New Update Google may replace the HTTPS lock icon in Chrome with a down-arrow icon

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,154
Google revealed yesterday that it will run the change as an experiment in Chrome to gather more data and use it to determine whether the lock icon will be replaced with the down-arrow icon.

The company explains that it discovered in a recent survey that most surveyed users did not understand the lock icons meaning. Only 11% of users identified the meaning of the lock icon correctly, while the remaining 89% did not.

The majority associated the lock icon with a site's trustworthiness and not with connection security. The lock-icon reveals the secure state of the connection to the site in question only.

The experiment will be run in Chrome 93. Enterprise customers may opt-out of the experiment using policies.

Google plans to inform its customer base if the lock icon will be replaced with the down-arrow icon in the web browser.

Chrome Canary users may enable the new icon by loading chrome://flags/#omnibox-updated-connection-security-indicators and setting the status of the experimental flag to Enabled.
chrome-down-arrow-icon.png
 
F

ForgottenSeer 85179

Like it and hope Edge will follow.

Most user i personally know, think that icon isn't clickable and just an information.
So, changing it makes a lot of sense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JB007 and Venustus

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,154

Google to replace Chrome's HTTPS lock icon in September​

The new HTTPS button is a tune icon that has been redesigned slightly. Google says that the new button is a neutral indicator that will avoid the confusion and security risks that were caused by the lock icon.

How will this help users? Functionally, the buttons are the same. But the company says that the tune icon does not imply that a website is trustworthy. The aesthetics are quite similar to settings in other apps, which will help users understand that it is clickable. This will in turn engage user interaction, so they may click on it to check the site details, and permissions. Google says the new icon will launch with the redesigned interface in Chrome 117, which is scheduled to be released in September 2023.

Google-Chrome-https-padlock-icon-vs-new-tune-icon.jpg

 

silversurfer

Level 85
Thread author
Verified
Honorary Member
Top Poster
Content Creator
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Aug 17, 2014
10,154
Google says it wants to enable HTTPS for everyone. A post on Chromium's blog says that 90% of users' navigate to HTTPS sites, but 5-10% still connect to HTTP pages, which poses a security risk from network attacks.

While Chrome does show a warning when users land on a non-HTTPS page, the Mountain View company says that some people may miss the notice, and could be impacted by threats. Earlier this year, Google had announced that it would replace Chrome's HTTPS lock icon (the padlock) with a new tune button. Refer to our previous coverage for more information regarding this change.
 

About us

  • MalwareTips is a community-driven platform providing the latest information and resources on malware and cyber threats. Our team of experienced professionals and passionate volunteers work to keep the internet safe and secure. We provide accurate, up-to-date information and strive to build a strong and supportive community dedicated to cybersecurity.

User Menu

Follow us

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to know first about the latest cybersecurity incidents and malware threats.

Top