We designed Chrome to be secure by default, protecting you from dangerous and deceptive sites that might steal your passwords or infect your device. Chrome pioneered many of the techniques that are now foundational to browser security (such as sandboxing and site isolation), and with recent advances like predictive phishing protection, you can be confident that we’re using the latest technology to keep your data safe.

But what can you do yourself to make sure you stay safe online? To mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we talked to a few Chrome security engineers to share a few pieces of advice:

Keep Chrome up to date

Hundreds of security engineers across Google work to keep Chrome safe against the latest threats, and those improvements come out at least every two weeks. “We try to shorten the time between when a security bug has been discovered or reported and when a fix is released,” says Amy Ressler, a security technical program manager. “No matter how fast we work, we know motivated adversaries are looking for opportunities to exploit the ‘patch gap’ between when we release the fix and when some users update to the newest version.” Chrome checks for updates regularly, and when one is available, Chrome downloads it immediately and then applies it when you close and reopen the browser. But if you haven’t closed your browser in a while, you may have a pending update visible in the upper right corner of the browser window. To apply the update, click “Update” or simply close and reopen Chrome. Don’t worry: You won’t lose your tabs, and it will only take a few seconds.

Store strong, unique passwords with Google Password Manager

Using a password manager (even if it’s not Google’s) will help you store and use a strong, unique password for each site you log into. “If your password is compromised through a phishing attack or a security breach,” security software engineer Nwokedi Idika says, “using a unique password on every site reduces its value to an attacker because it only provides access to a single site — not multiple ones.” If you’re using a password manager to store “fido1234” as your password for every site, you're not making the most of the tool. Google Password Manager can suggest and save a strong, unique password of gobbledygook (like KZamPPzj43T9mQM). Then, Chrome will autofill the password next time you need it — on any device. Chrome should suggest a new strong password when creating a new account, or you can always right click in the password field and click “Suggest Password.”

Don’t ignore Chrome's download warnings

Chrome and Safe Browsing work to ensure that we warn you about dangerous downloads when possible. When you see a download warning, you can still download the file, but we strongly recommend against it. Computers are often compromised by malware because people misunderstand or ignore warnings. "We hear feedback from people that think Google disapproves of that download or software, so they ignore the warning,” says software engineer Daniel Rubery. “But the file is actually malicious!" We are constantly working to remove warnings that aren't useful; for example, we recently reevaluated our list of dangerous file types which reduced low risk warnings by more than 90%. This means you can trust that a download warning really means danger.

Browse the web with Enhanced security protection

To be even more secure while browsing the web in Chrome, turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing protection in your Chrome settings. It substantially increases protection from dangerous websites and downloads by sharing real-time data with Safe Browsing. “This is how you can get the most out of Chrome's security features,” recommends security software engineer Javier Castro. “By enabling enhanced protection, you are letting Chrome use the latest threat intelligence and the most advanced user protections to keep you safe while you browse.” If you’re signed in, Chrome and other Google apps you use (Gmail, Drive, etc) will be able to provide improved protection based on a holistic view of threats you encounter on the web and attacks against your Google Account. As a result, people using Enhanced Safe Browsing are successfully phished 20-35% less.

Protect your Google Account with 2-step verification

Two-factor authentication can use your phone ​​to add an extra step to verify that it's you when you sign in. Signing in with both a password and a second step on your phone protects against password-stealing scams. Software engineer Diana Smetters says, “It's simple to turn on, and you only have to use your phone the first time you sign in on each of your devices. If an attacker gets your password online and tries to sign in, they'll be blocked because they don't have your phone.” If you sign into Chrome with a Google Account, be sure that you’re enrolled in 2-step verification to protect your account.

To stay even safer online, take a few minutes this month to update Chrome, start using Google Password Manager, turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing and enroll in 2-step verification. One last tip–you can always confirm your use of security features by running Safety Check in Chrome settings.

Welcome to our new advice series, Help Me Out, where we ask expert Googlers to share their best tips for navigating common tech conundrums. Whether you're trying to achieve inbox zero or want to get a handle on all those Chrome tabs, we've got a Googler who can help you out.

Help me out!

I come to you in need of Chrome tabs tips. First, you should know that Ilove my Chrome tabs. Exhibit A: I apparently have 42 Chrome tabs open on my work laptop right now. Exhibit B: Rumor has it I have 83 additional Chrome tabs open on my personal laptop. You could say closing my tabs feels…taboo.

There’s just so much internet to explore — so many fascinating rabbit holes to fall down with a simple search. Sometimes I’ll bookmark all open tabs into folders that are too vaguely named to be useful. What differentiates “New Folder 1” from “New Folder 2?” No one can say. I’m never going to give up my tabs, but I definitely could use some tidying tips.

—Keepin' tabs on my tabs

Dear Keepin’ tabs on my tabs,

Coming to you live from a tab that’s buried amongst its kind! I confess that I, too, am a tab enthusiast. Since I’ve got the same issue, I decided to ask a Chrome expert to help me help you.

