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By Chris Clark, founder of Senior Tech Cafe
Enhanced Safe Browsing is a free setting in Google Chrome that warns you before you land on a scam site or download something nasty. It’s switched off by default, which is a strange choice for a feature this useful, like selling a car with the seatbelts folded away in the trunk.
Here’s what it does, what it costs you in privacy, and how to turn it on.
What Is Enhanced Safe Browsing?
Enhanced Safe Browsing is the strongest of the three protection levels in Google Chrome. The standard level checks the sites you visit against Google’s list of known dangerous sites. Enhanced goes further: it looks at sites, downloads and extensions that aren’t on any list yet and warns you if something seems off.
Think of the standard setting as a bouncer with a list of banned faces. Enhanced is the bouncer who also notices the guy in the fake mustache.
How to Turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing
The setting is called Enhanced protection on screen. Menu names shift a little between versions, but these paths are current.
On a computer:
- Open Chrome and click the three dots in the top-right corner.
- Click Settings, then Privacy and security, then Security.
- Choose Enhanced protection.
On an Android phone, iPhone or iPad:
- Open Chrome and tap the three dots.
- Tap Settings, then Privacy and security, then Safe Browsing.
- Choose Enhanced protection.
The setting lives on each device, so switching it on for your laptop does nothing for your phone. The shortcut: go to your Google account, open Security & sign-in, and turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing for your account. That carries over to Chrome on any device where you’re signed in with sync turned on.
Should I Turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing?
If you use Chrome, you should turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing. It costs nothing, takes under a minute, and Google says people who use it are about twice as safe from phishing and scam sites as people on the standard setting. The trade-off is privacy: Chrome shares more of your browsing with Google to make that work.
For most people that’s a fair deal. Google already knows a lot about anyone using Chrome with a Google account, and a scam site emptying your bank account knows even less about boundaries.
What Enhanced Safe Browsing Catches
Three things make it worth the switch.
- Brand-new scam sites. Fake bank pages and shipping-notice sites often vanish within hours. Enhanced checks sites as you visit them, so it can flag one before it lands on anyone’s list. It’s a strong backstop for phishing scams, though your own suspicion is still the first line of defense.
- Dangerous downloads and extensions. Chrome takes a closer look at files before they open and warns you about browser add-ons that don’t have a good track record.
- Leaked passwords. If a password you use turns up in a data breach, Chrome tells you so you can change it before someone tries it. If that warning arrives after the fact, here’s what to do when an account is hacked.
What It Costs You in Privacy
To check sites as you visit them, Enhanced Safe Browsing sends Google the addresses of the pages you open, small samples of their content, and some details about your downloads, extensions and device. If you’re signed in, it’s also tied to your Google account.
If that makes you uneasy, you’re not being paranoid. You’re paying attention. The standard setting still protects you from known dangerous sites while sharing less. But if you mostly worry about scams rather than advertisers, Enhanced is the better bet.
The Standard Setting Got Better Too
In 2024 Google upgraded the standard setting so it checks sites in real time instead of relying on a list that updated every half hour or so. Those checks pass through a privacy server run by a separate company, so Google doesn’t see which site you asked about.
That’s a real improvement for anyone who sticks with standard. Enhanced still goes further, because it looks for danger on sites nobody has reported yet.
The Bottom Line on Chrome and Enhanced Safe Browsing
Chrome isn’t the most private browser around. It is the most popular, and if it’s the one you use, Enhanced Safe Browsing is one of the easiest safety upgrades you’ll ever make. One setting, one minute, and a lookout that never gets bored.
It won’t catch everything, so keep the habit of checking before you click. Anything you can do to keep hackers, malware and other internet ne’er-do-wells at bay is a good thing. For the rest of the checklist, start with our online safety guide for seniors, and then lock down your phone, tablet and computer.
Questions About Enhanced Safe Browsing
Is Enhanced Safe Browsing Worth Turning On?
For most people, yes. Enhanced Safe Browsing catches scam sites and dangerous downloads that Chrome’s standard setting can miss, and Google says it roughly doubles your protection against phishing. The cost is that Chrome sends Google more about the sites you visit. If you already use Chrome and a Google account, that trade is usually worth it.
What Does Enhanced Safe Browsing Share With Google?
When Enhanced Safe Browsing is on, Chrome sends Google the addresses of sites you visit, small samples of page content, some information about your extensions and downloads, and basic details about your device. Google uses it to spot dangerous sites faster. If you’re signed in, that protection is also tied to your Google account.
Do I Have to Turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing on Every Device?
Usually, yes. The Chrome setting lives on each device, so your laptop and your phone each need it switched on. The shortcut is your Google account’s own Enhanced Safe Browsing setting, which carries over to Chrome on any device where you’re signed in with sync turned on.
Will Enhanced Safe Browsing Stop Every Scam?
No. Enhanced Safe Browsing is a good lookout, not a bodyguard. It warns you about sites and downloads Google has flagged or finds suspicious, but a brand-new scam page, a phone call, or a convincing text message can still get through. It works best alongside the old habit of checking before you click.
