With the Chrome 86 release, Google takes further action to prevent intrusive and potentially harmful notifications from websites while they also make an effort to give the mobile versions the same functionality as their desktop equivalents. This update therefore includes a number of new security features for both Android and iOS.

Both apps have the Safety Check function, which keeps track of whether saved passwords have been exposed in a hacked database. But instead of just warning you with a notice, Chrome will automatically take you to the site’s password change form.

The Android app gets "Enhanced Safe Browsing", a feature that came to Windows and Mac earlier this year in May. With it active, the browser shares information with Google that is used to actively detect and stop malware and phishing attacks. The app will also warn you if you are submitting a form via http on a page that is otherwise https-secured.

On iOS, Google adds the ability to unlock the password autofill feature with Face ID or Touch ID.

What about push notifications?

If a website that has previously misused notifications asks you to allow them, Chrome will automatically hide that request.

Users can of course still enable notifications, but they will need to go to a separate menu to do so and a warning is displayed. Google writes that malicious websites can send messages that link to malware or that try to mimic legitimate system messages. In a future release, Google will reset the notification status of users who have already enabled notifications for malicious websites.

Will these changes impact on us negatively?

First of all, Advedro supports Google and Chrome in their effort to establish specific rules for the Push Notifications and we do believe that these steps towards a more stable and transparent advertising landscape will pay off in the long run for both our advertisers as well as our publishers. Also, we do believe that the market players who are looking for real quality of traffic and performance advertising won’t really experience any problems with these changes but will rather only benefit from it.

Will we see a change on the leads?

Absolutely. Given the fact how the subscription process is about to change, Advedro is expecting that the traffic quality will improve even more. Generating affiliates only the leads that are genuinely interested in seeing the push notifications, which in turn will improve the overall quality of the leads. At the end of the day it is not about the quantity but rather the quality.