially dangerous sites, downloads and extensions “even ones Google didn’t previously know about.”
- What Chrome sends to Google on a normal visit. Standard: an obfuscated portion of the address, sent through a privacy server so that, in Google’s words, “Neither Google nor the third-party operating the privacy server can see both the URL you’re visiting and your IP address.” Enhanced: the address of the site and a small sample of page content, extension activity and system information.
- When more is sent. Standard sends full addresses and bits of page content only if a site does something suspicious. Enhanced sends information in real time, and extra data when Chrome doesn’t have information about the site you’re about to visit.
- Downloads. Enhanced includes in-depth scans of suspicious downloads. Google’s privacy page says you can choose to send suspicious files to Google for these extra scans.
- Extensions. With Enhanced, Chrome warns you when an extension you want to install isn’t trusted by the Chrome Web Store.
- Breached passwords. Enhanced warns you if you use a password that has been compromised in a data breach. With Standard, this is a separate switch (see below).
- Your Google Account. If you are signed in, Enhanced extends to your other Google services by saving this data to your Google Account. Google’s example: Safe Browsing can increase protection in Gmail after a security incident.
- Speed. Google says Enhanced “Doesn’t noticeably slow down your browser or device.”
Google says information sent to Safe Browsing is only used for security purposes. The full detail is in How Chrome Safe Browsing keeps your browsing data private.
How to switch on a computer
- Open Chrome. At the top right, select More (the three dots) and then Settings.
- On the left, select Privacy and security, then Security. You can also paste
chrome://settings/securityinto the address bar. - Under “Safe Browsing”, select Enhanced protection, Standard protection or No protection.
How to switch on Android, iPhone and iPad
- Open the Chrome app.
- Tap More and then Settings.
- Tap Privacy and security, then Safe Browsing.
- Choose Enhanced protection, Standard protection or No protection.
Google gives these same steps for Android and for iPhone and iPad. You can change the level back at any time.
Breach warnings when you use Standard
Enhanced protection includes warnings about passwords found in a data breach. On Standard, Google’s page Manage Chrome safety and security shows where to turn them on: in Settings, select Privacy and security, then Security, and under “Advanced” turn on Warn you if a password was compromised in a data breach. If you have already had one of these warnings, our breach alert guide says what to do next.
If you cannot change the setting
On a work or school computer, Google says your administrator may set up phishing and malware protection for you, and then you can’t change this setting yourself.
Questions
Does turning off Safe Browsing in Chrome affect Gmail or other Google products?
No. Google says your Safe Browsing setting in other Google products won’t be affected.
Can I still open a site after a warning?
Yes, at every level you can choose to visit an unsafe site or download a file after a warning, though Google recommends against it. For what each warning means, see Chrome Safe Browsing explained.
Does Incognito mode change anything?
On Standard, Google says some security features are turned off in Incognito to avoid revealing additional data to Google, and sites may be checked against the list stored on your device instead.