View source for Google Chrome

{{Short description|Web browser developed by Google}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Use American English|date=February 2022}}{{About|the web browser|the operating system|ChromeOS|5=Chrome (disambiguation)}}{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}{{Infobox software
| name = Google Chrome
| logo = Google Chrome.svg
| screenshot = File:Google Chrome on Windows 10 screenshot.png
| caption = Google Chrome running on [[Windows 11]]
| developer = [[Google]]
| released = {{Multiple releases
|branch1=Windows XP|version1=Beta|date1={{start date and age|2008|09|02}}
|branch2=Windows XP|version2=1.0|date2={{start date and age|2008|12|11}}
|branch3=macOS, Linux|version3=Preview|date3={{start date and age|2009|06|04}}
|branch4=macOS, Linux|version4=Beta|date4={{start date and age|2009|12|08}}
|branch5=Multi&shy;platform|version5=5.0|date5={{start date and age|2010|05|25}}
}}
| ver layout = stacked
| latest release version = 
| programming language = [[C (programming language)|C]], [[C++]], [[Assembly language|Assembly]], [[HTML]], [[Java (programming language)|Java]] (Android app only), [[JavaScript]], [[Python (programming language)|Python]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chromium (Google Chrome) |url=https://www.ohloh.net/p/chrome/analyses/latest |url-status=dead |access-date=February 8, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421031445/https://www.ohloh.net/p/chrome/analyses/latest |archive-date=April 21, 2012 |website=Ohloh.net}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/master/styleguide/styleguide.md |title=Chromium coding style |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Google Open Source |access-date=March 29, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lextrait.com/Vincent/implementations.html |title=The Programming Languages Beacon, v10.0 |first=Vincent |last=Lextrait |date=January 2010 |access-date=March 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120530/http://www.lextrait.com/Vincent/implementations.html |archive-date=May 30, 2012 }}</ref>
| operating system = {{Plainlist|
* [[Android (operating system)|Android]] [[Android Marshmallow|Marshmallow]] and later<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.xda-developers.com/chrome-95-material-you-for-everyone-secure-payments/ |title= Chrome 95 brings Material You to everyone, adds secure payment confirmation, and more |publisher= [[XDA Developers]] |date= October 21, 2021 |access-date= November 18, 2021}}</ref>
* [[Chrome OS]]
* [[iOS 14]] or later<ref name="iOSlatest">{{cite web| url = https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-chrome/id535886823 | title = Google Chrome (iOS)}}</ref>
* [[Linux]]
* [[macOS High Sierra|macOS 10.13]] or later
* [[Windows 7]] or later
}}
| included with = {{Plainlist|
* [[Android (operating system)|Android Marshmallow]] or later
* [[Chrome OS]]
}}
| engines = [[Blink (browser engine)|Blink]] ([[WebKit]] on iOS), [[V8 JavaScript engine]]
| platform = [[IA-32]], [[x86-64]], [[ARMv7]], [[ARMv8-A]]
| language count = 47
| language footnote = <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/table/4419860? |title=Supported languages |website=Google Play Console Help |access-date=December 18, 2015}}</ref>
| language = 
| genre = [[Web browser]], [[mobile browser]]
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] [[freeware]], based on open source components<ref name=TOS>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/terms/|title=Google Chrome and Chrome OS Additional Terms of Service|website=www.google.com}}</ref><ref group=note>Chrome's [[WebKit]] & [[Blink (browser engine)|Blink]] layout engines and its [[V8 (JavaScript engine)|V8 JavaScript engine]] are each [[free and open-source software]], while its other components are each either open-source or [[Proprietary software|proprietary]]. However, section 9 of [https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/privacy/eula_text.html Google Chrome's Terms of Service] designates the whole package as proprietary [[freeware]].</ref>
| website = {{official URL}}
}}
'''Google Chrome''' is a [[cross-platform]] [[web browser]] developed by Google<ref>{{cite web |title=things-to-know-about-the-google-and-its-benefits/ |url=https://retargetingnews.com/things-to-know-about-the-google-and-its-benefits/ |website=retargetingnews.com |access-date=9 June 2023}}</ref>. It was first released in 2008 for [[Microsoft Windows]], built with [[free software]] components from [[Apple WebKit]] and [[Mozilla Firefox]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Google launches beta version of Chrome web browser |url=https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240086779/Google-launches-beta-version-of-Chrome-web-browser |archive-date=April 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210411080810/https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240086779/Google-launches-beta-version-of-Chrome-web-browser |date=September 2, 2008 |last1=Ashford |first1=Warwick}}</ref> It was later [[ported]] to [[Linux]], [[macOS]], [[iOS]], and [[Android (operating system)|Android]], where it is the default browser.<ref>{{cite web |title=Google Chrome for Android |url=https://developer.chrome.com/multidevice/android/overview |website=developer.chrome.com |access-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-date=November 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118040741/https://developer.chrome.com/multidevice/android/overview |dead-url=yes }}</ref> The browser is also the main component of [[ChromeOS]], where it serves as the platform for [[web application]]s.

