Google is updating how Chrome detects and alerts users about unsafe websites

Google has unveiled a significant update to its Safe Browsing feature in Chrome, introducing real-time protection without compromising user privacy.

Previously, Chrome relied on periodically downloading a list of known malicious sites for protection against malware, unwanted software, and phishing scams. Now, Chrome will send URLs of visited sites to Google’s servers for real-time checks against an updated list. This eliminates the delay of waiting for hourly updates and allows for quicker response to emerging threats, as malicious sites typically don’t remain active for more than 10 minutes.

According to Google, this server-side approach can detect up to 25% more phishing attacks compared to local lists. Moreover, it alleviates the burden on low-end devices and slow internet connections, which may struggle with storing and updating large local lists.

The rollout of this new system has commenced for desktop and iOS users, with Android support slated for later this month.

Sharing URLs privately

If the concept seems familiar, it’s probably because you’re already acquainted with Safe Browsing Enhanced Mode. This mode employs real-time URL checks against an online list, coupled with AI capabilities to thwart attacks not yet identified on any list. It conducts deeper file scans and guards against malicious Chrome extensions. However, Enhanced Mode has always been opt-in, and it will remain so, despite Google’s recent efforts to encourage users to activate it. The standard protection mode, in contrast, does not utilize these advanced AI features.