This is the end for Chrome Cleanup Tool, the tool built into Google’s web browser on Windows to remove malware. It had become obsolete due to new built-in security tools. RIP!
Chrome Cleanup Tool, Google’s Windows-based web browser antivirus scanning tool, is stepping down. The company has just announced in a press release its permanent removal with the release of Chrome 11. As a reminder, it was first introduced in 2015 as a standalone application called Google’s Software Removal Tool. It was then renamed and integrated directly into the Chrome browser for Windows in 2017. Its role was to detect unwanted software installed on the computer that modified the browser settings – without anyone’s knowledge, of course – by slowing down the system and by displaying advertisements, for example. Also, in case of detection, it immediately informed the user and offered to remove the disruptive software. According to Google, more than 80 million cleanups have been performed since the tool’s inception, which has “helped pave the way for a cleaner and safer web”. But times are changing, and Chrome Cleanup Tool must now give way.
Chrome Cleanup Tool: a tool that has become obsolete
Google explains the death of Chrome Cleanup Tools by several reasons. First, the web giant has noticed a steady and significant drop in unwanted software (UwS) threats in Google Chrome. Complaints on this subject now represent only 3% of the reports sent. In fact, only 0.06% of Chrome Cleanup Tool scans performed by users detected known UwS in the past month. This drop is due to recent changes to the browser’s current ecosystem, which have tightened its security. Examples include Google Safe Browsing, which blocks unwanted software downloads at source and warns users when they’re about to navigate to a dangerous website, and Chrome’s built-in virus protection for Windows. Combined together, they make the cleaning tool unnecessary. In addition, cybercriminals have since adopted other techniques, which pushes Google to constantly update and multiply the defense systems of its browser.
Chrome users are unlikely to be affected by the removal of this outdated tool, which in no way diminishes their security. This is because they still enjoy automatic Safe Browsing and can, if they wish, turn on Enhanced System Protection, which helps block dangerous downloads, extensions, and websites more quickly. To do this, go to the “Settings” menu, then to “Privacy and security”, and finally to “Browser security”.