Most of Chrome's [[source code]] comes from Google's [[free and open-source software]] project [[Chromium (web browser)|''Chromium'']], but Chrome is licensed as proprietary [[freeware]].<ref name="TOS" /> [[WebKit]] was the original [[Browser engine|rendering engine]], but Google<ref>{{cite web |title=what-is-google-screened-badge-and-how-to-get-it/ |url=https://retargetingnews.com/what-is-google-screened-badge-and-how-to-get-it/ |website=retargetingnews.com |access-date=9 June 2023}}</ref> eventually [[Fork (software development)|forked]] it to create the [[Blink (browser engine)|Blink]] engine;<ref name="bright 2013">{{cite web |first=Peter |last=Bright |title=Google going its own way, forking WebKit rendering engine |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/04/google-going-its-own-way-forking-webkit-rendering-engine/ |website=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Conde Nast]] |date=April 3, 2013 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref> all Chrome variants except iOS now use Blink.<ref>{{cite web |title=Open-sourcing Chrome on iOS! |year=2017 |url= https://blog.chromium.org/2017/01/open-sourcing-chrome-on-ios.html |access-date=April 26, 2021}}</ref>

{{As of|2021|10}}, [[StatCounter]] estimates that Chrome has a 68% worldwide [[usage share of web browsers|browser market share]] (after peaking at 72.38% in November 2018) on [[personal computer]]s (PC),<ref>{{Cite web|title=Desktop Browser Market Share Worldwide|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/desktop/worldwide/|access-date=October 13, 2021|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}</ref> is most used on tablets (having surpassed [[Safari (software)|Safari]]), and is also dominant on smartphones,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tablet Browser Market Share Worldwide|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/tablet/worldwide/#monthly-202003-202109|access-date=October 13, 2021|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Tablet Browser Market Share Worldwide|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/tablet/worldwide/#weekly-202053-202109|access-date=March 15, 2021|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en}}</ref> and at 65% across all platforms combined.<ref>{{cite web |title=Browser Market Share Worldwide (Jan 2009 - September 2021) |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share#monthly-200901-202109 |access-date=October 13, 2021}}</ref> Because of this success, Google has expanded the "Chrome" brand name to other products: ChromeOS, [[Chromecast]], [[Chromebook]], [[Chromebit]], [[Chromebox]], and [[Chromebase]].
==History==
{{See also|History of Google}}Google CEO [[Eric Schmidt]] opposed the development of an independent web browser for six years. He stated that "at the time, Google was a small company", and he did not want to go through "bruising [[browser wars]]". After co-founders [[Sergey Brin]] and [[Larry Page]] hired several [[Firefox|Mozilla Firefox]] developers and built a demonstration of Chrome, Schmidt said that "It was so good that it essentially forced me to change my mind."<ref>{{cite web |last=Angwin |first=Julia |author-link=Julia Angwin |date=July 9, 2009 |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/07/09/sun-valley-schmidt-didnt-want-to-build-chrome-initially-he-says/ |title=Sun Valley: Schmidt Didn't Want to Build Chrome Initially, He Says |work=WSJ Digits Blog |access-date=May 25, 2010 |archive-date=August 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805000248/https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/07/09/sun-valley-schmidt-didnt-want-to-build-chrome-initially-he-says/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In September 2004, rumors of Google building a web browser first appeared. Online journals and U.S. newspapers stated at the time that Google was hiring former Microsoft web developers among others. It also came shortly after the release of Mozilla Firefox 1.0, which was surging in popularity and taking market share from [[Internet Explorer]], which had noted security problems.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3680942.stm|title=Rumours surround Google browser|date=September 23, 2004|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

