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Browsing Protection

On Android, Browsing Protection works with the Chrome browser. Once it is set up, it keeps the user safe from scams and malicious websites automatically while browsing in Chrome. It can:

  • Block scam websites.
  • Warn about suspicious websites.
  • Confirm whether a banking site is real and not a faked one.
  • Show the shopping rating, or reliability, of an online store.

Browsing Protection is part of Kiren Plus. See Browsing Protection and Kiren Plus below for what remains without it.

Opening Browsing Protection

Open Kiren, swipe to the Activity page, and tap the Browsing Protection card to reach the setup and status screen.

Setting up Browsing Protection

The setup screen is titled "Chrome protection set up" and opens with the following introduction:

"Block malicious websites that try to scam you out of money or personal information on Chrome. To get started, we need some permissions:"

Three permissions are needed. Each appears as a card with a short explanation and an action button, and each card collapses with a checkmark once its permission is granted. The cards should be completed in order, as the first one makes the second possible.

Card 1: Restricted permissions (button: Settings)

This card grants accessibility permission, which Android keeps restricted by default. Tap Settings to open the accessibility settings and turn on the permission for Kiren.

In some cases the permission cannot be switched on straight away. Kiren may appear in gray, disabled text, with a note such as "Controlled by restricted settings." If this happens, restricted settings must be allowed first. Follow the separate instructions for allowing restricted permissions, then return to this card and continue the setup.

Card 2: Accessibility permission (button: Allow)

Accessibility permission is what allows Kiren to detect the website being visited and automatically check its reliability for the user. Without it, the sites cannot be reviewed.

Steps on the card:

  1. "Tap "Allow" below to open settings."
  2. "Look for "Kiren" on installed apps."
  3. "Switch on the permission for this app."

Card 3: Overlay permission (button: Allow)

Overlay permission is what allows Kiren to show the website's rating on screen through the floating icon. Without it, the result of the accessibility check from Card 2 cannot be shown to the user.

Steps on the card:

  1. "Tap "Allow" below to go to device settings."
  2. "Under "Display over other apps", look for "Kiren". Sometimes you will find it under "Appear on Top"."
  3. "Switch on the permission for this app."

Once the accessibility and overlay permissions are both granted, a success message appears:

"Your browsing is now protected on Chrome! Explore how we block and explain the safety of your browsing there."

The message includes two buttons. Done returns to the Browsing Protection screen. Open Chrome opens the Kiren website inside the app rather than the Chrome app itself; protection in Chrome is already active at this point, and Chrome can be opened from the home screen as usual.

The on-page icon

After setup, a small dark icon appears at the edge of the web page while browsing in Chrome. Its mark changes with the result for the site currently open. The icon can be dragged to a preferred position, and dragging it to the bottom center of the screen hides it. Nothing opens on its own for a safe or suspicious site. Tapping the icon opens a Kiren Browsing Protection card with more information about the site, including:

  • Whether the site is reliable.
  • Whether it is a genuine banking site.
  • The site's shopping rating, if it is an online store, shown as stars from 1 to 5.

Manage protection on the card opens the Browsing Protection screen in Kiren, and the check mark closes the card.

When a site is blocked

When a site is harmful, Kiren replaces the page in the Chrome tab with a full-page warning headed "This website is not safe", showing the blocked address. The warning explains that Kiren listed the site as harmful and recommends not entering it. Pressing Back leaves the page rather than reloading the site.

If the user is sure the site is safe, Allow this website at the bottom of the warning opens Kiren with the address filled in, where it can be added to the list of allowed websites. After it is added, Chrome continues to the site on its own. The gear icon on the Browsing Protection screen opens the Allowed websites list, where an address can be removed again later.

Reviewing what has been blocked

The Browsing Protection screen also keeps a record of activity. A chart shows safe and risky browsing by Day, Week, or Month, and below it is a list of individual browsing events. Tapping an event opens its details, where the message reflects what was found:

  • A blocked site shows "This website is not safe."
  • A suspicious site shows "This website looks suspicious."
  • An uncategorized site shows "Uncategorized link."

Each detail view also shows the full web address, the date and time, and a short description of the threat.

Browsing Protection and Kiren Plus

Browsing Protection needs Kiren Plus. Without it, the Browsing screen shows only the recent results of the Link Checker, which stays free. After upgrading, the setup described above opens.

If Plus ends after setup, the permissions stay in place and the on-page icon keeps working: it still shows whether a site is reliable, and its card still warns about a harmful site. What stops is the block page. A harmful site is no longer replaced with the warning, and the user is not redirected away from it. Blocking resumes as soon as Plus is active again and Kiren has been opened once.