Chrome 83 with changes and security fixes released

[German]Google's developers have released the Chrome Browser in version 83 on 19 May 2020. The browser update now automatically uses DNS-over-HTTPS. The update also closes 83 security holes of earlier versions.

Changes and new features in Chrome 83

The version 82 of the browser was skipped because of the coronavirus epidemic and the resulting limitations. The changes in Chrome 83 were announced by the developers for the desktop in this blog post.  

Secure DNS and DNS-over-HTTPS

With Chrome 83, Google is launching Secure DNS, a feature that builds on a secure DNS protocol called DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) to improve security and privacy when surfing the Internet. Chrome 83 automatically uses DNS-over-HTTPS if the current DNS provider supports it.

Alternatively, users can of course manually specify a specific DNS provider. The Secure DNS settings can be specified using the options in the screen above. Google provides a detailed explanation of this topic in this blog post. 

Other changes

Besides DoH, Google has introduced some other changes in version 83 of the browser. Venturebeat lists these in this article.

• Cookie changes: Users can choose whether and how cookies from the visited websites are used. It is now possible to block third-party cookies in regular and incognito mode. It is also possible to block all cookies on some or all websites.
• Website settings: The controls for managing settings are now divided into two different sections. This should help to find the most sensitive website permissions (access to location, camera or microphone and notifications) and the most recent permission activity faster.
• Delete browser data: Since many people regularly delete their browsing history, it is now located at the top of the Privacy and Security section.

Google also has positioned the Sync Controls section (formerly called People) at the top of the Chrome settings. These controls allow users to control what data is shared with Google, stored on their Google Account, and synced across all devices. An overview of the new features for developers can be found in this blog post.

The Google Chrome Release Blog states that a number of vulnerabilities (38 in number) have been fixed in Chrome 83.0.4103.61. Meanwhile Chrome 83.0.4103.76 is already available – a list of changes is available in the change log. For Android, Chrome 83.0.4103.60 was released according to this post. 

Availability and download

Chrome version 83 for Windows, Mac and Linux will be rolled out to the systems in the next few days and weeks via automatic update. You can download the web installer here. Download addresses for offline installers can be found here, for example.