Chrome 92 launched with privacy and performance upgrades

Chrome 92 is launched today. Aside from the small UI experiences and developer-centric new features that we previously covered, there are a few improvements on the privacy front, relating to both functionality and performance improvements.

First of all, Chrome 92 simplifies site controls. When you tap the lock icon next to an address and enter the Authorizations section, you will see that the individual entries have been given toggles. This allows you to quickly spot which permissions are currently on or off, and you only need one click to change your preferences. Previously, you had to select the permission in question and choose a state from an additional menu.

Left & Middle: Old site authorizations. Right: New site permissions.

These updated site controls are starting to roll out in Chrome 92 for Android and will be available on other platforms in future releases. Some people have also already received the toggles in Chrome 91. If the new controls are not yet available to you on Android, you can enable them under chrome: // flags / # actionable-content-settings. In a future release, Google will also add the ability to remove a particular website from your browsing history.

For desktops, Google is introducing Chrome Actions, which we previously covered as part of a Chrome OS update. The feature gives you a quick way to control certain features of Chrome directly from the address bar, where you can type things like “clear cookies” or “manage passwords” to go directly to the section. corresponding parameters. In Chrome 92, Google adds three new commands: “manage security settings”, “manage sync” and “security check”. The latter allows you to quickly examine the security of your passwords, extensions, etc.

The new version of Chrome also benefits from improvements in site isolation and better phishing detection. Site isolation was first introduced in 2018 due to Specter and Meltdown security holes in Intel and ARM chips, and while it removes some attack vectors, the downside it introduced was higher RAM usage. While Google is still clear on the details, the company promises that “Site Isolation will now cover a wider range of sites, as well as extensions, and all of this comes with tweaks that improve Chrome’s speed.” In the phishing department, Google claims that “detection is now 50 times faster and consumes less battery” thanks to advances in image processing.

Chrome 92 will be available for download shortly. You can check if the update is already offered on the Play Store, but we should also have it soon on APK Mirror.