Edward Jung is a UX engineer who works on the Chrome team and describes himself as a “tabs maximalist.” “I’m using an extension right now that tells me I have 250 tabs open,” he says. The difference between us and Edward? He’s got a solid tabs organization system on his side. Edward says in the 12 or so years he’s been working at Google, he’s come up with various strategies to cope with his tabs use. And his tips can help us, too.

First, something that’s helpful to know if you accidentally close tabs: You can always restore them (although Edward says whenever this happens he takes it as a sign from the universe that it’s time to let those tabs go and start over!).

But that doesn’t quite solve your specific issue about organization. For starters, Edward suggests using Tab Groups. “I helped design Chrome Tab Groups because tab organization was a problem I was experiencing,” he says. This feature allows you to group various tabs together, so if you want to open a handful of tabs all at once related to a subject in particular, a project you’re working on or even something like a trip you’re planning, you just need to find that label and everything will open simultaneously. Plus, after grouping, the tabs collapse together, keeping your tab strip less cluttered. You can even add color-coding or use an emoji when you’re naming a Tab Group, which helps you immediately identify it.

If you have multiple windows full of tabs, a great way to instantly recognize which tabs are in which windows is to use Chrome’s window naming feature; you can access this by right-clicking on the empty space in the tab strip and selecting “name window.” “So if you have a window open that has various tabs related to ‘project x,’ you can name the window ‘project x.’ That way you don’t have to remember what a tab was related to, and in your toolbar you’ll see the label, not the name of some random website or document,” Edward explains.

Now that you’ve got a way to organize and identify your many tabs, you still need a way to search them. Edward says there’s a method for that, too: You simply hit the little “down” arrow at the top right of your Chrome browser and type in what you’re looking for, or scroll down the list of what’s open. If you have too many tabs open, you can close some right from this list. Another incredibly easy way to search your tabs? Start typing whatever it is you’re looking for into the URL bar — you don’t need the complete phrase either; if it's a tab you’ve used recently or often, Chrome will fill in the rest. And if you already have the tab open somewhere, Chrome will prompt you to switch to that one instead of opening a duplicate.

Hopefully this helps you organize your tabs better! I’ll leave you with this excellent metaphor from Edward, who likens good tab organization to a utensils drawer. “Youcould just throw everything in a drawer, but it would be chaos! This is like using the organizers so everything has a recognized place, and you easily know where to find what, right when you look at it.”

Browse on,

Molly

We’re more than halfway through a thrilling Formula 1 season, and McLaren is locked in a tight battle in the 2022 World Constructors Championship. Earlier this year, we partnered with the McLaren F1 Team to distribute Chrome browser and almost 500 Android devices – including phones, tablets and earbuds – across their entire racing organization to help streamline communications on race day.

When McLaren debuted Chrome-inspired wheel covers, fans around the world told us they wanted more. Starting at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, you’ll find more Chrome branding featured on their engine covers as part of our ongoing partnership.

You can now personalize your Chrome browser with exclusive themes inspired by the McLaren F1 Team. The six new themes feature McLaren’s papaya car, and race day images from some of your favorite circuits.

Chrome puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to customizing your browser the way you want. So if you want a faster, safer browser that also shows support for the McLaren F1 team, try out one of our new desktop themes on Chrome for race day and everyday.

We’re more than halfway through a thrilling Formula 1 season, and McLaren is locked in a tight battle in the 2022 World Constructors Championship. Earlier this year, we partnered with the McLaren F1 Team to distribute Chrome browser and almost 500 Android devices – including phones, tablets and earbuds – across their entire racing organization to help streamline communications on race day.

When McLaren debuted Chrome-inspired wheel covers, fans around the world told us they wanted more. Starting at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, you’ll find more Chrome branding featured on their engine covers as part of our ongoing partnership.

You can now personalize your Chrome browser with exclusive themes inspired by the McLaren F1 Team. The six new themes feature McLaren’s papaya car, and race day images from some of your favorite circuits.

Chrome puts you in the driver’s seat when it comes to customizing your browser the way you want. So if you want a faster, safer browser that also shows support for the McLaren F1 team, try out one of our new desktop themes on Chrome for race day and everyday.

Whether you’re getting back into the swing of schoolwork or already in the middle of the school year, you can use Chrome to help you study.

Here are 10 ways Chrome can help students get their work done in the classroom or at home:

1. Turn on Live Caption

Need to watch a video for history class, but stuck in a noisy study hall without headphones? Use Live Caption on Chrome to automatically generate real-time captions on media with audio. It works across different content like social and video sites, podcasts, and embedded video players. And it can make content accessible if you are deaf or hard of hearing or need to read along while you listen.

2. Organize projects with Chrome's tab groups

If you tend to find yourself with so many open tabs that you can’t keep track of, tab groups are here to help. Keep the chaos under control by sorting open tabs into groups for your projects or classes. Doing research for a paper? You can move all the tabs you’re referencing into a group and then click its name to collapse it when you’re working on other things.

