Google offers multiple features to the users and one such is the security. If we talk about Gmail, then it is ‘2 step verification’ and if we move to Chrome, then advanced security measures have been taken by Google. Let us suppose, if you visit any suspicious site which is not secure then a warning page will appear stating ‘Your connection is not private’. Most of the users think it’s an error but it is a warning from Google and reminds you to safeguard your data to avoid browsing such sites.
This is one of the best features in Chrome, but in some instances, it also blocks the trusted site and if you have encountered with chrome connection is not private issue and thinking what to do next? Then don’t worry as here you will get the comprehensive solutions to fix the issue.
What does “your connection is not private” mean?
Whenever you visit any site, the Chrome looks for the digital certificates installed on the site server and if it didn’t find in the correct order, then it treats the site as suspicious and will warn you through a message “your connection is not private”. These digital certificates (SSL certificates) are a means of authenticating the identity of site owners.
If Google finds any suspicious or incorrect certificate then it stops the browser to load the website further in order to keep your data safe and secure by displaying an error message “your connection is not private“.
This security measure adopted by Google is good in almost all the cases however there are very rare chances when security engines are blocking our trusted sites.
Why “Your Connection is Not Private” occurs?
Though there can be so many reasons behind this error message. However, I have figure out some of the main reasons behind this.
Wrong Date & Time: If date and time on your computer are incorrect then it will make your web browser to not confirm the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) declaration. To be sure, check your date and time again and ensure their correctness.
Antivirus is Blocking SSL Connection: Besides wrong date and time, your antivirus can also block all SSL connections too. In such a situation, you can disable your antivirus temporarily to check for the error.
Google Chrome’s Cookies & Cached Files: Google cookies and cache files may also initiate the error message by mistake. We have a detailed and step by step guide to clear the cached data and cookies.
Is it safe to avoid “Your Connection is Not Private”?
Google stops the browser to load that website further and also gives you the option to ignore its warning and you can manually enter the site. Now the question arises, what would happen if you ignore its warning?
The website with a bad certificate or without a certificate can not protect your personal data from encryption. This is really harassing especially when that site requires your login information or if you are going to perform any financial transaction over there. All your personal data including card details or whatever you have entered could be stolen if you proceed without any caution. So it is not recommended to proceed further on such sites and to close such site immediately.
“Your Connection is Not Private” Error Variations
Depending on the browser, operating system and the configuration of the security certificate on servers the users may get the different error messages. Some of these errors would be fixed by common methods. In this case, the maximum users will get the error message as mentioned below:
Attackers might be trying to steal your information from domain.com (for example, passwords, messages, or credit cards).
However, the error messages are accompanied by a particular code which will help you to find out the exact error and the solution to fix that. Some examples of these error codes are as under:
- NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID
- NET:: ERR_CERT_SYMANTEC_LEGACY
- NET:: ERR_CERT_COMMON_NAME_INVALID
- NET:: ERR_CERTIFICATE_TRANSPARENCY_REQUIRED
- NET::ERR_CERT_WEAK_SIGNATURE_ALGORITHM
- SSL certificate error
- NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID
- ERR_SSL_VERSION_OR_CIPHER_MISMATCH
How to Fix “Your Connection is Not Private” Error in Google Chrome?
If you got the warning message and in spite of that, you want to visit the site, go through the solutions listed below. But make sure, the site you are going to visit is secured, otherwise, your data and personal information will be in danger.
Refresh the Page
Let’s start with the most common solution, try to refresh the webpage. There are chances that the warning could have been displayed by mistake. Click the Refresh button on your browser or press F5 key on your keyboard to refresh the page and check for the issue. Still, if you are getting the same message then you can proceed to the next solution.
Synchronize Clock
Chrome depends on the real-time amid verifying the SSL certificates and if your PC’s time is not synchronized your connection is not private chrome will flash the warning message on the page. So, first and foremost you must synchronize the data and time of your PC.
- Click on the ‘Start’ menu and further click on the ‘Settings’ icon.
- In the settings page, you will find ‘Time and Language’ section, click on it.
- Thereafter, Date and Time page will appear and you need to toggle the radio button of ‘Set time automatically’ in ON mode.
- Now restart your computer and then visit the site in Chrome to check an issue ‘Your connection is not private’.
