Google Chrome works like a charm on the iPhone. It's a rock solid performance. It sports a superb user interface that is tailor-made for one-handed navigation. It syncs data between devices seamlessly. Yet Google's name often lingers around serious privacy concerns.
Contents1. Clear browsing data2. Use incognito mode3. Manage synchronization settings4. Change search engine5. Turn off search suggestions6. Turn off location services7. Delete account data8. Disable advertisements9. Disable the Suggested Sites widget10. Disable lock screen suggestionsPrivacy matters
Compared to other browsers, Chrome also lacks features major issues related to confidentiality. You will surely miss Safari's ability to use content blockers. Or always-on incognito mode in Brave.
But don't worry. You can still protect your privacy while using Chrome at least to some degree. Let's see how.
Chrome saves tiny pieces of information called cookies on your iPhone. Cookies help websites remember your login sessions and preferences so you don't have to start all over again each time you revisit them.
But they are also used for other purposes. Some cookies can follow you across sites and track what you do. Websites save cookies to target you with ads, but you never know what else the data might be used for.
Chrome also logs your browsing history, which is useful if you want to know what sites you've visited in the past. But your privacy is at risk if someone else gains access to your device.
This is where deleting your browsing data comes in. If the browser is bombarding you with personalized ads or if you have visited websites that you would rather not see others, follow these steps.
Go to Chrome Settings> Privacy> Clear Browsing Data. Now just select browsing history or cookies, site data or both. You can also select Cached images and files if you want to delete the browser cache, very useful for troubleshooting purposes.
Make sure the time range is set to a appropriate time period:last hour, last 24 hours, all time, etc.
Warning: Don't select saved passwords and autofill data unless you really want to delete those types of data.
Finally, tap Clear browsing data. This will erase browsing data that falls within the selected period.
If you hate the idea of manually deleting your browsing data, use Chrome's incognito mode instead. It's similar to Private Mode in Safari; it deletes both cookies and your history once you're done browsing.
To start using incognito mode, open the Chrome menu and tap New incognito tab. Or you can switch to incognito mode via the Chrome tab switcher. You can then start surfing privately.
Warning: Websites can still recognize you based on your IP address. Other tracking methods, such as browser fingerprinting, also mean that you are not completely anonymous in incognito mode.
Incognito mode is not suitable for normal browsing because you have to log in to sites – and change preferences – every time you start a new session. You should only access it when you want to surf privately.
Chrome Sync is an amazing feature that lets you continue browsing the web on any platform that supports Chrome.
But it also comes with a fair share of privacy issues. For example, do you want your autofill data, passwords, or open tabs available on other devices? What if someone else had access to it?
That's why you need to manage your Chrome sync settings. It's highly customizable, so take advantage of it.
Get started by visiting Chrome Settings> Sync &Google Services> Manage Sync. Turn off the switch next to Sync everything. Turn off the switches next to the types of data you don't want to sync to or from your iPhone.
It's also a great idea to secure Chrome Sync with a synchronization passphrase. This way your data is safe even if your Google Account is compromised.
Google is the undisputed king of search engines. Again, it's Google. And Google does not respect your privacy. Fortunately, there are other search engines better suited to private browsing, such as DuckDuckGo, Qwant, and Startpage.
However, moving from search engines to something other than Yahoo or Bing can be confusing. Here is a complete walkthrough on changing the default search engine in Chrome for iOS.
Chrome generates autocomplete suggestions whenever you search for something. This is a useful feature, but it also poses a privacy risk.
Your keystrokes are transmitted in real time to the default search engine to generate these suggestions. And it's confusing. Your data can be used to identify you based on your keystroke patterns.
Fortunately, you can disable this feature. Go to Chrome Settings> Google Sync &Services. Next, turn off the switch next to auto-complete searches and URLs.
This will prevent Chrome from transmitting data until whether you press Go while searching.
Many websites, including Google, like to know your exact location. It's a privacy nightmare. Unless a site actually uses this data wisely and provides you with a personalized experience, it's best to stop your iPhone from sending your location data at all times.
Go to iPhone Settings> Chrome> Location Services. Select Ask Next Time if you want to manually provide or deny access each time a site asks for your location information.
You can also select Never if you want to completely stop the Chrome's access to your iPhone's location services.
Your Google Account keeps track of the activity of all the Google apps and services you use. This includes details of sites you have visited using Chrome.
Why is Google doing this? To offer better autocomplete suggestions, make relevant recommendations in Google apps, offer you targeted ads, etc.
It's a bit scary. And no, clearing your browsing history in Chrome will not delete this data.
If you want to delete saved browsing activity from your Google Account, you need to go to Chrome Settings> Sync &Google Services> Manage Your Google Account> Manage Your Data &Personalization> Web and App Activity.
You can then filter and delete your browsing data at using the various controls present in the Web &App Activity panel. Here is a complete walkthrough on deleting your Google Account data.
Chrome doesn't support content blockers, so you don't have the luxury of blocking privacy-invasive trackers. You can, however, block ads with a workaround which is to change the DNS servers of your Wi-Fi or cellular connection.
This should also help block at least some of the trackers. It is a long process; the following guide should walk you through it.
Chrome offers two nifty widgets on the home screen:Quick Actions and Suggested Sites. The first gives you easy shortcuts to common actions. But the second brings up sites based on your browsing activity. This is not ideal when displaying your list of widgets around others. Here's how to turn it off.
Switch to Today view (leftmost home screen), then tap Edit under the list of active widgets.
Finally, tap the delete icon next to Chrome – Suggested Sites and tap Delete to confirm.
Rarely, Siri may offer suggestions based on how you use Chrome on the lock screen. This means anyone else can see these suggestions just by waking up your iPhone.
If you don't want to leave anything up to chance, here's how to stop Siri from making Chrome-based suggestions.
Go to iPhone Settings> Chrome> Siri &Search. Turn off the switch next to Show Siri Suggestions.
Chrome for iOS is not a private web browser. Not by far. But with the tips above, you can at least do something. Yes, not all are ideal. Just pick the ones that suit you best and they will do your privacy a lot of good. Chrome looks amazing on the iPhone, and it would be a shame to give it up without at least trying.
Then:
Want better privacy while browsing on the iPhone? Here are five excellent browsers that can help you.
