Google Chrome removes ‘native antivirus’ from Windows version

Google announces end of “native antivirus” Removal Tool for Google Chrome for Windows. The tool, which is part of the browser itself, detected and deleted unwanted and suspicious software (UwS) that could affect the user experience.

According to big tech, the feature is no longer needed after the decline in UwS discoveries and user complaints. An example of this is the function was used by only 0.06% of people in the last month.

Search Devine, Chrome’s Safe Browsing feature and existing antiviruses become more effective at blocking unwanted programs. In addition, the company is strengthening the security of its “store” of browser extensions.

“After migrating to file-based UwS extensions, our investments in the Chrome Web Store review process have helped detect malicious extensions that violate our policies,” the statement said.

Google also announced that it is expanding its efforts to combat the theft of cookies and other malware. To that end, big tech uses “advanced authentication workflows” to block phishing emails and social engineering actions.

When will Google Chrome’s Cleanup Tool be retired?

The Cleanup Tool will be retired as of Chrome 111 for Windows, released last Tuesday (7).. Thus, users will not find the “Security Check” or “Reset and Delete” option in the “Settings” menu of the browser.

It will also remove the component that regularly scans Windows PCs and asks them to clean the machine. With this, more attention will be required when using and updating computer or laptop antivirus.

Finally, Google recommends enabling the “Advanced Protection” option of Google Safe Browsing as an alternative. To do this, simply access “chrome://settings/security” (without the quotes) and mark the source.