It’s no news that Google is the most popular search engine. That’s helpful when you’re looking for entertainment or information. However, it’s not so helpful if trackers keep collecting your data or websites keep blocking your access.
As a result, people have taken to using proxies. When chosen and used correctly, proxies can grant users access to anonymity where there should be none. Read on to learn why you should use a proxy with Chrome and how to configure proxies on your devices.
Why use a Proxy on Chrome?
There are many reasons why you should use a proxy on Chrome. Some of them are:
- Enhanced privacy and anonymity. When you use the right proxy, you can enjoy the particular degree of anonymity you need. For instance, a shared datacenter proxy is okay to help you stream a show or access a site not available in your region. However, the same proxy doesn’t provide enough anonymity to facilitate a successful data scraping exercise.
- Accessing content and evading censorship. In these cases, using the right proxy types and configuration might be more necessary. Some organisations and governments attempting to censor content use recent strategies and logic to implement their plans. A shoddy transparent proxy or one with a poor history wouldn’t cut it.
- Improved security. When dealing with sensitive data, the right proxy (HTTPS or SOCKS5) can be the difference between security and breaches. Also, free proxies and cheap proxies might not be as well-maintained as relatively expensive ones. In other words, they could lead to security risks. When used correctly, these proxies can improve security during public Wi-Fi use.
- Cost savings. A reliable proxy can save their users money spent on data. They can achieve this by reducing the data needed to load frequently visited pages because of their caching.
How to change proxy settings in Chrome
Like most things to do with proxy settings on a computer, there are many ways to access the settings depending on the operating system of the device and whether you’re using a proxy extension for Chrome.
If you are using a proxy extension and have already installed it, you can change the settings by opening it from the Chrome toolbar. Once open, follow the instructions to change the settings. These usually include filling in details like proxy address, port number, and authentication details where needed.
On the other hand, you can change proxy settings for traditional proxies through Chrome settings using the following steps:
- Open Chrome settings by clicking on the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of the browser
- Within settings, scroll down and click on “Advanced” to expand more settings.
- Open the “System” section, and click “Open your computer’s proxy settings.”. This redirects you to the proxy settings for the operating system.
- If the device is a Windows device:
- Toggle on the switch for “automatically detect settings if you want Windows to detect proxy settings automatically. Also, toggle on the switch for “use setup script” and paste the script address in the field that opens up.
- If you want to change Chrome proxy settings manually, toggle on the switch to use a proxy server under manual proxy setup In the fields that open up, enter the proxy address and port number.
- Click on save at the bottom of the page to apply the settings.
- If the device is a macOS:
- In the network settings, select the network connection type and click on “advanced.”
- Open the proxies tab. Tick the appropriate options for your proxy type and enter the right details, including the proxy server address and port number.
- Click on “ OK” to apply the changes.
How to Turn Off a Proxy Server in Google Chrome on Windows
Proxies can come in the form of traditional software or an extension. If the proxy is a Chrome extension, you can toggle it off by clicking on the icon in the top right-hand corner of the browser. However, in the case of a traditional proxy that requires configuration of system settings, the following steps can help:
- Open Chrome settings. Click on the three-dot icon at the top corner of the browser and open the settings.
- Access the system settings. On the left sidebar of the Chrome settings, select ‘System’. If a proxy extension is active, it will be indicated in the system settings. Disable the extension. Then, you can open the computer’s proxy settings.
- Disable proxy settings. There are options for manual and automatic proxy setup in the proxy settings. For automatic proxy setup, you don’t have to toggle off “automatically detect settings” if a proxy script is not active. For the manual proxy setup, toggle off “use a proxy server” and clear the fields for proxy server details (address and port).
- Save the changes.
alternatively, you can directly navigate to the proxy settings without redirecting from Chrome. To do this, open settings, select ‘Network and Internet’, choose ‘proxy’ on the sidebar, and make the same changes as above to switch off the proxy server.
