Lock icon for HTTPS will be revised in Google Chrome 117

The lock icon in the browser has long caused dissatisfaction among Google developers, so in September 2022 it was decided to reconsider its design.

Initially, the lock icon for accessing sites via HTTPS appeared in the first versions of Netscape back in the nineties. Today, more than 95% of all websites are transmitted over HTTPS. Due to wide distribution, Google has thought about how to somehow modify the signals about secure connections in the browser.

The padlock icon no longer draws as much attention as it used to because HTTPS is the norm, not the exception.

Moreover, the padlock icon should signal the reliability of the website, but this rule was not always followed. Phishing sites also use HTTPS, appearing to be quite valid and authentic resources, which they are not. As a result, users no longer understand the meaning of the displayed padlock in the address bar of the browser.

Instead of a lock in the Chrome browser, the ‘tune’ icon will be displayed, referring to the settings menu. This neutral indicator is intended to remove all the ambiguity that existed before. New icon:

• calls to click on it;
• does not indicate that the site is automatically trusted;
• is associated with settings, options and other similar controls.

Users didn't understand that they had to click on the padlock icon to display the necessary information about the certificate. However, the browser will still mark HTTP sites as insecure.

When to expect an update

The new icon will appear in Chrome 117 in early September 2023. It will also be visible in Chrome for Android. In an iOS app, the lock icon will be completely removed as it cannot be clicked.

You can see what the icon looks like while still under development by downloading Chrome Canary and activating Chrome Refresh 2023 at chrome://flags#chrome-refresh-2023. Please note that development is still ongoing, so the final result may differ significantly from the current phase.

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