How to Update Google Chrome

Google’s Chrome browser has been praised for its clean interface and strong security features, but it can also be sluggish at times. While you can usually count on the browser to silently activate updates in the background while you scroll, there are a few exceptions. Ensure Google is running in top form by following these directions.

What’s the Chrome Stable Release Schedule?

For the strategic planners out there, Google offers a public schedule of updates, featuring estimated key dates and official release times for upcoming installments of Chrome. It covers desktop, Android, and iOS versions, as well as the ChromeOS operating system, and features dates reaching well into the future, in case you need to know what to expect from Google’s browser in the winter of 2037.

The timetable typically follows a four-week release schedule, though not always. This means you can expect Chrome to have an update about once (occasionally twice) a month. For example, Chrome 127 arrived in June 2024, followed by 128 in July, 129 in September, and so on.

(Credit: PCMag / Google)

How to Update Google Chrome on Desktop

To ensure you’re protected by the latest security updates, Google Chrome will automatically upgrade when a new version is available. Updates typically run in the background and install when you close and reopen the browser. If you haven’t closed Chrome in a while, you might notice a pending update in the top-right corner:

Green: Update released less than two days ago
Yellow: Update released about four days ago
Red: Update released at least a week ago

To quickly update, click the Update button next to the three-dot menu, which will restart your browser (with your non-incognito tabs intact) after you give it permission to relaunch. (If you’d prefer not to restart right away, click Not now when prompted; updates will be applied next time you open Chrome.)

(Credit: PCMag/Google)

To check which version of Chrome you’re running and to manually trigger an update, click the three-dot menu in the browser and go to Help > About Google Chrome. Here, you’ll find out whether Chrome is up to date or needs a refresh. Chrome should start automatically installing the latest version, then prompt you to click Relaunch.

(Credit: PCMag / Google)

How to Update Google Chrome On Mobile

Most iOS users probably have auto-updating applications. To control this setting, navigate to Settings > App Store > App Updates and toggle the option on or off. To check the app’s status on your device, open the App Store and search for Google Chrome. If the button says Update, click it; if it says Open, it’s the latest version.

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(Credit: PCMag / Google)

Android

Android apps, meanwhile, update automatically by default. You can set when these updates happen, though. Open the Play Store, select your user profile, and head to Settings > Network preferences > Auto-update apps and choose whether updates should occur over mobile data, Wi-Fi, or not at all.

(Credit: PCMag / Google)

You can manually update Chrome under Manage apps & device in the Play Store. If the Google Chrome icon is among the list of pending updates, tap the Update button next to it. If it’s not included in the list, the Chrome app is already up to date.

(Credit: PCMag / Google)

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