A privacy tuner for Chrome
Not all cookies are sweet and fresh.
Every website you visit leaves crumbs behind, and some companies make a living off collecting your data from them. This guide will help you create a recipe that enhances your privacy and trashes your spoiled cookies.
It works on both Mac and Windows and doesn't require advanced security skills. Some privacy settings on Chrome for mobile are distinct, so it's best to make changes on your computer and let sync push them (if applicable) to your phone.
The Sweet Sixteen
We scoured Chrome's URLs to find the top sixteen settings that can make your online experience more private. This guide walks you through what each setting does, how to change them, and what to watch out for. You can access the URLs two different ways:
Use the Copy button then paste the link into the address bar. Why? Because Chrome doesn't let web pages open its internal settings directly.
Every setting page is accessible with one click. No more copy and paste. To download the bookmarks folder, click here and follow the instructions.
Short on time?
If you only do these five, you will have done more than most. After you complete a setting, click Done to record your progress from being Cookie Curious to becoming a Cookie Savant. You can always come back and continue your journey from where you left off.
Check off each setting as you finish it.
Your kitchen, your rules. Here's how to decide who gets in.
chrome://settings/content/notificationsWebsites you've allowed to send pop-up messages to your screen, even when you're not on their site.
Fake "your computer is infected" alerts usually come from a site that tricked someone into clicking Allow.
What to do: Remove every site you don't recognize. Then set the default so sites can't send notifications, or use the quieter option.
chrome://settings/content/locationSites that can see where you are.
A map needs your location. A recipe site doesn't.
What to do: Remove sites that don't truly need it. Leave the default as "Sites can ask" so you decide each time.
chrome://settings/content/cameraSites allowed to use your webcam.
What to do: Keep only the video-call sites you actually use. Remove the rest.
chrome://settings/content/microphoneSites allowed to hear you.
What to do: Same rule as the camera. If you don't recognize it, remove it.
Even the best recipe needs a taste test. Here's how to run yours.
chrome://settings/safetyCheckChrome's own inspection. It looks at your saved passwords, extensions, updates and permissions you've stopped using.
What to do: Run it and work through anything it flags. Repeat every few months.
chrome://password-manager/checkupChecks the passwords saved in Chrome for ones that were leaked in a data breach, reused, or easy to guess.
What to do: Change any leaked password first, starting with email and banking. Your email password matters most, because it can reset everything else.
A guided tour of what your Google account saves, like search history, YouTube history and places you've been, plus how Google uses it for ads.
What to do: Set your activity to auto-delete after 3 months. Turn off personalized ads if you'd rather not be profiled.
Heads up: This one is a regular web page, so the link above works. You'll need to be signed in to Google.
Bonus: a Google account page, not a Chrome settingchrome://settings/securitySafe Browsing warns you before you land on known scam or malware sites. Secure DNS hides the names of sites you visit from others on your network.
What to do: Keep Safe Browsing on Standard or Enhanced, never "No protection." Scroll down and turn on Use secure DNS.
Heads up: Enhanced protection is stronger but shares more of your browsing with Google. Standard is a fine middle ground.
Some extras aren't worth the calories. Here's how to spot them.
chrome://settings/searchEnginesThe search engine Chrome uses when you type in the address bar.
Sketchy downloads sometimes swap it for one that shows extra ads and tracks what you search.
What to do: Make sure it's the one you picked. Remove any names you don't recognize.
chrome://settings/onStartupWhat Chrome opens when it launches.
An unfamiliar page that appears every time you open Chrome is a classic sign of adware.
What to do: Choose Open the New Tab page or Continue where you left off. Remove any web address you didn't add.
chrome://extensionsAdd-ons that give Chrome extra features.
Many extensions can read everything on every page you visit. Some get sold to new owners who start collecting data.
What to do: Remove anything you don't recognize or haven't used in a month. For the keepers, open Details and set site access to On click.
chrome://settings/googleServicesSwitches that quietly send Google a steady stream of what you do in Chrome: usage statistics, the address of every page you visit and, with one of them, the words you type.
None of them are needed for Chrome to work. Turning them off is a pure privacy win with nothing to break.
What to do: Turn off Make searches and browsing better (it sends the pages you visit to Google), Enhanced spell check (it sends what you type) and Help improve Chrome's features and performance.
Heads up: Improve search suggestions sends what you type in the address bar to your search engine as you type. Turning it off is more private, but you'll lose the suggestions that pop up while typing.
chrome://settings/helpChecks for the newest version of Chrome.
Most security fixes arrive through updates. An old browser is an easy target.
What to do: Open it, let it finish, and click Relaunch if asked. Your tabs come right back.
A one-time setup. Once the folder is on your bookmarks bar, every setting above is one click away.
chrome://settings/importData