Google Chrome is an acceptably secure, but by default not very private, browser. Google has wired closed-source Chrome and its underlying open-source Chromium base to serve Google's insatiable need for user behaviorial data, and it shows. Here is a list of the changes the Brave browser team make to fix that: Deviations from Chromium (features we disable or remove).
Given that list, there's no way to make closed-source Chrome significantly more private. But the reality is that many of us still need to use Chrome for a variety of reasons, even if only on occasion. The following settings checklist is what I use to mitigate risks to my privacy (and make Chrome more usable overall):
- You and Google > Sync and Google services: disable everything (including "Allow Chrome sign-ins")
- Autofill and passwords > Google Password Manager > Settings: disable everything
- Autofill and passwords > Payment methods: disable everything
- Autofill and passwords > Addresses and more: disable everything
- Privacy and security > Ad privacy > Ad topics: disable
- Privacy and security > Site-suggested ads: disable
- Privacy and security > Ad measurement: disable
- Privacy and security > Security > Safe Browsing > Standard protection: disable "Warn you if a password..."
- Privacy and security > Security > Advanced > Select DNS provider: OS default
- Appearance > Theme: GTK
- Appearance > Mode: Dark
- Appearance > Show home button: enable [enter home site URL]
- Search engine > Change > DuckDuckGo
- On startup: open a specific page or set of pages [enter home site URL]
Extensions:
- uBlock Origin
- Bitwarden Password Manager
Notes:
The default browser on all my systems is Firefox, but I do use Chrome to install PWAs (Progressive Web Apps) and desktop shortcuts to web apps, as well as for testing. I have tried Ungoogled Chromium, as well as Brave, but have stuck with Firefox (although my patience with Mozilla's stewardship wears thin).
At least for now, I avoid signing directly into Google Chrome itself (but keep in mind that Google will sign you in anyway if you authenticate through Google to anything). That means, of course, that I don't use Google Sync for bookmarks and other things.
By setting a home page, I avoid having Google's "new tab page" (Google search), pop up every time the browser is started.