What to Do When You Receive a “Connection is Not Private” Message?
If you receive the message “Connection is not private” when using your browser, there are several steps you can take to try and resolve this issue:
1. Check the date and time:
Correct setting of the date and time on your device is crucial for proper operation of security certificates. Incorrect date and time settings may cause certificates not to be correctly recognized by the browser, leading to a “Connection is not private” message. To check and correct the date and time settings on your device, follow these instructions:
a) Windows:
i) Right-click on the system clock in the lower right corner of the screen.
ii) Select “Adjust date/time”.
iii) Check if the date and time are set correctly. If not, click the “Change date and time” button and enter the correct values.
iv) Click “Apply” and then “OK” to confirm the changes.
b) macOS:
i) Click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of the screen.
ii) Select “System Preferences”.
iii) Click on the “Date & Time” icon.
iv) Check if the date and time are set correctly. If not, click the padlock icon in the lower right corner to unlock the settings and enter the correct values.
v) Click “Apply” and then close the System Preferences window.
c) Android:
i) Go to the “Settings” on your device.
ii) Find the “System” or “Advanced options” section.
iii) Select “Date & time”.
iv) Check if the date and time are set correctly. If not, toggle off the “Automatic date and time” option and enter the correct values manually.
v) After making changes, turn on the “Automatic date and time” option again.
2. Refresh the page:
Refreshing the page may help resolve the issue with the “Connection is not private” message. To refresh the page, follow these steps:
a) Use the refresh button: Click on the refresh button in your browser or use a keyboard shortcut such as F5 (Windows) or Command + R (macOS). This will reload the page.
b) Try a different browser: If refreshing the page does not help, try loading the same webpage using a different browser to see if you still receive the “Connection is not private” message.
3. Disable any ad blockers or antivirus software:
Some ad blockers and antivirus software may interfere with your ability to connect securely to websites. To disable these programs temporarily, follow these steps:
a) Find the icon of the ad blocker or antivirus software in the system tray or taskbar.
b) Right-click on the icon and select the option to disable it for a short time.
4. Check the certificate:
If you are confident that the website you are trying to access is secure, but still receive the “Connection is not private” message, you can try adding it to your list of trusted sites in your browser settings. To do this:
a) Open your browser settings.
b) Go to the section related to security or privacy.
c) Find the option for “Trusted sites” and click on it.
d) Enter the URL of the website in the field provided, including the https:// prefix.
5. Contact the administrator:
If none of the above steps resolve the issue, contact the website administrator. They may be able to help you diagnose and fix the problem with your browser’s security settings.
It is essential to remember that when using the internet, always exercise caution and avoid providing sensitive information on untrusted websites. If you have doubts about a website’s security, it’s best to leave it and not continue browsing.
