Google is removing Chrome’s cleanup tool for Windows

Google is ending the Chrome Cleanup Tool, an application for Chrome users on Windows that detects and removes suspicious or unwanted software. The tool will be removed from user systems with the release of Chrome 111, at which point users can scan their devices using the Chrome Cleanup tool through the web browser’s Security Checkup feature or through the “Reset Settings and Cleanup” option in Chrome. Will be unable to do. // Settings on Windows. Google is also removing a Chrome feature that intermittently scanned Windows machines for suspicious activity.

First introduced around 2015 as a standalone app named Google’s Software Removal Tool, the feature was later renamed and integrated directly into Chrome for Windows browsers (for macOS systems No equivalent device). Google claims that the Chrome Cleanup Tool has performed over 80 million cleanups since its release, recovering systems affected by unexpected setting changes and removing extensions that violate Google’s unwanted software policy.

While useful for everyday system maintenance, the Chrome Cleanup Tool was never intended to be a comprehensive antivirus solution. These days, Chrome has better alternative services to protect users and block suspicious files, such as Google Safe Browsing and Chrome’s built-in virus protection for Windows. And as new phishing and malware trends continue to emerge, Google says it has shifted its focus to actively improving authentication workflows and virus detection technology to protect Chrome users.

Google claims that user complaints about unwanted software have decreased over the years, reporting that only 0.06 percent of Chrome Cleanup Tool scans last month actually detected known software concerns. Due to dwindling user reports and the availability of more capable antivirus solutions, Google claims that the Chrome Cleanup Tool is effectively obsolete. It is unlikely that Chrome users will be affected by the removal of the old tool for now as the browser still offers security features such as automatic safe browsing and advanced system protection.