What does "Not Secure" warning mean in Chrome address bar?

The short answer

“Not Secure” means Chrome does not trust the page’s connection, so data you enter may not be private.

What Chrome is warning you about

Chrome usually shows this on pages that use HTTP instead of HTTPS, or have a broken certificate.

• HTTP page: No proper encryption
• Bad certificate: Encryption exists but cannot be verified
• Risk: Passwords, card details, or form data could be exposed

When should you worry?

You should be careful anytime you are about to type personal info.

• High risk: Login pages, payment pages, forms with private details
• Lower risk: Reading a public article with no sign-in or form
• Still best practice: Avoid entering any sensitive data on “Not Secure” pages

How to fix it

If you are a visitor

• Check the URL starts with https://
• Do not enter passwords or payment info on “Not Secure” pages
• Try refreshing, updating Chrome, or opening the site later
• If it’s a trusted site, contact the site owner

If you run the website

• Install a valid SSL/TLS certificate
• Force all traffic to HTTPS
• Fix mixed content (HTTP images/scripts on HTTPS pages)
• Renew expired certificates before they lapse

Quick rule of thumb

If Chrome says Not Secure, treat the page like a public space: read if needed, but don’t share private information.