Google Chrome was, is, and can continue to be for a long time the world's number one browser around the desktop.

Based on third-party data from NetMarketShare, Google Chrome leads the browser software category with a share well over 65%, while rivals like Mozilla Firefox are far behind with under 10% share.

Consequently, the Google Chrome userbase is gigantic, and just like other software companies, Google relies on reports sent by its users in order to develop additional features for the browser and connect issues in the existing builds.

While users themselves can send bug reports to Google utilizing a built-in browser feature, the applying also comes with an integrated error reporting tool that can automatically send certain information towards the internet search engine when Chrome crashes.

The purpose of this feature is as simple as it could be: a computerized crash report helps Google find the issue that caused the mistake and then develop a fix based on the information it collected. Of course, the more reports pointing to the same issue, the bigger the chances this is widespread, so Google can prioritize the fix and roll it before it hits a significant number of devices.

But while these reports are extremely helpful for Google and users alike, some are worried the search giant might get access to information the company shouldn't otherwise see.

Indeed, some private information is definitely delivered to Google as part of these reports. An average crash report includes the next details, based on Google itself:
Memory associated with the crash, which may include page contents, payment information, and passwords
Your Chrome settings
Extensions you've installed
The site you were visiting during the time of the crash
Your device's operating-system, manufacturer, and model
The nation where you're using Chrome

Should you don't accept send this information to Google in a crash report, you can perfectly disable the automatic reporting. This isn't necessarily the most straightforward move to make, but a choice to turn off this behavior exists in the settings menu of Google Chrome in the following location:

Google Chrome > Settings > People > Sync and Google Services

The choice that you need to disable is called:

Help improve Chrome's features and gratifaction
Automatically sends usage statistics and crash reports to Google

However, if you allow such crash information to be delivered to Google, you can actually look into the reports yourselves. To do this, in Google Chrome type the next code in the address bar:

chrome://crashes

Obviously, this isn't necessarily something which beginners would do, and also at the same time frame, this feature only works when the automatic sending of the crash reports is enabled.

On a Windows 10 device, the dump files are stored in the following location:

%HOMEPATH%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Crashpad\reports

If the feature is disabled or no crash occurred, this path might not exist, or even the reports folder could be empty.

Google explains in the online privacy policy that some information might be distributed to third parties:

"We may collect statistics to recognize webpages that load slowly. We use this information to improve our products and services, and also to give web-developers insight into improving their pages. We might share aggregated, non-personally identifiable information publicly with partners ?a like publishers, advertisers or web-developers."

The collected details are the same whatever the desktop platform, but the steps to disable the automatic reporting tool are identical. The dump files are stored in a different location depending on the operating-system.