An SSL or certificate error means Chrome couldn’t confirm that a secure (HTTPS) connection to the site is safe. Don’t enter passwords or card details on a page showing one. Most of these errors are fixed on your side by one of four things, in this order, all from Google’s guide to common Chrome error messages:
- Sign in to the Wi-Fi. On cafe, hotel or airport Wi-Fi, open a page that starts with “http://”, such as http://example.com, and sign in on the page that appears.
- Fix your clock. If your device’s date or time is wrong, certificates look invalid. Open your device’s date and time settings and make sure both are correct.
- Try an Incognito window. Press Ctrl + Shift + N (⌘ + Shift + N on a Mac). If the page loads there, an extension is interfering: turn your extensions off in More > Extensions > Manage extensions, then back on one at a time.
- Check your antivirus and your updates. Antivirus software with “HTTPS protection” or “HTTPS scanning” can cause these errors. Turn it off briefly, try the page, and turn it back on. Also update Windows, macOS or your phone, and update Chrome.
For the full walkthrough of the most common message, see how to fix “Your connection is not private”.
What each error code means
The code appears in small text under the warning. This is what Google says about each one:
- NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID, ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID, NET::ERR_CERT_WEAK_SIGNATURE_ALGORITHM, ERR_CERTIFICATE_TRANSPARENCY_REQUIRED: all shown as “Your connection is not private”. Use the four steps above. On a work computer, ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID usually means your organization’s network security (Google names ZScaler, Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet) needs a certificate that isn’t installed. Contact your IT administrator.
- NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID, “Your clock is behind” or “Your clock is ahead”: your device’s date and time are wrong. Correct them.
- ERR_BAD_SSL_CLIENT_AUTH_CERT: signing in to a site that uses a client certificate, such as a bank or work site, isn’t working because of a problem with that certificate. Contact the site or your IT department.
- ERR_SSL_VERSION_OR_CIPHER_MISMATCH or ERR_SSL_WEAK_EPHEMERAL_DH_KEY: the site uses outdated security, and Chrome doesn’t connect to such sites to protect your privacy. Only the site owner can fix it. See ERR_SSL_VERSION_OR_CIPHER_MISMATCH.
- ERR_SSL_FALLBACK_BEYOND_MINIMUM_VERSION (“This site can’t provide a secure connection”): the site sent a response Chrome couldn’t understand. Contact the website owner.
- “Delete Expired DigiCert Certificate” (Mac only): the one case where Google tells you to remove a certificate. Open Keychain Access, choose View > Show Expired Certificates, find “DigiCert High Assurance EV Root CA” marked as expired, select it and press Delete. Do this only for that exact message.
To look up any other code, paste chrome://network-errors into the address bar for Chrome’s full list.
What not to do
Many older guides give advice that makes your computer less safe. Don’t follow it:
- Don’t import a site’s certificate or mark it “Always Trust”. Google says installing a certificate on your own isn’t recommended because it’s usually a security risk.
- Don’t delete root certificates from Windows or from your Mac’s System Roots keychain. Apart from the DigiCert message above, Google’s help gives no such step.
- Don’t click through the warning on a site where you sign in or pay. If the error only happens on one site and other secure sites work, the problem is probably the site. Tell its owner and wait.
- Don’t look for the Chrome Cleanup Tool, which Google has retired. Older guides suggest it for certificate errors caused by malware. Google’s current advice is to remove unwanted programs yourself and reset Chrome’s settings.
If the error is on every secure site
When every HTTPS site fails, the cause is on your device or network, not the sites. Check the clock first, then your antivirus’s HTTPS scanning, then whether your operating system is up to date. On a work or school network, ask IT. If you still can’t find it, work through the full checklist for pages that won’t load.
On a phone or tablet
The same causes apply: sign in to public Wi-Fi, make sure the date and time are set automatically, and update your phone’s software and the Chrome app.