According to Android Authority, Google is implementing a major security change in Google Chrome that will automatically enable “Always Use Secure Connections” for all users starting with Chrome 154 in October 2026. The feature, which has been available as an optional toggle since 2022, will become the default setting, forcing Chrome to attempt HTTPS connections for every website and warn users before visiting sites that don’t support secure connections. This shift is particularly significant given Chrome’s dominant market position and could influence other Chromium-based browsers to follow suit. The move represents the final step in the web’s transition to an HTTPS-first era.
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From Optional Feature to Universal Standard
What makes this transition remarkable is how quickly we’ve moved from HTTPS being a premium feature to an absolute requirement. Just a decade ago, major websites including Facebook and Twitter were still serving content over unencrypted HTTP connections. The turning point came when security researchers demonstrated that even seemingly harmless web browsing could expose users to session hijacking, content injection, and surveillance. The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s HTTPS Everywhere campaign, combined with Google’s decision to use HTTPS as a ranking signal, created the economic and technical pressure needed to drive adoption. Now, with over 95% of page loads in Chrome already happening over HTTPS according to Google’s own transparency reports, this final push essentially cleans up the remaining stragglers.
The Ripple Effect Across the Browser Ecosystem
Chrome’s decision will create immediate pressure on the entire web browser ecosystem. While Firefox and Safari already offer similar protections, Chrome’s 65%+ global market share means this isn’t just another browser feature—it’s a de facto web standard. More importantly, Chrome’s dominance in the Chromium project means browsers like Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Brave will likely inherit this behavior automatically. This creates a unified front that website operators simply cannot ignore. The October 2026 timeline gives organizations nearly two years to complete their migrations, but for many legacy systems and internal applications, this represents a hard deadline that may require significant infrastructure changes.
The Hidden Challenges of Universal HTTPS
While the security benefits of HTTPS are undeniable, this transition isn’t without complications. Many legacy systems, particularly in manufacturing, healthcare, and government sectors, still rely on HTTP for internal applications and devices. The certificate management burden for organizations maintaining hundreds of internal sites could become substantial. There’s also the risk of “certificate poverty”—small websites and personal projects abandoning their online presence rather than dealing with the complexity and cost of maintaining SSL certificates. Additionally, Chrome’s warning system will need to be carefully calibrated to avoid creating “warning fatigue” where users learn to ignore security prompts.
Beyond HTTPS: What Comes Next for Web Security
This move represents the closing of one chapter in web security and the opening of another. With HTTP essentially deprecated, the security community’s focus is shifting to more sophisticated threats that HTTPS alone cannot solve. Certificate transparency logs, post-quantum cryptography, and improved certificate authority oversight are becoming the new frontiers. We’re also seeing emerging standards like Signed HTTP Exchanges that could reshape how content is distributed across the web. Chrome’s HTTPS mandate isn’t the end of web security evolution—it’s the foundation upon which the next generation of protections will be built. The era of worrying about basic connection encryption is ending, but the battle for comprehensive web security is just entering its next phase.
