Google is dramatically improving user security by making a significant change to Chrome’s default settings next year. The browser will soon navigate only to websites that support secure HTTPS connections.
Enhanced Security by Default
The setting, called ‘Always Use Secure Connections,’ was introduced in Chrome in 2022 as an optional feature. For testing purposes, it was recently turned on by default in Chrome 141 for a small percentage of users.
Starting in October 2026, when Chrome 154 is projected to arrive, this setting will be on by default for all users and for all public sites.
When Chrome encounters a site that does not use a secure connection, it will display a warning and require the user’s explicit permission to proceed.
Google explains that using HTTPS makes the browsing experience far more secure because it prevents attackers from hijacking the navigation. According to Google, when links do not use HTTPS, "an attacker can hijack the navigation and force Chrome users to load arbitrary, attacker controlled resources, and expose the user to malware, targeted exploitation, or social engineering attacks."
Low Impact Expected
The company notes that over 95% of websites already use encrypted connections. Google's recent testing showed that the insecure connection warning was displayed for less than 3% of navigations while the feature was enabled by default. The internet giant expects this warning volume to drop even lower once the change is permanent and more sites transition fully to HTTPS.
Google has already contacted many organizations still responsible for these insecure HTTP connections and anticipates they will fully migrate within the next year. Most current HTTP navigations, Google explains, come from websites that immediately redirect to secure HTTPS sites anyway.
Prior to turning the setting on for everyone in Chrome 154, Google will enable it in April 2026, in Chrome 147, for users who have opted into Enhanced Safe Browsing protections. Users who wish to completely disable the warnings for HTTP sites can simply turn off the ‘Always Use Secure Connections’ setting.
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