How to Fix Google Chrome ‘Your Connection is Not Private’ Message
When Google Chrome isn’t able to authenticate a website, it will display a “Your Connection is Not Private” message. Here’s how to fix it.
Sometimes, while browsing the web with Google Chrome, you may notice a “Your Connection is Not Private” error. Google has security settings to protect you against suspicious sites, and these precautions are often the reason for the error.
It’s more of a warning than an error, though. The message appears when trying to visit a site that Chrome can’t confirm the identity of or detects weak encryption. For example, the browser won’t authenticate the site’s owner if a site has expired or uses suspect SSL certificates.
Google Chrome assumes the site is unsafe because it’s compromised or has a configuration error. So, instead of connecting, the browser displays the warning message.
However, if you are trying to get to a site you know is safe, there are ways to verify Chrome isn’t giving you a false-positive warning or error.
What is the ‘Your Connection is Not Private’ Message in Google Chrome?
As noted, the message will appear when Chrome assumes a site is malicious or insecure. Chrome tries to verify the site and create a secure connection so your data is not lost or stolen.
The error has different causes, but they are all related to a site’s SSL certificate. One of the first things Chrome does when it connects to a site is to verify the SSL certificate. This is a digital certificate that confirms the site’s identity, security, DNS details, organization name, issuing authority, and more.
Once the SSL certificate is verified, Chrome generates a session key and uses the public key in the certificate to encrypt the traffic. That data is shared with the website server, which uses a private key to decrypt it. The transaction takes a millisecond. Once complete, both ends can communicate without a third party intercepting traffic.
Check Your Computer’s Clock
One common reason for the error is that there’s a problem with your device’s clock. For instance, you may have set up multiple time zones, and the system clock is out of whack.
- Right-click the clock on the taskbar and select Adjust date and time.
- Verify the time and date with your phone or other device.
- Toggle on the Set time zone automatically switch from the menu.
On a Mac, head to Apple Menu > System Settings > General > Date & Time to verify the time and time zone. Once you have confirmed the time and date on your computer, relaunch Chrome and see if you can access the site.
Clear Google Chrome Cache
Browsing history, cookies, site data, images, and other data accumulate over time, and can become corrupt and cause privacy errors. So, clearing Google Chrome’s cache is good if you get the message.
To Clear Chrome’s Cache the Easy Way
- Launch Chrome on your computer.
- Press the Ctrl+Shift+Delete keyboard combination to bring up the Clear browsing data screen.
- Select the Advanced tab, set the time range to All time, select all items, and click the Clear data button.
Once the browsing data is cleared, relaunch Chrome and see if you still get the error.
Launch a Chrome Incognito Window
If you continue to experience a problem with the error when trying to reach a site you know is safe, try launching Chrome in Incognito mode. While in Incognito mode, Chrome disables extensions that could be causing the error.
To Launch Chrome in Incognito Mode
- Launch Chrome on your computer.
- Click the menu button (three dots) in the top right corner and select New Incognito window from the menu. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + Shift + N.
- Once you see the Incognito message, try going to the site causing the error message and see if it works. If it does, disable your extensions and reenable them one at a time until you find the culprit.
Temporarily Disable Antivirus Software
If you are using a third-party antivirus solution, it may include HTTPS protections, encrypted web scanning, or encrypted connection scanning. Those features can block Chrome’s attempts at creating a secure connection.
If you are unsure if your antivirus software includes those components, check with your antivirus company’s support options. You can also temporarily disable the security software or stick with Windows Security, which comes baked into the OS.
Flush DNS Cache on Windows
Another reason for the privacy error in Chrome could be too much IP address translation data. When you have problems loading a page or pinging a site via its domain name, you may need to flush the DNS cache from the command line or Run dialog.
Fixing ‘Your Connection is Not Private’ on Google Chrome
It’s important to note that “Your Connection is Not Private” isn’t an error but a warning message. It’s a security feature built into Chrome that prevents you from visiting a nefarious website.
It is often caused by a site with an outdated or expired SSL certificate. So, if you continue to have problems, you can do your best to reach out to the website owner about the error and ask them to fix it.
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