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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsManaging Chrome on AWS depends on which service runs it. Amazon WorkSpaces Secure Browser applies browser policies to portal sessions, while Amazon WorkSpaces Applications streams Chrome from an image or an app block that you manage. That difference determines how policies roll out, what you maintain, and where audit events appear. AWS says Secure Browser will stop accepting new customers on October 29, 2026; existing customers can continue using it. For new deployments, assess Applications as a possible migration path and verify AWS’s current availability information before acting.
Choose the right Chrome operating model
| Operational question | WorkSpaces Secure Browser | WorkSpaces Applications |
|---|---|---|
| Where is Chrome managed? | Through the Secure Browser portal’s browser policy settings; policies apply to sessions managed by that portal. | In a Chrome image for an Always-On or On-Demand fleet, or in an app block used by an Elastic fleet. |
| How do policy changes reach users? | AWS says changes are pushed to active sessions in real time. | Update the image or app block, validate it, and redeploy it. |
| What is the main operational burden? | Configure portal policies and account for AWS-enforced baseline policies. | Maintain and release the Chrome image or app block, as well as its policy configuration. |
| Where do audit events go? | AWS describes a unified audit stream. | Session events such as connections and disconnections go to CloudWatch. Browser events are reported separately through Google Admin console when the required Chrome Enterprise subscription and Chrome Browser Cloud Management enrollment are in place. |
These distinctions are documented by AWS in its Secure Browser policy guide and Secure Browser availability and migration information. The services are not interchangeable policy consoles: one manages browser settings at the portal-session level, while the other makes policy part of a deployable application environment.
How to manage Chrome policies in WorkSpaces Secure Browser
Author and upload the portal policy
Secure Browser supports visual settings for common controls, a JSON editor, and JSON file upload. AWS says the service supports more than 300 Chrome policies. Its custom-policy tutorial recommends selecting Linux and the latest stable Chrome version in the Chrome Enterprise policy list when looking up policy names and values. Confirm that each setting applies to Linux and to the Chrome version you deploy; policy availability and behavior can be version-sensitive.
AWS’s tutorial demonstrates managed bookmarks, startup pages, extension allow/block controls, history deletion, and incognito restrictions. Use its custom browser policy tutorial for the service’s configuration workflow and policy examples.
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Do not treat uploaded JSON as the whole effective policy
AWS applies baseline browser settings in addition to customer configuration. The baseline includes download-directory handling and blocked URL patterns, and some baseline policies cannot be edited or overridden. If Chrome behaves differently from the uploaded JSON, inspect the effective state in chrome://policy inside the remote session and compare it with both your configuration and AWS’s baseline policy documentation.
Separate portal policies from endpoint policies
A Secure Browser portal policy controls the managed remote session; it does not automatically configure the user’s local browser. For WebAuthn redirection, AWS specifically says to add the region-specific WorkSpaces Secure Browser content origin to the local browser’s WebAuthenticationRemoteDesktopAllowedOrigins policy. Restarting the local browser may be required. Follow AWS’s local browser policy instructions for WebAuthn; do not substitute the portal’s policy JSON for this endpoint setting.
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How to deploy Chrome on WorkSpaces Applications
- Choose a fleet and packaging model. AWS describes image-based Always-On and On-Demand fleets, and Elastic fleets that use an app block containing Chrome. Select the model based on your application-delivery and operational needs, then confirm current service behavior in AWS documentation.
- Build or update the Chrome environment. For an image-based fleet, make the browser configuration changes in the image. For an Elastic fleet, maintain the app block containing Chrome. Include the intended Chrome policies in the managed environment.
- Validate before broad rollout. Test policy behavior, identity integration, browser launch, and any required peripherals with the same Chrome version and fleet model planned for users.
- Release the change as an image-management task. Update and redeploy the image or app block rather than expecting Secure Browser-style live policy propagation. Keep a known-good release available as the rollback target.
- Verify the user-facing result and logging. Confirm that the intended browser settings take effect for a session, and check the appropriate session and browser reporting surfaces separately.
AWS characterizes Elastic instances as AWS-managed and gives an approximately one-minute startup as guidance, not a service-level guarantee. Elastic fleet billing is based on session duration. Check AWS’s current migration information and pricing before estimating startup expectations or cost.
Plan policy, audit, and filtering as separate work
Browser-event reporting has prerequisites
For browser-event reporting through Google Admin console with WorkSpaces Applications, AWS specifies both a Chrome Enterprise subscription and Chrome Browser Cloud Management enrollment. This is distinct from AWS session events: Applications sends connection and disconnection events to CloudWatch, while browser events use the Google reporting path when the subscription and enrollment are in place. Decide which events your audit requirements need and configure each reporting surface accordingly.
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Content filtering and inline redaction need additional components
AWS says content-category filtering requires Route 53 DNS Firewall or a third-party data-loss-prevention extension or proxy. Inline redaction requires a third-party DLP extension. These capabilities should be planned separately from Chrome policy deployment; a browser policy alone does not provide them.
Include identity and operational dependencies in migration plans
For a move from Secure Browser to a self-managed Chrome environment, AWS recommends exporting each portal’s browser policy JSON and separately documenting SSO integration, DLP rules, and session/control policies. The JSON export does not capture every operational dependency. Where needed, plan identity-provider extensions for SSO, Chrome Browser Cloud Management enrollment for browser reporting, separate filtering and DLP components, and a connection between AWS session logs and browser-level reporting.
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Why Chrome policies may not apply as expected
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| A setting in uploaded JSON appears ignored in Secure Browser. | An AWS baseline policy may control the setting, or the policy may not apply to the selected platform or Chrome version. | Open chrome://policy in the remote session; compare effective values with the uploaded JSON and the AWS baseline; verify Linux and Chrome-version applicability. |
| A WorkSpaces Applications policy change has not reached users. | The change was treated like a live portal policy update rather than an image or app-block release. | Update the relevant image or app block, validate it, and redeploy it. |
| WebAuthn redirection does not work. | The local browser may lack the required allowed-origin policy, or may not have been restarted. | Configure WebAuthenticationRemoteDesktopAllowedOrigins with the region-specific Secure Browser content origin in the local browser and restart if needed, following AWS’s instructions. |
| Browser events are missing from Google Admin console. | The Chrome Enterprise subscription or Chrome Browser Cloud Management enrollment may be absent. | Confirm both prerequisites. Do not assume CloudWatch session events are the same reporting stream as browser events. |
| Content categories are not filtered or page content is not redacted. | The separate filtering or DLP component may not be configured. | For category filtering, configure Route 53 DNS Firewall or a third-party DLP extension or proxy. For inline redaction, configure a third-party DLP extension. |
Check endpoint compatibility before rollout
WorkSpaces Applications supports the three most recent major versions of its supported web browsers, according to AWS’s browser requirements. Peripheral requirements differ: Chrome or Firefox is required for drawing-tablet support, while Chrome or Edge is listed for webcam redirection. Check the current requirements for the specific client and workflow rather than assuming that every supported browser handles every peripheral.
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