Development of the browser began in 2006<ref>{{Cite web |title=How we designed Chrome 10 years ago  |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2018/09/how-we-designed-chrome-10-years-ago.html |date=September 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210411115420/https://blog.chromium.org/2018/09/how-we-designed-chrome-10-years-ago.html |archive-date=April 11, 2021 |last1=Kurtuldu |first1=Mustafa |website=googleblog.com}}</ref> spearheaded by [[Sundar Pichai]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bhardwaj |first1=Prachi |title=Larry Page has a reputation for pushing people at Google. |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/larry-page-google-chrome-sundar-pichai-goals-2018-6 |website=Business Insider |access-date=January 3, 2020 |date=June 29, 2018}}</ref>
===Announcement===
The release announcement was originally scheduled for September 3, 2008, and a comic by [[Scott McCloud]] was to be sent to journalists and bloggers explaining the features within the new browser.<ref name="mccloud">{{cite web |last=McCloud |first=Scott |date=September 1, 2008 |url=https://smccloud.livejournal.com/15488.html |title=Surprise! |work=Google Blogoscoped |access-date=September 1, 2008}}</ref> Copies intended for Europe were shipped early and [[Germany|German]] blogger Philipp Lenssen of Google Blogoscoped made a scanned copy of the 38-page comic available on his website after receiving it on September 1, 2008.<ref name="lenssen">{{cite web |last=Lenssen |first=Philipp |date=September 1, 2008 |title=Google Chrome, Google's Browser Project |url=https://blogoscoped.com/archive/2008-09-01-n47.html |access-date=September 1, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="comic">{{cite web |last=Lenssen |first=Philipp |date=September 1, 2008 |title=Google on Google Chrome – comic book |url=https://blogoscoped.com/google-chrome/ |work=Google Blogoscoped |access-date=September 1, 2008 |archive-date=September 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080901232927/http://blogoscoped.com/google-chrome/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Google subsequently made the comic available on [[Google Books]],<ref name="chrome-comic">{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/|title=Google Chrome comic|work=[[Google Book Search]]|date=September 1, 2008|access-date=September 2, 2008}}</ref> and mentioned it on their official blog along with an explanation for the early release.<ref name="releasedate">{{cite web |first1=Sundar |last1=Pichai |first2=Linus |last2=Upson |title=A fresh take on the browser |url=https://googleblog.blogspot.no/2008/09/fresh-take-on-browser.html |website=Official Google Blog |date=September 1, 2008 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref> The product was named "Chrome" as an initial development project [[code name]], because it is associated with fast cars and speed. Google kept the development project name as the final release name, as a "cheeky" or ironic moniker, as one of the main aims was to minimize the [[user interface chrome]].<ref>{{cite news|url = https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/sundar-pichai-of-google-talks-about-phone-intrusion/|title = Sundar Pichai of Google Talks About Phone Intrusion|access-date = April 25, 2019|last = Dougerty|first = Conor|date = July 12, 2015| work = [[New York Times]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150719034413/https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/sundar-pichai-of-google-talks-about-phone-intrusion/|archive-date = July 19, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Google-Chrome-browser-named-as-Chrome/answer/Glen-Murphy|title=Why is Google Chrome browser named as Chrome?|last=Murphy|first=Glen|date=December 18, 2012|access-date=July 6, 2020}}</ref>
===Public release===
[[File:File-Chromium-Linux-Alpha.png|thumb|An early version of Chromium for Linux, explaining the difference between Chrome and Chromium]]The browser was first publicly released, officially as a [[beta version]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.doeswhat.com/2008/09/02/it-was-when-not-if-google-chrome/ |title=It was when not if... Google Chrome |date=September 2008 |access-date=June 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161208060704/https://doeswhat.com/2008/09/02/it-was-when-not-if-google-chrome/ |archive-date=December 8, 2016 |url-status=unfit}}</ref> on September 2, 2008, for [[Windows XP]] and newer, and with support for 43 languages, and later as a "stable" public release on December 11, 2008. On that same day, a [[CNET]] news item drew attention to a passage in the Terms of Service statement for the initial beta release, which seemed to grant to Google a license to all content transferred via the Chrome browser.<ref>{{cite web |first=Ina |last=Fried |title=Be sure to read Chrome's fine print |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/be-sure-to-read-chromes-fine-print/ |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |date=October 7, 2008 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref> This passage was inherited from the general Google terms of service.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/ |title=Google Terms of Service – Policies & Principles – Google |website=Google.com |date=March 1, 2012 |access-date=March 30, 2013}}</ref> Google responded to this criticism immediately by stating that the language used was borrowed from other products, and removed this passage from the Terms of Service.<ref name="TOS" />

