We compile a series of tricks for Google Chrome that will help you to protect your privacy from advertisers, trackers and other online dangers.
Google Chrome is the most popular web browser. Thanks to its popularity on the desktop and being the default browser for Android, Chrome is a reference browser for millions of Internet users around the world. What's more, some of the newer browsers are based on their own code. This is the case with Microsoft Edge, Brave, Torch, or Vivaldi. That is why we propose a selection of tricks for Google Chrome.
In particular, we have gathered tricks for Google Chrome focused on privacy, one of the most controversial aspects of the Google browser. Is it possible to use this browser and protect your privacy at the same time? Chrome derivatives are one such example. But you don't have to go that far, you can change the Google Chrome settings and safeguard your privacy.
The official privacy settings
Google Chrome offers privacy options in its own settings. And it is that in this browser interesting features are mixed with a certain relaxation of the measures to protect our privacy. For example, "When you visit a web page, Chrome may use a web service to automatically load pages based on the links on the page."
From More> Settings we will find several sections where to deactivate certain functions of Google Chrome. They can be helpful. But if you want to protect your privacy, better to do without them.
In Website Settings, you can delete your activity data. History, cookies, passwords ... Just click on Clear browsing data. But if you want to anticipate, you can take certain measures. In Cookies and other website data, you can decide how Chrome will behave.
There are more tricks for Google Chrome that you should apply to protect your privacy. For example, disable these features. Look for them in the Chrome Settings search engine.
- Preload pages for faster browsing and searching.
- Allow sites to check if you have saved payment methods.
- Help improve the security of all users on the Web.
- Safe Navigation. There are three options, Standard Protection, Enhanced Protection, and No Protection. The improved one, in theory, is good for your security, but bad for your privacy, since it sends data to Google.
- Notify if your passwords are exposed in a data security breach. To do this, send data to Google.
And vice versa, activate these functions. You will find them in the Chrome Settings search engine.
Submit a do-not-track request with your browsing traffic.
Data synchronization
It is one of the most promising features of Google Chrome: having the same information, settings and other data in all versions of Chrome that you have on your computer, tablet, smartphone, etc. However, that information is stored on Google's servers. So it is inevitable to talk about synchronization if we mention tricks for Google Chrome focused on your privacy.
All security experts agree: if you want to protect your privacy, disable the Google Chrome sync. You can do it in Settings > Google and you. If you're signed in with your Google credentials, syncing may be turned on. You can pause it and also disable it.
If you want to be more selective, you can enter Google Synchronization and services and uncheck all the options that are there related to synchronizing browsing data, searches, sending usage statistics to Google, and a long etcetera of which we do not know everything we should.
Do not save addresses, payment methods, or passwords
In Settings > Autocomplete, we find three elements that Google Chrome can save for you but that we should ignore to protect our privacy. I'm talking about passwords, payment methods, and addresses.
Chrome can save passwords and payment methods. This is useful for automatically logging in and for shopping online. But that information can fall into the wrong hands. The same goes for addresses. There we store data that we have previously filled in forms. We should not save that information.
Google Chrome permissions
As with Android or iPhone, there are permissions that allow applications and games to access certain elements of your smartphone: camera, microphone, location ... The same thing happens in Google Chrome. Among the most useful privacy tricks for Google Chrome, you should look at permissions.
By default, Google Chrome will ask you every time a website asks for permission. From there, we can give it permission or not. Over time, lists of allowed and blocked web pages will be created. It is up to you to trust or not a website and give it certain information.
The official search engine
Another aspect to consider. If you want to continue using Google Chrome but protecting your privacy, you may want to do without its official search engine: Google. Chrome allows you to change search engines and even use several, thanks to the shortcuts.
From Configuration> Search engine you can choose a default one, add or remove search engines, etc. By default there is Google, but there are search engines more respectful of your privacy such as DuckDuckGo or Ecosia.
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