Chrome Has a Built-In Safety Check—Here’s What It Actually Checks

Before installing a browser “cleaner” because an advertisement says Chrome has security problems, check Chrome itself.

Chrome includes a built-in Safety Check.

On a computer, open Chrome and choose More > Settings > Privacy and security, then open Safety Check.

Google says Safety Check can identify several categories of potential problems.

What it can check

Safety Check can remind you when Chrome needs an update.

It can also flag potentially harmful extensions, ask you to review unwanted notification permissions, and report permissions removed from sites you have not used recently.

Chrome can additionally remove notification permission from sites that Google Safe Browsing identifies as using abusive techniques to persuade people to enable notifications.

That last feature is particularly useful because browser notifications are sometimes designed to resemble operating-system virus warnings.

Review before changing things

If Safety Check reports an issue, open the affected item and read what Chrome says before making changes.

A permission being removed from an old website does not necessarily mean the website infected your computer. In some cases Chrome is simply cleaning up access that a site no longer needs.

Likewise, Safety Check is not a substitute for all computer security. It primarily examines Chrome-related settings and risks.

Avoid fake Chrome security tools

A webpage claiming that your browser has “47 infections” is not the same thing as Chrome's actual Safety Check.

Do not install unfamiliar cleanup software or browser extensions merely because a webpage tells you to.

Open Chrome's own settings yourself instead.

That gives you a useful first check using a feature already built into the browser, without adding another program that itself requires trust and access.

Sources and Further Reading

Google Chrome Help: Manage Chrome safety and security — https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/10468685