The Chrome Web Browser

ChromeOS was built around the Chrome Web Browser, the most commonly used web browser on the internet. ChromeOS and Google Chrome are tightly integrated to offer the best Chrome experience possible.

The Chrome Omnibar

The ChromeOS Omnibar is located at the top of all Chrome browser tabs and is where you type the address of the website that you wish to visit. The Omnibar is more than a simple address bar, as it allows you to search and perform other actions based on extensions installed on your device.

Incognito Mode

Google Chrome saves your internet history and searches to help you pick up where you left off and synchronize your history with your Google Account. Generally, this is a good thing; however, there may be times when you want to go off the record, this is where Incognito Mode comes in. Incognito Mode is a sandboxed version of the Chrome Web Browser that automatically destroys all cookies, temp internet files and history once Incognito mode is ended. Chrome's Incognito Mode is fully explained in its own dedicated section of the ChromeOS Guide

Chrome Extensions

Chrome extensions are small applications that hook into Google Chrome to either modify, enhance or add features to the Chrome Web Browser. Google Chrome is deeply integrated into ChromeOS, which allows for some extensions to extend outside the browser and impact ChromeOS itself. Some Chrome Extensions are treated like standalone applications on ChromeOS, while others exist only in the Chrome browser as a button or icon.

Chrome Extensions are installed from the Chrome Web Store, which can be accessed by visiting https://chrome.google.com/webstore. Chrome Web Store extensions are synchronized with your Google Account, which means that they will automatically be re-installed if you were to switch to a new ChromeOS device in the future.

You can manage your extensions by entering chrome://extensions in a new Chrome browser tab.

Chrome Browser Settings

Chrome and ChromeOS are tightly integrated into each other and due to this arrangement, many of the settings for each are managed together in the ChromeOS Settings application however there are several browser-specific settings that are managed within the Chrome browser settings directly.

You and Google

Your Google Account - This will show you the user that the Chrome browser is running under and, ultimately, which account things are being synchronized to. Clicking on this option is a shortcut to the ChromeOS Account Settings.
Sync and Google Services - This will allow you to view or change the data that ChromeOS and Chrome synchronize with your Google account. This option is a shortcut to the ChromeOS "Sync and Google Services" option in the ChromeOS Account Settings.

Autofill

Passwords - This will open your Google Password Manager, which securely stores all of your saved passwords across devices that run Chrome. These passwords are automatically filled in when you visit a webpage that you have saved your password on previously. You can view your password at any time, but you will first need to enter your Google account password when prompted as an added layer of security.
Payment Methods - This will allow you to manage credit card numbers and debit card numbers, which are securely stored on your Google account. This will prevent you from having to enter the card number and other information when making a purchase. As an added layer of security, the CVV2 number will not be saved, and you will be required to enter it when making a purchase to ensure that you own the card.
Addresses and More - This will allow you to save your most frequently used addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, so you do not need to remember then when shopping online.

Safety Check

The Chrome Safety check will perform a multifaceted check of your Google Account and Chrome Browser to ensure that your account is safe and secure. When you perform a safety check, the following items will be checked, and you will be presented with findings and instructions to resolve any problems that the check finds.

Updates - Checks to ensure that the version of Chrome that you are running is up-to-date and has no known security vulnerabilities. If it is determined that you are using an outdated build of the Chrome Web Browser, you will need to update ChromeOS, which includes the latest version of the Chrome Web Browser that is supported on your device.
Passwords - If you are using the Chrome Password Manager, the Passwords Security check will periodically scan databases of compromised passwords to ensure your password have not been compromised.
Safe Browsing - Verifies that your browser is set up with basic protections enabled. On ChromeOS, this will always be true unless your ChromeOS device is in developer mode with several advanced flags added that lower the security of the browser.
Extensions - Generally speaking, Extensions installed from the Chrome Web Store undergo several automated security checks before they are allowed to be listed on the market. Occasionally, although rare, some of these extensions attempt to introduce features in future updates to the extensions. The Chrome Extensions Security Check performs a scan of your browser to see if the extensions have been reported as abusive. The most common way to have abusive extensions installed are extensions that are installed outside the Chrome Web Store, which is more of a problem on Windows, which applications may try to manually try to install an extension.

Privacy and Security

Clear Browsing Data

This will clear history, browser cache, cookies and temporary internet files. This will also log you out of any website that you are logged into, as websites store authentication session data within a cookie. This will not reset passwords and saved pre-filled in data.

Cookies and Third-Party Data

This will only clear third-party cookies, which are commonly used by marketing companies and analytics companies. First party cookies are used by websites to store authentication and settings, these will not be cleared with this option.

