9 Default Chrome Settings You Should Change If ... - Lifehacker

Google Chrome's default settings are (surprise) far from ideal for those who care about privacy. And if you're among those people—but aren't ... 9DefaultChromeSettingsYouShouldChangeIfYouCareAboutYourPrivacyHomeLatestFood&DrinkTechHealthMoneyHomeParentingWorkRelationshipsTravelLifeinGeneralAboutLifehackerAdvisorLifehackerStoreExploreourothersitesInternetItonlytakesafewclickstoreduceGoogleChrome'stracking.ByPranayParab2/22/221:30PMComments(8)AlertsPhoto:TadaImages(Shutterstock)GoogleChrome’sdefaultsettingsare(surprise)farfromidealforthosewhocareaboutprivacy.Andifyou’reamongthosepeople—butaren’treadytojumpshiptoanotherbrowser—thereareafewothereasywaystoreduceGoogle’strackingonChrome.Advertisement2/11SignoutofyourGoogleaccountListslidesSignoutofyourGoogleaccountScreenshot:PranayParabWhenyousignintoChrome,yougiveGoogleaccesstoalotmoredatathanisneeded.SigningintoChromeletsGoogleusegreatfeatures—likesyncingyourbookmarksandhistoryacrossdevices—soyoudefinitelymightwanttostaysignedintoChromeofthat’simportanttoyou.Butifyou’reokaywithlosingaccesstosyncing,youshouldconsiderjustsigningoutofyourGoogleaccountonChromealtogether.Todoit,clickthethree-dotsmenuinthetop-rightcornerofChrome,andselectSettings.Then,selecttheChromeandYoutabontheleft.HitthedownarrownexttoyourGoogleaccountname,andselectSignout.Whileyou’reatit,youcouldalsoselecttheSyncandGoogleservicesbelowyourGoogleaccountanddisableAllowChromesign-in.ThiswillletyousignintoGooglesiteswithoutsigningintoChrome.Advertisement3/11ChangeyourdefaultsearchenginetoDuckDuckGoListslidesChangeyourdefaultsearchenginetoDuckDuckGoScreenshot:PranayParabThenextstepistoreduceyourdependenceonGooglebyswitchingtoasearchenginethatrespectsyourprivacy.Theanswerisobvious:DuckDuckGo.YoucanchangethisbygoingtoChromesettings>SearchengineandselectingDuckDuckGofromthedrop-downmenunexttoSearchengineusedintheaddressbar.IfDuckDuckGodoesn’tgiveyoutheresultsyouneed,youcanadd!gtoyoursearchquery.ThiswillopenthesameresultinGoogle.Youcanusethisshortcuttoavoidmanuallyswitchingbetweenthesetwosearchengines.Advertisement4/11SwitchtoasaferpasswordmanagerListslidesSwitchtoasaferpasswordmanagerPhoto:MichaelJayBerlin(Shutterstock)LotsofpeoplestilluseGoogleChrometostorealltheirpasswords,andwhilethatmightbealittlemoresecurethanusingweakpasswordsorthesamepasswordeverywhereontheinternet,it’snotasubstituteforagoodpasswordmanager.YoushoulduseapasswordmanagerlikeBitWardenor1Password,whichofferseasywaystoimportallthepasswordsstoredinyourbrowser.Notonlyisswitchingtoapasswordmanagerabettersecuritypractice,butitalsokeepsmoreofyourdataoutofGoogle’sclutches.Advertisement5/11ReviewChrome’ssecuritysettingsListslidesReviewChrome’ssecuritysettingsScreenshot:PranayParabChromesendsafairbitofdatatoGoogle’sservers.Thismaybegoodforpeoplewithverylimitedknowledgeofbasicsafetypracticesforbrowsingtheinternet,butformostpeople,it’sonemoredatapointthatyoucanavoidsendingtoGoogle.YoucanchangethatbygoingtoChromesettings>Securityandprivacy>SecurityandselectingStandardprotection.ThiswillkeepyousecurewithoutsendingyourbrowsingdatatoGoogle.Onthesamesettingspage,undertheAdvancedsection,youshouldenableAlwaysusesecureconnections.ThiswillalwaysloadthemoresecureHTTPSversionsofyourfavoritewebsites,andwarnyouwhenthesitedoesn’tsupportit.Advertisement6/11Checkwhichwebsitescanaccessyourlocation,camera,andmicrophoneListslidesCheckwhichwebsitescanaccessyourlocation,camera,andmicrophoneScreenshot:PranayParabYoucanquicklyreviewyourprivacysettingsinChrometodenypermissionstoyourmicrophone,camera,location,andevennotifications.Thiswillimproveyourprivacyandreduceannoyancesatthesametime.GotoChromesettings>Securityandprivacy>Sitesettings.UnderPermissions,youshouldrevieweachoptionanddisableaccesswhererequired.Forexample,underLocation,youcanselectDon’tallowsitestoseeyourlocationtoreduceannoyingpop-upsandtoimproveyouronlineprivacy.Advertisement7/11PeriodicallyeraseyourbrowsinghistoryandsitedataListslidesPeriodicallyeraseyourbrowsinghistoryandsitedataScreenshot:PranayParabYoushouldprobablyavoidstoringyourbrowsinghistoryandotherwebsitedatafortoolong,andyoucanperiodicallyeraseitbygoingtoChromesettings>Securityandprivacy>Clearbrowsingdata.SelecttheAdvancedtabandchangethetimerangetoAlltime.YoucanclickCleardatatodeleteeverything,ormanuallyuncheckindividualcategoriestoremovesome(butnotall)data.YoushouldalsogotoChromesettings>Securityandprivacy>Sitesettings.Here,youcanselectBlockthird-partycookies,whichwillreducetrackingwhenyou’reusingGoogleChrome.YoucanalsoselectBlockallcookies,butitcouldbreaksomewebsites.Thedefaultchoiceonlyblocksthird-partycookiesinincognitomode,whichislessthanidealforyourprivacy.YoucanalsodisablePreloadpagesforfasterbrowsingandsearchingtostopChromefrompreloadingpagesitthinksyoumightvisit.Thismaymakesomepagestakelongertoload,butit’llalsosavesomebandwidth.Advertisement8/11ChangeyourautocompletesettingsListslidesChangeyourautocompletesettingsScreenshot:PranayParabGooglecollectssomedataaboutthethingsyoutypeinChrome.Ifyouwanttoreduceit,gotoChromesettings>YouandGoogle>SyncandGoogleservices.Here,youcandisabletheseoptions:AutocompletesearchesandURLs,HelpimproveChrome’sfeaturesandperformance,Makesearchesandbrowsingbetter,andEnhancedspellcheck.Advertisement9/11UsebetterextensionstoprotectyourprivacyListslidesUsebetterextensionstoprotectyourprivacyPhoto:monticello(Shutterstock)Thereareseveralgoodextensionsthathelpprotectyourprivacyonthewebbymakingitharderforadcompaniestotrackyouacrosstheinternet.It’simportanttonotethatyoushouldn’tusedozensofprivacyextensionsthough,becausemanyoftheirfeatureswilloverlap.ThebestcombinationformostpeopleistouseuBlockOrigintoblocktrackersandNoScripttomakebrowsingsaferbyblockingJavaScriptfromnon-trusteddomains.Advertisement10/11AndswitchtoamoreprivatebrowserwhenyouneeditListslidesAndswitchtoamoreprivatebrowserwhenyouneeditPhoto:monticello(Shutterstock)Finally,ifyouwanttoreducetracking,thebestlong-termmoveistoswitchtoadifferentbrowser.Firefoxhitsthesweetspotbetweenprivacy,performance,andcustomizabilitythroughextensions;butsomewebsitesworkbestonChromium-basedbrowsers,soyoumaywanttotryonelikeBrave.Advertisement11/11Listslides