Google Chrome Site Permissions and Content Settings | Pro Guide

Please remember that you always have the option to clear site permissions before closing the browser window or you can also delete all previous site permissions by entering ‘chrome://settings/content’ in address bar of your Chrome browser.

You can also see the list of all websites you have allowed site permissions, through below navigation.

Click three dots … on top right corner of screen in Chrome browser → Settings → Privacy and security → Site Settings → Permissions.

You can also see specific permissions granted to a specific website and customize those permissions.

Here is how I customized site permissions and content settings in Chrome browser.

• Location: I have selected radio button to the left of ‘Sites can ask for your location’ option. You can also see here the list of websites you have allowed or barred to access your location. Click any website edit location permissions. You can click on ‘Reset permissions’ for the default browser settings – a good option if you are confused what to select. If you allow location for a site, Chrome does not share your exact location but an estimated location of your area or region. Sometimes, sharing location with trustworthy sites is quite helpful for finding appropriate service near you.

• Camera: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to use your camera’ option as default behavior.

• Microphone: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to use your microphone’ option as default behavior.

• Notifications: I have selected ‘Use quieter messaging’ option as default behavior. Through this setting, sites are still allowed to ask to send notifications, but interrupting notifications are blocked. If I ignore notifications multiple times from a site, further notifications from that site will be blocked by Chrome. Under ‘Customized behaviors’ you can add sites either to allow or block notifications. I have allowed Facebook and Google sites (Drive, Mail, Docs etc) to send me notifications. However, I have blocked certain sites (such as dailymail.co.uk, reddit.com, cnet.com) from sending me notifications.

• Background sync: I have selected ‘Recently closed sites can finish sending and receiving data’ option as default behavior. It is a good option so that sites (such as Google Drive) can properly finish tasks – completely upload or download a file including a photo, video, message, before closing. You can allow or disallow certain sites for syncing in background.

• Motion sensors: I have selected ‘Sites can use motion sensors’ option as default behavior. It is useful feature for portable devices such as tablets and mobile phones. Some apps such as fitness tracking apps require this feature for proper functioning. You can allow or disallow certain sites from using this feature.

• Automatic downloads: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to automatically download multiple files’ option as default behavior. Sites can ask my permission to automatically download related files. You can choose ‘Don't allow sites to automatically download multiple files’ option if your device is used by less internet savvy persons such as kids, however, you may experience annoying and repeated alerts for permission, from Chrome after each download.

• Protocol handlers: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to handle protocols’ option as default behavior. It will make things easier to handle protocols such default email (mailto) protocol handling.

• MIDI devices: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to connect to MIDI devices’ option as default behavior. It is useful especially on music sites.

• USB devices: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to connect to USB devices’ option as default behavior. It helps sites to connect with your USB devices, for functions such as smooth printing task or displaying information on a screen. Be careful and allow the permission to only those sites which you trust as sites can read information or even reprogram your USB device.

• Serial ports: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to connect to serial ports’ option as default behavior. Some sites may require this for data transfer. Allow it only for trusted sites.

• File editing: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to edit files and folders on your device’ option as default behavior. It helps sites to access your device folders for saving your files such as a document or an image.

• HID devices: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to connect to HID devices’ option as default behavior.

• Clipboard: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to see text and images on your clipboard’ option as default behavior. It helps sites to match your text (content) formatting before pasting it and saves you from reformatting the text. Allow it only to trusted sites.

• Payment handlers: I have selected ‘Sites can install payment handlers’ option as default behavior. This enables users to easily complete one-click payments on websites using their wallet of choice. Examples of payment handler API include Google Pay, Apple Pay, Stripe, PayPal. A browser facilitates the secure flow between a merchant website and a payment handler.

• Augmented reality: I have selected ‘Ask when a site wants to create a 3D map of your surroundings or track camera position’ option as default behavior. Some websites use camera position especially in gaming.

• Virtual reality: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to use virtual reality devices and data’ option as default behavior.

• Your device use: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to know when you're actively using your device’ option as default behavior. It helps some websites to push important software updates at certain suitable times.

• Window placement: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to use info about your screens to open and place windows’ option as default behavior. It helps sites to show content according to the screen size of your device.

• Fonts: I have selected ‘Sites can ask to use fonts installed on your device’ option as default behavior. It helps sites to use your device installed fonts to render webpages for speeding up the browsing experience.

• JavaScript: I have selected ‘Sites can use Javascript’ option as default behavior. It improves interactive browsing experience.

• Images: I have selected ‘Sites can show images’ option as default behavior.

• Pop-ups and redirects: I have selected ‘Don't allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects’ option as default behavior. You can enter specific site to allow pop-up ads.

• Sound: I have selected ‘Sites can play sound’ option as default behavior.

• Ads (Intrusive): I have selected ‘Block ads on sites that show intrusive or misleading ads’ option as default behavior.

• Zoom levels: Here, you will see list of sites for which you have zoomed in or zoomed out. To test this feature, just change zoom level for a website in a tab and then check it here.

• PDF documents: I have selected ‘Open PDFs in Chrome’ option as default behavior. After opening a PDF in Chrome, if you like you can also download it. This setting tweak will save space of your PC hard drive, because PDFs will be loaded only in browser temporary memory.

• Protected content IDs: I have selected ‘Sites can play protected content’ option as default behavior. I also have selected ‘Sites can use identifiers to play protected content’ option. It is required for smooth play of copyrighted content. You can read Dozro article about DRM to know more about it.

• Insecure content: Here you can add URLs of certain sites to allow or block insecure content. I have not added any sites here because Chrome browser automatically blocks insecure content even on secure sites.

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