What the browser warning means, the two usual causes, and the steps to clear it, usually at no cost.
What the warning means
- Browsers show “Not secure” when a page is not loaded over HTTPS,
- the encrypted connection that stops anyone in between from reading or changing what the visitor sees or types.
- On a phone the warning often appears before your page does, and many visitors leave at that point.
The two usual causes
- The site has no security certificate at all, so it only loads over plain http://.
- The site had a certificate, but it has expired. Certificates last a fixed time, often 90 days, and must be renewed.
- An expired one shows a full-page warning instead of your site.
How to fix it
- Ask your hosting company to switch on a free certificate. Most hosts offer one from Let’s Encrypt, and many do it with one setting.
- Turn on automatic renewal, so it never expires again.
- Make every http:// address redirect to its https:// version, so old links and bookmarks land on the secure page.
- Check the result by visiting your site on a phone. The address bar should show a padlock and no warning.
If your host charges for certificates or cannot enable one, that is usually a sign the hosting itself is due a change.
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