Chrome quickly gained about 1% usage share.<ref name="releasedate" /><ref>{{cite web |first=Rafe |last=Needleman |title=Google Chrome update: First screenshot, and live-blog alert |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/google-chrome-update-first-screenshot-and-live-blog-alert/ |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |date=September 2, 2008 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref><ref name="CBC">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/09/01/google-browser.html |title=Google launches Chrome web browser |date=September 2, 2008 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=The Canadian Press |access-date=September 2, 2008}}</ref> After the initial surge, usage share dropped until it hit a low of 0.69% in October 2008. It then started rising again and by December 2008, Chrome again passed the 1% threshold.<ref>{{cite news |first=Wolfgang |last=Gruener |url=https://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/40575/113/ |title=Google Chrome crosses 1% market share again |publisher=TG Daily |location=Chicago (IL), United States |date=January 3, 2009 |access-date=July 11, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310161357/https://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/40575/113 |archive-date=March 10, 2009 }}</ref> In early January 2009, CNET reported that Google planned to release versions of Chrome for [[macOS|OS X]] and [[Linux]] in the first half of the year.<ref>{{cite web |first=Stephen |last=Shankland |title=Chrome gets Mac deadline, extensions foundation |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/chrome-gets-mac-deadline-extensions-foundation/ |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |date=January 9, 2009 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref> The first official Chrome OS X and Linux developer previews were announced on June 4, 2009,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dev.chromium.org/getting-involved/dev-channel |title=Early Access Release Channels |website=dev.chromium.org |access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref> with a blog post saying they were missing many features and were intended for early feedback rather than general use.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2009/06/danger-mac-and-linux-builds-available.html |title=Danger: Mac and Linux builds available |access-date=June 9, 2009}}</ref> In December 2009, Google released beta versions of Chrome for OS X and Linux.<ref>{{cite web |first=Mark |last=Larson |title=Beta Update: Linux, Mac, and Windows |url=https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2009/12/beta-update-linux-mac-and-windows.html |website=Chrome Releases |date=December 8, 2009 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Extensions beta">{{cite web |first=Brian |last=Rakowski |title=Google Chrome for the holidays: Mac, Linux and extensions in beta |url=https://googleblog.blogspot.no/2009/12/google-chrome-for-holidays-mac-linux.html |website=Official Google Blog |date=December 8, 2009 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref> Google Chrome 5.0, announced on May 25, 2010, was the first stable release to support all three platforms.<ref>{{cite web |first=Brian |last=Rakowski |title=A new Chrome stable release: Welcome, Mac and Linux! |url=https://chrome.googleblog.com/2010/05/new-chrome-stable-release-welcome-mac.html |website=Chrome Blog |date=May 25, 2010 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref>