3. Open accidentally closed tabs

We’ve all been there: you find the perfect website for your research project on marine biology, but in a sea of sources you accidentally close the tab. Chrome has your back. Press Control/Command + Shift + T to bring the most recently closed tab back up. Or, check your history to see all of your recently visited sites.

4. Review your security settings

In the event you stumble upon a potentially harmful website or encounter a malicious file while working, Chrome’s security features can keep your computer secure. Looking for extra credit? Turn on enhanced protection to activate additional safety layers against phishing and malware.

5. Sync across your devices

Whether you’re on your phone or your laptop, you can easily sync your bookmarks, passwords and other settings. Finish reading that article from class earlier that day, or brush up on your Spanish vocabulary words from your phone while you wait for track practice to start. At any time, you can turn off sync or choose what to sync in your settings.

6. Right-click to search highlighted text

Another handy shortcut on Chrome is the ability to highlight and right-click to quickly search text. Reading a dense piece of text and not sure what “hyperbolic” means? Have instructions to “use the quadratic formula to solve” and don’t have the equation handy? Highlight the text, right-click and select “Search [provider] for [text]” and a new tab will open with a pre-filled search for the highlighted text.

7. Use the Chrome address bar for answers…

Solve math problems, answer basic questions or perform conversions within your Chrome address bar. Chrome will show you answers without even needing to press enter.

8. …and to quickly complete a task

With Chrome Actions, you can also easily create new Docs, Sheets and more directly from the address bar — just type “Create Google Doc.”

9. Use Chrome extensions

Whether you need a helping hand taking notes, a better way to collaborate with classmates, or a little help with a tough math problem, there’s probably a Chrome extension to make your life easier. Find a list of our recommendations on the Chrome Web Store.

10. Let Chrome manage your passwords

With an endless list of online tools, websites and apps required for school, remembering all your usernames and passwords can be a hassle. Google Password Manager is built into Chrome to help by saving your login information and generating unique, strong passwords across platforms. And now you can also generate passwords on iOS apps when you set Chrome as your autofill provider.

After more than eight years, we introduced a refreshed version of the Chrome icon for the 100th update for Chrome earlier this year. Today, I chatted with user experience interaction designer Elvin Hu and visual designer Thomas Messenger to go behind the scenes and learn more about how the Chrome icon was designed.

What was the Chrome icon meant to represent originally?

Thomas: When we introduced Chrome back in 2008, our goal was to build a browser that was fast and easy to use, and nothing better represented speed than a rocket ship! But our team decided to move away from a literal rocket ship in the end, and came to a design that looked approachable and clickable that still captured the spirit of Google.

Why are you making this change now?

Elvin: The logo hadn't been updated in eight years, and we wanted to give it a refreshed and modern look to reflect how Chrome has evolved as a product. We also noticed that the visual design of modern operating systems was becoming more stylistically diverse, so it was important that the Chrome icon felt more adaptable, native and fresh no matter what device you used.

How will the Chrome icon look different across operating systems?

Elvin: We simplified the main brand icon by removing the shadows, refining the proportions and brightening the colors, to align with Google's current brand design. We also found that placing certain shades of green and red next to each other created an unpleasant “glow” between the two colors, so we introduced a very subtle gradient to the main icon to make the icon easier to the eyes compared to using flat colors. Then we created OS-specific customizations. We want the icons to feel recognizably Chrome, but also well crafted for each operating system.

It seems like a subtle change. Did you consider a more significant departure?

Thomas: We did! In the exploratory phase, we tried all kinds of ideas; softening corners, different geometries, whether or not to separate the colors with white. We also tried options that further departed from the overall shape we’ve been using for the past 12 years. But we knew how well the four Google colors and circular composition are recognized, so we decided not to deviate too much from that.

What surprised you about the design process?

Elvin: The design process was a fun and collaborative challenge for everyone involved. The team held virtual brainstorm sessions that produced a variety of concepts that strived to become the new “face” of Chrome.

After coming up with the overall direction, we stress tested many color, gradient and proportion options in different contexts. Even if the change to color is subtle, we wanted to ensure the icon would not get lost in any of the places it appears. At one point, we felt happy about a specific green gradient in the icon, but after comprehensive testing, we found that it blended in with the default Windows 11 wallpaper (and taskbar) – which is popular with lots of our users. It was tests like that which ensured our icon would work well everywhere.

How did you think about making the icon more accessible to more communities?

Thomas: We revised the proportions of the central blue ball. Working with Googlers who are low-vision, we found that the refined proportions and updated central white stroke made it more recognizable. We also made different versions of the icon for small sizes to improve legibility and avoid fuzziness by aligning to pixel boundaries.

Would you ever bring back the original Chrome icon?

Elvin: Never say never! We’ve investigated custom app icons, and found that each platform has different levels of support for it. Maybe one day we will bring it back as an option on platforms that support it.