Google will soon block .mp3 and .exe downloads on Chrome; here is why

Google has announced that it will start blocking insecure downloads soon on its browser, Chrome. The company plans to block "mixed content downloads” in a phased manner until October.

The company will roll out the Chrome 81 update after which users will get a console warning before downloading executable files (.exe, .apk), archives (.zip, .rar), and other ‘insecure’ files like .pdf, .docx.

After the Chrome 82 update, scheduled to release in April, the browser will warn users before they download executable files, and from Chrome 83, all executable downloads will be blocked.

“File types that pose the most risk to users (e.g., executables) will be impacted first, with subsequent releases covering more file types,” Google said in its blog post. “This gradual rollout is designed to mitigate the worst risks quickly, provide developers an opportunity to update sites, and minimize how many warnings Chrome users have to see,” the company further added.

In Chrome 86 (October 2020 release) and beyond, Google will block all mixed content downloads in Chrome.

For Android and iOS users, Chrome will roll out the update issuing warnings starting Chrome 83.