Chrome was one of the twelve browsers offered on [[BrowserChoice.eu]] to [[European Economic Area]] users of Microsoft Windows in 2010.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8537763.stm |title= Microsoft offers browser choices to Europeans |work=BBC News |date= March 1, 2010 |access-date=July 11, 2012}}</ref>
===Development===
Chrome was assembled from 25 different code libraries from Google and third parties such as [[Mozilla]]'s [[Netscape Portable Runtime]], [[Network Security Services]], [[NPAPI]] (dropped as of version 45),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chromium.org/developers/npapi-deprecation|title=NPAPI deprecation: developer guide - The Chromium Projects|work=chromium.org|access-date=September 3, 2015}}</ref> [[Skia Graphics Engine]], [[SQLite]], and a number of other open-source projects.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://catonmat.net/blog/code-reuse-in-google-chrome-browser/ |title= Code reuse in Google Chrome Browser |last=Krumins |first=Peteris |date= September 5, 2008 |access-date=May 13, 2010}}</ref> The [[V8 (JavaScript engine)|V8]] [[JavaScript]] [[virtual machine]] was considered a sufficiently important project to be split off (as was [[Adobe Systems|Adobe]]/[[Mozilla]]'s [[Tamarin (software)|Tamarin]]) and handled by a separate team in Denmark coordinated by [[Lars Bak (computer programmer)|Lars Bak]]. According to Google, existing implementations were designed "for small programs, where the performance and interactivity of the system weren't that important", but [[web application]]s such as [[Gmail]] "are using the web browser to the fullest when it comes to [[Document Object Model|DOM]] manipulations and [[JavaScript]]", and therefore would significantly benefit from a JavaScript engine that could work faster.

Chrome initially used the WebKit rendering engine to display web pages. In 2013, they [[Fork (software development)|forked]] the WebCore component to create their own layout engine [[Blink (browser engine)|Blink]]. Based on WebKit, Blink only uses WebKit's "WebCore" components, while substituting other components, such as its own multi-process architecture, in place of WebKit's native implementation.<ref name="bright 2013" /> Chrome is internally tested with [[unit testing]], automated testing of scripted user actions, [[fuzz testing]], as well as WebKit's layout tests (99% of which Chrome is claimed to have passed), and against commonly accessed websites inside the Google index within 20–30 minutes.<ref name="chrome-comic" /> Google created [[Gears (software)|Gears]] for Chrome, which added features for [[web developer]]s typically relating to the building of web applications, including offline support.<ref name="chrome-comic" /> Google phased out Gears as the same functionality became available in the [[HTML5]] standards.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://gearsblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/hello-html5.html |title= Hello HTML5 |last=Fette |first=Ian |date= February 19, 2010 |access-date=July 11, 2012}}</ref>

In March 2011, Google introduced a new simplified logo to replace the previous 3D logo that had been used since the project's inception. Google designer Steve Rura explained the company reasoning for the change: "Since Chrome is all about making your web experience as easy and clutter-free as possible, we refreshed the Chrome icon to better represent these sentiments. A simpler icon embodies the Chrome spirit{{snd}}to make the web quicker, lighter, and easier for all."<ref name="Blog21Mar11" />