Manually Proceed with an unsafe connection(Not Recommended)
There will be a second option to proceed manually. However, it is not recommended to do this until you fully understand that nothing will be encrypted in proceeding further. If you are going to perform any financial transactions then it is highly risky or if you are going to enter any login credentials then you are advised to follow the next steps to fix the issue.
This option is included only to make you understand the consequences of doing this. If you see this error message then there are chances that someone is trying to cheat you or steal any info whatever you send to the server and in such case, you should typically close the site immediately. It is also possible that the website has been compromised. Moreover, if you are in a public place then never try to proceed manually.
Still, if want to proceed, there will be a “Proceed to domain.com” link available and you can click on that. However, depending on the browser you are using sometimes it is hidden under the “Advanced” option.
Note: If that website is using HSTS, then this option won’t be available as it indicates an HTTP header has been implemented which never allows such non-HTTPS connections.
Incognito Mode
After following all these steps my next recommendation is to clear your browser’s cache. However, it is easy to say than to do. So if you want to check if the problem is at your end in browser cache then without clearing your browser cache you can try to open that website in incognito mode or try to open that website in some other browser if you have. Ruling out of Chrome extensions is never recommended. This is to help you with testing that only.
Clear Browsing data
Before moving to this solution, you must check the site in Incognito mode and if it runs smoothly, then you need to clear the browsing data to fix the Chrome connection is not private issue and the detailed procedure is listed below.
- Launch Google Chrome and move to the top right of the page and then click on the ‘More’ icon which is symbolized with three vertical dots.
- Soon, a drop-down menu will appear and you need to select ‘Clear browsing data’ followed by ‘More tools’.
- A pop-up window will open and you will have to select all the sections by clicking on the checkbox. But keep in mind, when you will select to clear Cookies, you will be logged out from all the logged-in sites.
- Make sure to select ‘All-time’ from ‘Time range’. And after that, click on ‘Clear data’.
Check Alternative Domain
In the Internet world, each domain has an alternative domain and each SSL certificate has what they call it a Subject Alternative Name. All domain names and its variations for which the certificate is issued to and valid for are included that. For example, https://devicetricks.com and https://www.devicetricks.com are treated here as two separate domains but landing on the same page. To check this issue you can try to visit the alternative domain.
Update Google Chrome
Sometimes the outdated browser also creates such issues. To fix the issue check the updates available for the browser and update it if any available. To update the browser Go to Chrome Menu > Help > Update Google Chrome.
Clear the SSL
Clearing the SSL will help you to resolve the issue and the process for the same is listed below.
- Click on the ‘Start’ menu, type ‘Control Panel’ in the search bar and then press the ‘Enter’ key.
- A Control Panel page will appear on the screen, click on ‘Network and Internet’ section.
- On the next page you will find, ‘Internet Options’ click on it.
- Thereafter, a pop-up window will appear and you need to click on the ‘Content’ tab located at the top of the page and then move to the certificates section and click on ‘Clear SSL state’.
- After completing the above step, launch Chrome to check the issue.
Enable DNS in Automatic mode
Most of the users faced the issue after setting the DNS value to 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4. So, if you have made some changes, then it’s time to turn the DNS in automatic mode to fix the issue.
- Open ‘Control panel’.
- Click on the ‘Network and Internet’ section.
- Thereafter, the ‘Network and Internet’ page will appear on the screen and you need to click on the ‘Network and Sharing Center’.
- On the next page, you will get the information on the network and also a few options at the left end of the page, click on ‘Change adapter settings’.
- Soon a network connection page will appear and you need to select your connection and after that right-click on it to choose ‘Properties’.
- A new pop-up window will open and you need to select the ‘Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) from the box and then tap on the properties tab which is located at the bottom of the page.
- After that, a new pop-up window will open and you need to select ‘Use DNS server address automatically’ by clicking on it.
- Now click on the ‘OK’ button and then visit the site in Chrome to check the issue.
Disable Antivirus
The problem could be from the end of Antivirus and if you are well aware of the site that it is malware-free then you can disable the Antivirus or else you can turn off the SSL scan feature of Antivirus. This method will help you to open the site in Chrome.
Conclusion
That’s it; these were the effective and comprehensive step by step solutions to resolve ‘Your connection is not private’ issue. However, if you want any assistance in any issue which is annoying you, then post in the comment box and our techies will get back on you in a quick time.
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