With the possibility to make encrypted search the default

Aug 10, 2010 14:26 GMT  ·  By
The Google SSL Web Search Chrome extension enables you to add the encrypted search engine
   The Google SSL Web Search Chrome extension enables you to add the encrypted search engine

A few months back Google introduced the option to encrypt all searches on a beta version of its search engine. Now you can make encrypted search the default in Google Chrome with the “Google SSL Web Search beta” extension from Google.

The new extension, built by the Google team, is available in the Chrome online extensions gallery. You have to be running a fairly recent Google Chrome 6 or Chromium build.

The Google SSL Web Search beta extension adds a new search engine to the list in Google Chrome. On first load, it opens a new page enabling you to add the Google SSL search engine. You have to specify a keyword for the encrypted search engine which will enable you to quickly access it in the future by typing the keyword before a query.

Alternatively, if you want all of your searches to be encrypted, you can choose the Google SSL Web Search as the default search engine. One way is to right click in the Omnibox and select “Edit Search Engines.” You can also access this from the Options menu under the Personal tab. Click Manage and look for the encrypted search engine in the list and then select “Make default.”

The extension is available for Windows and Linux users only. Mac users of Google Chrome will have to wait a little while longer. “This extension does not work for you, since the Mac UI of Chrome for handling OSDD entries is not yet implemented... sorry folks, we're working on it,” the extension’s page read.

The extension itself doesn’t serve any other purpose other than to add Google SSL Web Search as an search option. It doesn’t do much to automate the process either, but this is likely a limitation in the extensions API. Enabling extensions to add search engines or make them the default automatically would probably not be very safe.

Google Chrome for Windows is available for download here. Google Chrome for Linux is available for download here. Google Chrome for Mac is available for download here.