Google Chrome is one of the most used web browsers across all platforms. It offers its users an interactive interface that is very easy to use.
Google Chrome is also one of the fastest browsers used across the globe for multiple purposes.
It comes packed with Google’s innovation-driven security solutions, world-class support along with seamless user experience while surfing the world wide web.
With the rise of digital media and the gross internet usage across the globe, there has been a consequent rise in cyber issues to the extent that cyber security has now become an essential service that most internet users should opt for.
To get the best out of Google’s support and services, the user is recommended to keep their Google Chrome updated. Although many internet users wonder how to update Google Chrome, the process is relatively simple and almost entirely automated across all platforms, including mobile applications on Android and iOS.
In this respect, Google Chrome by default set to update itself as soon as a newer version is available for the region. There is usually a popup dialogue box that appears when an update is available on launching the application.
However, there may be a few cases, such as if the automatic update feature is turned off by the user when this update process does not work.
These updates are highly recommended to all types of users since they almost always offer bug fixes, security fixes and provide improved performance. The manual update process depends on the platform on which Google Chrome is being used.
On this note, the user must understand that Google Chrome is one of the most compatible web browsers that are compatible with all devices running on Android, Mac, Windows Mobile, iOS, Linux, to name a few.
How to Check Google Chrome Version
Google maintains an online open-sourced calendar that everyone can access to know when there is a new download available. This website also uploads BETA software from the Google Chrome web development team that the advanced users may take an interest in.
However, the users must note that the dates are tentative. Chrome 70, for example, in June while the next release is scheduled for August. The next major update to Chrome 71 is expected sometime later this year.
These updates are automatic as and when they are available. However, these updates are usually launched in a region-specific manner to balance the broad wide user base that Google Chrome currently represents.
To check the current version of Google Chrome, the user needs to perform the steps mentioned below:
- 1First, the user is required to click on the Menu icon appearing in the upper right corner of the screen on Windows or on the Help option on the taskbar on Mac.
- 2Then the user is required to click on the Help button and visit the About Google Chrome option.
- 3The current Google Chrome browser version number can be found here alongside other listed technical information.
On any mobile device, the user can simply click on the Options button on the search taskbar and then visit the About Google Chrome page to check the version of Google Chrome on the device.
This process is applicable to both Android and Apple devices.
Check Google Chrome Version
How to Update Google Chrome?
As mentioned above, Google Chrome continually checks for updates to download automatically. Unless automatic updates are turned off for some reason, these updates are downloaded automatically in the background as soon as they are available.
A simple restarting of the software makes Google connect to its servers and check for the latest updates available, and these updates are directly pushed to the device when the application is restarted.
However, in several cases, where the user may require updating their Google Chrome application manually, it can be done by performing the steps mentioned below:
On Mac and Windows
- 1For Mac and Windows users, the first step is to click on the More icon which is usually represented with three dots arranged horizontally or vertically from the top-right corner of Google Chrome, traditionally placed beside the default search bar.
- 2Then the user is required to visit the Settings page and select the ‘Update Google Chrome’ option from the options menu.
- 3Then the user is required to restart the browser after closing it completely. On relaunching, the available updates are installed automatically in the background.
- 4If the Update Google Chrome option is not available, it means that the device is up to date and already running on the latest version of Google Chrome that is supported by the device.
Google Chrome regularly scans for available updates and notifies the users whenever an update is available for installation. These updates are usually small-sized files that do not consume a lot of your Mac or Desktop’s memory.
The download process for these updates is quite fast and offers one-click installation even if the automatic update feature is turned off.
Most of these updates are bug fixes and security enhancements, but there are significant updates that are available periodically that aim to revamp the user experience and front-end usage quite remarkably notwithstanding the fact that these updates take a little more time to install.
On iPhone and iPad
The iOS users are recommended to ensure that the automatic app updates feature is enabled on the iPhone or iPad where Google Chrome is being updated. In other cases wherein the automatic app update feature is turned off, the users may manually allow the update for Google Chrome by following few steps:
- 1Firstly, the user is required to open Settings and select the registered Apple ID to login to the App Store to download the latest version of Google Chrome.
- 2At the bottom of the Automatic Downloads list on the application menu of the App Store application, the user should then move the slider next to Updates to the right allowing Updates.
- 3Once this step is done, new versions of the application on the device will be automatically downloaded when available.
To manually check for an update for a particular application such as Google Chrome, the user is required to open the App Store on the iPad or iPhone and then select the Updates option from the bottom.
Then, the user is required to search for the Google Chrome notification in the pending updates screen and lastly, needed to tap on this notification to install the update.
On Android
On any Android device, when automatic updates for applications feature is enabled, then the Google Chrome application will automatically update in the background.
However, if the automatic update feature is switched off, the users can opt for the following method to update the Google Chrome Android application:
- 1To manually update Chrome, the users are first required to open Google Play Store and register for an account using a valid Gmail account.
- 2Next, the user is needed to click on the three-bar icon at the top of the screen and select the ‘My Apps & Games’ options from the menu on the screen.
- 3Then the device will automatically search for available updates in the background and list all the applications that can be updated by the user.
- 4If an update for Google Chrome is listed there, the user can update the application by merely tapping on the Google Chrome update notification that shall appear on the screen.
After updating Google Chrome on any platform, the user may not see any significant changes, since, as mentioned above, these updates are often just to ensure proper securitisation of the software and platform and offer minor bug fixes and enhancements.
Another important aspect that all Google Chrome users must note is the fact that after an update is installed, there is usually no loss of saved data such as bookmarks, browsing history, passwords saved in Auto-Fill extensions, browsing preferences etc.
Only incognito tabs that were opened prior to the update are forced shut and cannot be recovered ensuring reliability and online safety.
