@Chrome 2024 has introduced a small but notable update: a new icon for SSL in the address bar. Instead of the familiar “lock” symbol we’ve all gotten used to, Chrome now shows a subtle “tune/settings” icon for HTTPS URLs.
Why the change?
Well, according to Google’s research, most users never really understood what the padlock meant. Many assumed it meant “this website is safe” — but technically, the lock only signified that the connection was encrypted, not that the site itself was trustworthy. Phishing sites can also use HTTPS, after all. So, the lock was a bit misleading. By replacing it with a more functional-looking icon, Chrome is trying to make the security state feel less like a badge of trust and more like a place to check details if you want them.
Chrome isn’t alone here
iOS Safari is going even further — it’s planning to remove the lock icon entirely from its browser UI. The thinking is that secure connections have become the norm, not the exception. If more than 95% of all browsing is already HTTPS, why clutter the interface with an icon that’s mostly redundant? Instead, Safari will only alert you when something’s wrong — like if the connection isn’t secure. That’s the real state worth warning about.
It’s an interesting shift in how browsers communicate trust and safety. For years, the little padlock was the symbol of legitimacy on the web. Remember the advice? “Only shop on sites with the lock in the corner.” Now, that logic doesn’t really hold. The lock became more about encryption than about credibility, and users who trusted it blindly sometimes got confused.
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