On January 11, 2011, the Chrome product manager, Mike Jazayeri, announced that Chrome would remove [[Advanced Video Coding|H.264 video codec]] support for its HTML5 player, citing the desire to bring Google Chrome more in line with the currently available open codecs available in the Chromium project, which Chrome is based on.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.chromium.org/2011/01/html-video-codec-support-in-chrome.html |title=HTML Video Codec Support in Chrome |website=blog.chromium.org |date=January 11, 2011 |access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref> Despite this, on November 6, 2012, Google released a version of Chrome on Windows which added [[Hardware acceleration|hardware-accelerated]] H.264 video decoding.<ref name="November 2012 announcements">{{cite web |first=Ami |last=Fischmann |title=Longer battery life and easier website permissions |url=https://chrome.googleblog.com/2012/11/longer-battery-life-and-easier-website.html |website=Chrome Blog |date=November 6, 2012 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref> In October 2013, [[Cisco]] announced that it was open-sourcing its H.264 codecs and would cover all fees required.<ref name="Cisco30Oct13">{{cite web|url = https://blogs.cisco.com/collaboration/open-source-h-264-removes-barriers-webrtc|title = Open-Sourced H.264 Removes Barriers to WebRTC|access-date = December 22, 2013|last = Trollope|first = Rowan|date = December 22, 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150706222941/https://blogs.cisco.com/collaboration/open-source-h-264-removes-barriers-webrtc|archive-date = July 6, 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>

On February 7, 2012, Google launched ''Google Chrome Beta'' for [[Android Ice Cream Sandwich|Android 4.0]] devices.<ref name="engadget">{{cite news | url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/02/07/google-chrome-browser-arrives-on-android-video/ | title=Google Chrome Beta arrives on Android | work=[[Engadget]] |publisher=[[AOL]] | access-date=July 11, 2012}}</ref> On many new devices with [[Android Jelly Bean|Android 4.1]] and later preinstalled, Chrome is the default browser.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.muktware.com/3779/chrome-out-beta-default-browser-android-41|title=muktware.com is coming soon|website=www.muktware.com|access-date=August 17, 2022|archive-date=March 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220316201442/http://www.muktware.com/3779/chrome-out-beta-default-browser-android-41|dead-url=yes}}</ref> In May 2017, Google announced a version of Chrome for [[augmented reality]] and [[virtual reality]] devices.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/18/chrome-is-coming-to-augmented-reality-and-google-daydream/|title=Chrome is coming to augmented reality and Google Daydream |first=Lucas|last=Matney}}</ref>
===Version history===
{{Main|Google Chrome version history}}
==Features==
Google Chrome features a minimalistic user interface, with its user-interface principles later being implemented into other browsers. For example, the merging of the [[address bar]] and search bar into the ''omnibox'' or ''omnibar''<ref>{{cite web |last1=December 2016 |first1=Bryan Clark 23 |title=How to Use Chrome's Omnibar to Search Gmail |url=https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/use-chrome-omnibar-to-search-gmail |website=LaptopMag |date=December 23, 2016 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Rafe |last=Needleman |title=The future of the Firefox address bar |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/the-future-of-the-firefox-address-bar/ |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |date=June 12, 2008 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref> Chrome also has a reputation for strong browser performance.<ref name="CNET speed test">{{cite web |first=Stephen |last=Shankland |title=Speed test: Google Chrome beats Firefox, IE, Safari |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/speed-test-google-chrome-beats-firefox-ie-safari/ |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |date=October 7, 2008 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://lifehacker.com/5286869/lifehacker-speed-tests-safari-4-chrome-2-and-more |title= Lifehacker Speed Tests: Safari 4, Chrome 2, and More – Browsers |last=Purdy |first=Kevin |work=[[Lifehacker]] |date= June 11, 2009 |access-date=May 13, 2010}}</ref>
===Web standards support===
[[File:Acid3-Chrome4Dev.PNG|thumb|The results of the [[Acid3]] test on Google Chrome 4.0]]The first release of Google Chrome passed both the [[Acid1]] and [[Acid2]] tests. Beginning with version 4.0, Chrome has passed all aspects of the [[Acid3]] test.<ref name="chrome4" />

