Google LLC today rolled out new enhancements to Chrome Enterprise, the enterprise version of its Chrome browser, that are designed to provide clearer separation between work and personal browsing, along with stronger protections for unmanaged devices.

The new features aim to give employees more visibility into when they’re using a managed work profile versus their personal browser. Google is focusing on helping users better understand how corporate policies affect their browsing experience.

With the new enhancements, organizations can now customize Chrome profiles with company logos and branding. The visual elements make it easier for employees to recognize when they are working within an enterprise-managed environment by being able to see that they are.

Future releases will also automatically alert employees when they browse in a managed “Work” profile. Even without custom branding, users will receive clear notifications when corporate oversight is active.

An improved sign-in experience is also rolling out for businesses using Google Workspace and Google Identity. The improved experience will see employees guided through creating separate profiles that keep work data like bookmarks and browsing history apart from personal activity.

The enhancements also see information technology teams gaining expanded profile-level reporting across Windows, Mac, Linux and Android. Administrators will now be able to view details such as browser versions, installed extensions, active policies and whether a device is corporate-managed or personal.

The improvements are designed to support bring-your-own-device programs, where personal hardware is frequently used for work tasks. Chrome profiles allow companies to extend security protections without requiring full device management.

Also announced today are new data controls available through Chrome Enterprise Premium to safeguard sensitive information on unmanaged devices. With the new data controls, companies can enforce restrictions such as blocking copy-paste functions or disabling screenshots within work profiles.

“For example, your company can require a contractor to log into a work Chrome profile to access a CRM tool, but copy and paste restrictions or screenshot blocking can be turned on for added protections,” Hakan Kilic, Chrome group product manager, and Julia Lomakina, product manager of Chrome Enterprise, wrote in a blog post.

Access to business-critical applications can also now be tied directly to signed-in work profiles. Contractors and remote workers can be required to authenticate through Chrome to ensure appropriate security measures are applied.

Organizations interested in the new features can use Chrome Enterprise Core at no cost for basic profile management and visibility. Those seeking advanced protections and context-aware access controls can upgrade to Chrome Enterprise Premium for a broader range of capabilities.

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