Google activates Safe Browsing on Chrome for Android

Google turns on Safe Browsing on Chrome for Android by default. This extends the protection program against phishing, malware and unwanted software from the desktop to mobile devices.

Google makes the announcement on its security blog. Most Android users using Google Play Services have already received the update since version 8.1 of Play Services. The security framework is therefore not part of the browser, but of Play Services. Chrome version 46 is the first application to use the service. The function is located under Chrome’s settings menu under ‘Privacy’ under ‘Safe Browsing’.

The blog also explains why the feature is only now being implemented, while Safe Browsing has been in the desktop version for a long time. According to the developers, this has everything to do with the amount of data that the Safe Browsing function needs. For the system to work, an up-to-date list of potentially dangerous sites must be maintained on the device itself. But mobile data costs money for most people and in many cases the connection is also slower. That is why a system has been chosen in which the most dangerous sites are sent first if it is only possible to perform a small update, such as in the event of a bad connection. The system also had to require as little memory and processing power as possible, something that would have been achieved.

Because it’s part of Play Services and not Chrome Browser itself, the feature can be used by other apps as well.