{{as of|2011|May|}}, Chrome has very good support for JavaScript/[[ECMAScript]] according to [[Ecma International]]'s ECMAScript standards conformance Test 262<ref>{{cite web|url=https://test262.ecmascript.org/|title=ECMAScript test262|access-date=May 6, 2011|work=ECMAScript.org|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514205704/https://test262.ecmascript.org/|archive-date=May 14, 2011}}</ref> (version ES5.1 May 18, 2012). This test reports as the final score the number of tests a browser failed; hence lower scores are better. In this test, Chrome version 37 scored 10 failed/11,578 passed. For comparison, Firefox 19 scored 193 failed/11,752 passed and Internet Explorer 9 has a score of 600+ failed, while Internet Explorer 10 has a score of 7 failed.

In 2011, on the official CSS 2.1 test suite by standardization organization [[W3C]], WebKit, the Chrome rendering engine, passes 89.75% (89.38% out of 99.59% covered) CSS 2.1 tests.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.w3.org/Style/CSS/Test/CSS2.1/20110323/reports/results.html|title=CSS 2.1 Test Suite RC6 Results|access-date=May 6, 2011|publisher=W3C}}</ref>

On the HTML5 web standards test, Chrome 41 scores 518 out of 555 points, placing it ahead of the five most popular desktop browsers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://html5test.com/s/b204eb264a8b047b.html|title=HTML5 test desktop|access-date=March 19, 2015|publisher=Visred}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://html5test.com/results/desktop.html|title=HTML5 test desktop browser comparison|access-date=March 19, 2015|publisher=Visred}}</ref> Chrome 41 on Android scores 510 out of 555 points.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://html5test.com/s/3fb179264a332e3d.html|title=HTML5 test Android Chrome 41 Galaxy S5|access-date=March 19, 2015|publisher=Visred}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://html5test.com/results/mobile.html|title=HTML5 test tablet|access-date=March 19, 2015|publisher=Sights}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://html5test.com/results/tablet.html|title=HTML5 test mobile|access-date=March 19, 2015|publisher=Sights}}</ref> Chrome 44 scores 526, only 29 points less than the maximum score.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://html5test.com/compare/browser/chrome-44.html|title=HTML5test - How well does your browser support HTML5?|work=html5test.com|access-date=October 29, 2015}}</ref>
===User interface===
{{Multiple image
| direction         = vertical
| width             = 150
| header            = Google Chrome logos
| image1            = Google Chrome Logo 2008.svg
| caption1          = 3D motif from its first public release September 2008 until March 2011
| image2            = Google Chrome icon (2011).svg
| caption2          = 2D motif from March 2011 until October 2015
| image3            = Google Chrome for Android Icon 2016.svg
| caption3          = [[Material Design]] motif used from September 2014 onward for mobile versions and October 2015 onward for desktop versions
| image4            = Google Chrome icon (February 2022).svg
| caption4          = New Google Chrome logo from 2022. It has increased brightness and clarity than the previous logo.
}}
By default, the main [[user interface]] includes back, forward, refresh/cancel and menu buttons. A home button is not shown by default, but can be added through the Settings page to take the user to the new tab page or a custom home page.<ref name="HomeButton">{{cite web |date=September 23, 2021 |title=Set your home page |url=https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95314 |access-date=February 6, 2022 |website=support.google.com}}</ref>

[[Tab (interface)|Tabs]] are the main component of Chrome's user interface and have been moved to the top of the window rather than below the controls. This subtle change contrasts with many existing tabbed browsers which are based on [[window (computing)|windows]] and contain tabs. Tabs, with their state, can be transferred seamlessly between window containers by dragging. Each tab has its own set of controls, including the ''Omnibox''.<ref name="chrome-comic" />

The ''Omnibox'' is a [[address bar|URL box]] that combines the functions of both the address bar and search box. If a user enters the URL of a site previously searched from, Chrome allows pressing ''Tab'' to search the site again directly from the Omnibox. When a user starts typing in the Omnibox, Chrome provides suggestions for previously visited sites (based on the URL or in-page text), popular websites (not necessarily visited before{{snd}} powered by [[Google Instant]]), and popular searches. Although Instant can be turned off, suggestions based on previously visited sites cannot be turned off. Chrome will also [[autocomplete]] the URLs of sites visited often.<ref name="chrome-comic" /> If a user types keywords into the Omnibox that don't match any previously visited websites and presses enter, Chrome will conduct the search using the default search engine.