Security

Safe Browsing

The Google Chrome browser was designed to protect users from online threats via the safe browsing system. By default, this is set to "Standard". However, you can also enable Enhanced Protection or disable safe browsing services (not recommended).

Secure DNS

This will allow you to enable or disable secure DNS, which can increase your online privacy by making it harder for network administrators or ISPs from being able to see which websites you are attempting to access.

Manage Security Keys

This will allow you to manage hardware security on your ChromeOS {FORMFACTOR}. Some hardware security keys support the ability to be reset or add a pin to the key for enhanced security.

Manage Certificates

This will allow you to import your own certificates and root level CAs into Chrome's browser trust store. Many users will not need to add certificates; however, some enterprise users may need to add a certificate provided by their company if they plan to use their ChromeOS Powered Device on the network to access intranet pages.

Google Advanced Protection Program

This optional setting allows you to enroll your device into Google's advanced protection program, which will greatly increase your online security by enforcing 2-factor authentication across your entire account, as well as automatically monitoring your online footprint for any account leaks on other services.

Site Settings

This will allow you to view and revoke permissions from individual websites that you may have previously granted permissions for. This can include things such as location data, camera access, microphone access and push notifications.

Appearance

Browser Themes

This will launch the Chrome web store directly to the theme section, which allows you to browse and install new themes into your browser. There is also a reset to default option, which will clear the installed themes and revert your browser to the default theme.

Show Home Button

This option will allow you to hide or show the home button on the Chrome Omnibar.

Show Bookmarks Bar

This option will allow you to show or hide the bookmarks bar that will appear below the Chrome Browser's Omnibar.

Customize Fonts

This will open a menu which will give you granular control of font sizes and font types. You can not only set the default font size, but you can also change the minimum font size, which will automatically be enlarged on websites.

Page Zoom

This option will set the default zoom level of webpages, you can adjust this on the page itself with the Chrome Zoom option in the toolbar.

Search Engines

You can set the preferred search engine that will be used in the Chrome Browser Omnibar.

Search Engine Used In The Address Bar

This contains a list of all search engines that have been set up on your device. By default, this is Google, but you can select between Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo and Escosia in most English countries. However, if you are in a country that does not speak English, the list will display localized search options that are popular in your country/Language.

Manage Search Engines

This will open a settings screen that will allow you to add and manage search engines on your machine.

On Startup

The Chrome On Startup settings allow you to control how you wish the Chrome browser to behave when starting a new browser session.

Open New Tab Page - The Chrome New Tab Page is the same page that is displayed when you add a new blank on Chrome with a Google Search bar and shortcuts to your most visited websites.
Continue where you left off - This is the default behavior and will open the websites that were open when you shut down your ChromeOS device.
Open a specific page or set of pages - This will allow you to open Chrome to a specific website or set of websites when you open a new Chrome browser session.

Languages

The Languages option is a shortcut directly to the ChromeOS Language settings, as the Chrome Browser inherits the language settings from ChromeOS.

Downloads

Location

This will allow you to change the location that Chrome will download files to. If your ChromeOS Device is limited on storage, you can set this to a SD/MicroSD card or external hard drive to preserve local storage. Please remember that external storage is not encrypted and downloads may contain sensitive information, so this could pose a security risk if a malicious user takes your Micro SD card or external hard drive. You can also set your download location to Google Drive, which will allow you to access your downloads on other devices signed in with your Google account.

Ask where to save each file before downloading

Instead of defaulting to a specific folder, you can require Chrome to prompt you for the location to save the file whenever you start a new download. This can have its advantages, as you can choose to save sensitive content to the secure storage of your ChromeOS's internal encrypted disk and save larger files that do not contain sensitive content to a MicroSD card or external hard drive.

Accessibility

Manage Accessibility Features

This is a shortcut to the ChromeOS Accessibility Settings panel.

Add accessibility features

ChromeOS has a rich collection of accessibility features built into the core operating system, however ChromeOS also understands that there are always those with needs that have not been considered. This option will open the Chrome Web Store to allow you to browse the collection of third-party accessibility add-ons and install them with one click.

Reset Settings (Advanced)

The Chrome Reset Settings option will reset the Chrome Web Browser to its default state and disable all installed extensions. This setting will also clear all cookies and temporary internet files. However, it will not clear content that is synchronized with your Google Account such as internet history, passwords and bookmarks. Once this option is selected, you will need to set up your preferred search engine, home page and pinned tabs if you wish to use these features.