Varun Mirchandani / Android Authority
TL;DR Google Chrome will enable “Always Use Secure Connections” by default starting with Chrome 154 in October 2026.
The browser will automatically try HTTPS first and warn users only when visiting new or infrequently visited public HTTP sites.
Other browsers already offer similar modes, but Chrome’s scale makes this shift significant and could influence Chromium-based browsers as well.
Google is making a major security shift in 2026. Beginning with Chrome 154 in October 2026, the browser will automatically enable the “Always Use Secure Connections” setting for everyone. Once active, Chrome will attempt to load every website over HTTPS first and warn users before visiting a public site that doesn’t support it. The feature has been available since 2022, but only as an optional toggle. Next year, it will become the default for the world’s most widely used browser, solidifying the web’s move into an HTTPS-first era.
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According to Google, the change is long overdue. Without HTTPS, attackers can intercept traffic, hijack navigation, or redirect users to malicious pages. These risks are made worse by the fact that many HTTP pages instantly redirect to HTTPS, leaving no time for a “Not secure” warning to appear. Additionally, Chrome’s transparency data shows HTTPS adoption rose from roughly 30-45% in 2015 to about 95-99% by 2020 before slowing, yet even a few remaining percent translate to millions of unsafe visits at Chrome’s scale. And because attackers only need one insecure connection to slip through, Google argues it can’t afford to ignore what’s left.
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