How to Disable Chrome Proxy Settings
There are two general ways of accessing the settings required to disable Chrome proxies on a Windows device. The first is to access it through Chrome settings. While the other involves accessing the device settings. Through Chrome:
- Open Chrome settings from the three-dot icon in the top right corner of the browser
- Once into the settings, select ‘System’ from the sidebar
- Click on “Open your computer’s proxy settings”. This should redirect you to the computer’s settings
- If your computer is set to automatically detect settings, toggle it off. If you are currently using a manual proxy setup, simply toggle off the option for “use a proxy server”. Also, clear all the fields containing proxy server details
- Save the changes and restart your browser to apply the new settings.
The alternative method of disabling the proxy involves accessing the network settings of the device through the following steps:
- Open Windows settings
- Click on ‘Network and Internet’ to open their settings
- In the sidebar on the left, select ‘Proxy’
- Toggle off the option for “use a proxy server” and/or the option for automatically detecting settings
- Also, clear the fields containing proxy server details
- Save the changes to apply them
Benefits of using a Chrome proxy
It is important to use the right proxy for your online activities. It’s even more imperative that you employ the right proxy configuration. Here are some of the benefits you stand to enjoy if you get the proxy type right:
- IP masking
- Caching
- Unrestricted access to content
- Improved security
- Avoidance of online trackers
- Not-so-targeted ads
Combining the above benefits with the right proxy configuration; you can significantly improve your browsing experience while exerting more control over proxy use.
How to Choose the Right Proxy Server
There are many good vendors and proxy servers on the market. However, not all are meant for you. Here are some considerations to help you make a choice and why Proxy Cheap should be your first option every time.
- Determine your needs. Your particular task should be a big determining factor in your choice of proxy type. For instance, rotating residential proxies are suitable for data scraping; dedicated proxies are good for corporate communication, accessing private resources and more. Proxy Cheap offers proxies and has premium proxies for clients who require absolute privacy.
- Speed and performance. If you are performing a data-intensive task, you want to have a fast proxy with sufficient or unlimited bandwidth, where possible. At Proxy Cheap, our proxies have speeds of up to 100mbps and our proxies can handle up to 100 concurrent tasks and requests without a drop in performance.
- Geographic coverage. The geographic coverage is important for some and not for others. However, a person intending to access content and resources from many different locations should favour a proxy with wide coverage and large IP pools. Proxy Cheap provides coverage in 125+ countries and supplies over 10 million IP addresses.
- Security. Security considerations should include the security of the protocols used by the proxy. You should also consider the vendor’s stance on data logging and privacy. Proxy Cheal has a no-logs policy, doesn’t deal with user data, and uses secure protocols like HTTPS.
- Customer support. The provider you select should offer responsive and ever-available customer support. This is critical in dealing with technical issues, especially for beginner users. Proxy Cheap provides much-praised customer support that is available over multiple media and every hour of every day.
- Cost. If it doesn’t fit into your budget, you probably should consider another option. Most times, not being a financial fit for your business or activity is an indicator that it might not provide the best value for money at that moment. Instead, consider other vendors and proxies. However, if you have the money to spend but need some convincing, try out those with free trials or money-back guarantees.
- Versatility. Needs can change at any time. To be prepared, you should consider a versatile proxy vendor with a wide catalogue of proxies, applicable in many use cases. Proxy Cheap offers many different types of proxies and is useful for everything ranging from data scraping to sneaker botting.
Frequently asked questions
Does Chrome have its own proxy settings?
No, Chrome does not have its own proxy settings. It relies on the device’s proxy settings on which it is installed. As such, when trying to configure proxy settings in Chrome, the browser redirects users to the network settings of the device.
How do I use a proxy only in Chrome?
You can use a proxy only in Chrome by employing a proxy extension. Otherwise, the browser uses the proxy settings of the device and operating system. However, not all proxy vendors have extensions on the browser.
How do I add a proxy exception in Chrome?
In order to add a proxy exception, you need to alter the proxy settings of the device or add the exception to the proxy extension settings. Doing so for a proxy extension is straightforward and can be done from the extension interface. Adding the exception for traditional proxy software, however, requires users to access the computer’s proxy settings.
How to set up a SOCKS5 proxy in Chrome?
To set up a SOCKS5 proxy in Chrome, open the browser settings and select ‘system’ from the sidebar. If you don’t have a proxy extension currently active (disable it if you do), you’ll see an option to open your computer’s proxy settings. Once there, use the manual proxy setup and input the details of your proxy server in the appropriate fields.
