Chrome beefs up Android security with upgraded Safety Check feature

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

Not too long ago, Google Chrome for desktop received an update that allowed Safety Check to run in the background. It seems the Android version of the feature could get a similar upgrade.

The version of Safety Check on Chrome for desktop is able to run in the background and alert users when their security settings need attention or are compromised. The feature also removes previously granted permissions for sites that the user has not visited in a while.

As spotted by MSPoweruser, the same feature is being tested in the Chrome Canary build for Android. A flag, Safety Check v2, can be enabled within this build to preview the feature and test the security improvements that the Mountain View tech giant is working on.

Although there’s no word on when this update will be rolled out to the Stable channel, we expect it to arrive soon, given how much it can bolster the security of users. Once launched, the feature, like the desktop version’s Safety Check capability, will likely run in the background of Chrome for Android and monitor users’ security settings.

This feature, which is currently in development, shows whether Chrome is up-to-date, if Safe Browsing is turned on or off, and if the settings related to the user’s permissions or notifications need attention. The UI also offers options for the user to navigate to the individual settings for each of these categories and make the necessary adjustments. With this update, it appears that Google is keen on providing its Android users with the same features, security, and privacy that they enjoy when using the desktop browser.

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