Google Chrome is the preferred browser for Google Workspace for Education account access. Visit https://www.google.com/chrome/downloads/ to download and install.
Recently, users receive a pop-up in Google Chrome when they sign in to their VCU Google account that states:
Your organization will manage this profile
This account ([eID]@vcu.edu) is managed by vcu.edu
You’re adding a managed profile to this browser. Your administrator has control over the profile and can access its data. Bookmarks, history, passwords, and other settings can be synced to your account and managed by your administrator.
Why am you receiving this? How do you stop the pop-up from happening every time you log in? Does VCU have access to your bookmarks, history, passwords, etc.?
To prevent the pop-up notice from appearing every time you log in to your VCU Google account in Google Chrome, choose one of the following resolutions:
- If you want to sync your Chrome profile across multiple devices, turn on sync
- When sync is on, and you are signed in to Chrome, this pop-up will no longer appear
- Learn how to turn on Chrome profile sync
- If you don't want to sync your Chrome profile across multiple devices, turn off sync
- When sync is off, and you are signed in to Chrome, this pop-up will no longer appear
- Learn how to turn off Chrome profile sync
- If you don't want to sign in to a Chrome profile at all, the only way to do this is to use Guest mode every time you browse
- However, you will need to sign in every time you use Chrome
- Learn how to use Guest mode in Google Chrome
Additional Information
WHEN the pop-up appears
- The pop-up appears when you sign in to your VCU Google account (via Gmail, Google Drive, etc.) using the desktop Google Chrome browser version 102 or newer outside of an existing Google Chrome profile, Guest profile, or the profile creation flow
- The pop-up started appearing for VCU users in late May/early June 2022 when Google Chrome for desktop version 102 was released
- The notice may also appear on other Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera, etc.
WHY the pop-up appears
Google's information about the update says:
"Chrome 102 brings better separation between personal and enterprise-managed data. When the user signs into a managed account, they will have the option to either keep existing browsing data separate, or merge it with the managed account. By default, the data is kept separate, so a new profile will be created. Or, if they choose, they can merge the existing profile into the managed account. This prevents inadvertent sharing of personal data with work accounts. The ManagedAccountsSigninRestriction policy can be used to hide the checkbox altogether, allowing admins to force users to create a separate work profile."
- No policies or configurations have been changed
- Google, not VCU, made this language change
- The pop-up tries to make it clearer to you (as the user) that you are using Google Chrome via a Google account managed by VCU
- VCU does NOT manage your Chrome usage in any way
- The pop-up gives you the option to create a new profile for your VCU account to avoid merging bookmarks, history, and passwords if you so choose
- Learn how to keep your existing bookmarks, history, and passwords with your VCU profile
VCU and your Chrome data
- VCU does NOT view or manage your bookmarks, browsing history, passwords, or any other information stored in your Chrome profile
- The information in the pop-up is misleading
- The only information VCU receives when you sign in to a Chrome profile is your email address, your operating system (OS), OS version, and the date/time you first and last synced the profile
- This information is not monitored
- The only management controls that VCU has are the ability to sign you out of the profile on that specific device, which would only ever occur in the event of a security breach (such as a lost or stolen device)
- If you choose to sync your profile (i.e., turn sync ON), you will have the same bookmarks, history, and passwords available to you any time you sign in to Chrome on any device
- Keep in mind that data is accessible to anyone who may log in as you
- This is one of many reasons why using a strong password and Duo 2-factor authentication is critical to protecting your privacy
- Learn more from the the Information Security Policy Statement.
For additional assistance, contact the IT Support Center.
To save your info to your Google Account, turn on sync.
Sign in and turn on sync
To turn on sync:
- On your computer, open Chrome
- At the top right, click Profile
- Sign in to your Google Account
- If you want to sync your info across all your devices, click Turn on sync -> Turn on
Turn off sync
If you turn off sync, you can still see your bookmarks, history, passwords, and other settings on your computer. If you make any changes, they won't be saved to your Google Account and synced to your other devices.
When you turn off sync, you’ll also be signed out of other Google services, like Gmail.
- On your computer, open Chrome
- At the top right, click Profile -> Sync is on
- Click Turn off
Learn how to delete your synced info from your Google Account.
To sign out and turn off your Chromebook, learn how to sign out and turn it off.
When you sign in to your Google Account through a Google service, like Gmail, you’ll be automatically signed in to Chrome. If you don’t want to ever sign in to Chrome, you can turn off Chrome sign-in.
Additional Information
Note: When creating a new profile with your Google account, you may receive a notice alerting you that "Your organization will manage this profile". It is safe to click Continue. The notice is simply acknowledging the state of the account (as managed by the VCU), and it is not changing the account in any way or asking you to agree to anything.
More information can be found here: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/185277?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&oco=0
After logging in to Google Chrome with my VCU Google account, my bookmarks are gone, and there is a new chrome profile. How do I restore my bookmarks?
Recently, Google began presenting a pop-up to users upon logging in to their VCU Google account and syncing it with their Google Chrome browser. Whether or not you click the "Keep local browsing data (bookmarks, passwords, history, etc.)" checkbox in the pop-up before clicking Continue, there will be a new Chrome profile generated without your previous bookmarks.
To restore your bookmarks, you will need to switch back to the Chrome profile you were using before.
To switch your Chrome profile on a desktop computer:
- Open the Google Chrome browser
- Click your Profile icon (i.e., the round image next to the three-dot menu icon) in the top right
- Select the profile you were using previously under the Other profiles section
Note: On both Android and iOS devices, you will only have one Chrome profile.
To transfer bookmarks to another Chrome profile:
- Open the Google Chrome browser
- Click your Profile icon (i.e., the round image next to the three-dot menu icon) in the top right and ensure that you are using the profile which contains the bookmarks you'd like to transfer
- If it is not the correct one, select the profile under the Other profiles section
- Click the three-dot menu icon to the right of the Profile icon
- Hover over Bookmarks in the drop-down menu, and select Bookmark manager
- Click the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner of the page
- Note: This is not the same three-dot menu icon to the right of your Profile icon
- Select Export bookmarks from the drop-down menu and save the file to your computer
- Click your Profile icon in the top right again and select the other Chrome profile to where you'd like to transfer your bookmarks
- Click the three-dot menu icon to the right of the Profile icon
- Hover over Bookmarks in the drop-down menu, and select Bookmark manager
- Click the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner of the page, select Import bookmarks, and open the bookmarks file you saved earlier
You will now find your bookmarks under the Imported folder, but you can move everything around as needed.
Additional Information
For additional assistance, contact the IT Support Center.