Chrome automatically blocks dangerous downloads and protects your device and accounts from malware or viruses. Download warnings in Chrome help you:
- Avoid unwanted changes to your browser, computer, or device settings.
- Prevent unapproved actions that could compromise your financial accounts and your online identity, such as your Google Account or social media accounts.
- Prevent viruses.
- Protect your private data from leaks.
When Chrome blocks a download, you’re protected and don’t need to take further action. You can remove a warning from your download history by selecting “Delete from history.” If you take no action, Chrome will remove it from your history in one hour.
You can always choose to download a file after you receive a warning from Chrome, but take download warnings seriously. Attackers may ask you to turn off or ignore warnings to avoid antivirus detections. Learn how Chrome and Safe Browsing keep your browsing data private.
Why the download was blocked
Your file download may be blocked for one of a few reasons:
Dangerous:
- Malware (malicious software)
- Deceptive software that could make unwanted changes to your device or computer.
Suspicious:
- An uncommon or unfamiliar file
- A file that may try to evade detection, such as by hiding malware or viruses inside archive files like .zip or .rar. A password may also be added to avoid detection.
Unverified: Files that are downloaded while Safe Browsing is turned off. Learn how to turn Safe Browsing back on.
Insecure:
- Connections to sites that use HTTPS are more secure than those that don’t. Learn how to check if a site's connection is secure.
- Even if the page that you were on when the download started was secure, the download might have been provided insecurely.