One of Chrome's differentiating features is the ''New Tab Page'', which can replace the browser [[home page]] and is displayed when a new tab is created. Originally, this showed thumbnails of the nine most visited websites, along with frequent searches, recent bookmarks, and recently closed tabs; similar to [[Internet Explorer]] and [[Firefox]] with [[Google Toolbar]], or [[Opera (web browser)|Opera's]] [[Features of the Opera web browser#Speed Dial|Speed Dial]].<ref name="chrome-comic" /> In Google Chrome 2.0, the New Tab Page was updated to allow users to hide thumbnails they did not want to appear.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fisher |first=Darin |date=May 21, 2009 |title=A Speedier Google Chrome for all users |url=https://chrome.googleblog.com/2009/05/speedier-google-chrome-for-all-users.html |access-date=March 9, 2017 |website=Chrome Blog}}</ref>

Starting in version 3.0, the New Tab Page was revamped to display thumbnails of the eight most visited websites. The thumbnails could be rearranged, pinned, and removed. Alternatively, a list of text links could be displayed instead of thumbnails. It also features a "Recently closed" bar that shows recently closed tabs and a "tips" section that displays hints and tricks for using the browser.<ref>{{cite web |last=LaForge |first=Anthony |date=September 15, 2009 |title=Google Chrome after a year: Sporting a new stable release |url=https://googleblog.blogspot.no/2009/09/google-chrome-after-year-sporting-new.html |access-date=March 9, 2017 |website=Official Google Blog}}</ref> Starting with Google Chrome 3.0, users can install themes to alter the appearance of the browser.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Murphy |first1=Glen |last2=Sabec |first2=Mark |date=October 5, 2009 |title=A splash of color to your browser: Artist Themes for Google Chrome |url=https://chrome.googleblog.com/2009/10/splash-of-color-to-your-browser-artist.html |access-date=March 9, 2017 |website=Chrome Blog}}</ref> Many free third-party themes are provided in an online gallery,<ref>{{cite web |title=Chrome Web Store |url=https://tools.google.com/chrome/intl/en/themes/index.html |access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref> accessible through a "Get themes" button in Chrome's options.<ref>{{cite web |title=Basic settings: Change browser theme |url=https://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?&answer=148695 |work=Google Chrome Help}}</ref>

Chrome includes a ''bookmarks'' submenu that lists the user's bookmarks, provides easy access to Chrome's ''Bookmark Manager,'' and allows the user to toggle a ''bookmarks bar'' on or off.

On January 2, 2019, Google introduced Native Dark Theme for Chrome on [[Windows 10]].<ref>Danica Simic, ValueWalk. "[https://www.valuewalk.com/2019/01/dark-theme-for-chrome-on-windows-10/ Google To Introduce Native Dark Theme For Chrome On Windows 10]." January 2, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2019.</ref>
===Built-in tools===
Starting with Google Chrome 4.1 the application added a built-in translation bar using [[Google Translate]]. Language translation is currently available for 52 languages.<ref>{{cite web |title=Change Chrome languages & translate webpages |url=https://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?hlrm=ru&answer=173424 |website=support.google.com}}</ref> When Chrome detects a foreign language other than the user's preferred language set during the installation time, it asks the user whether or not to translate.

Chrome allows users to synchronize their bookmarks, history, and settings across all devices with the browser installed by sending and receiving data through a chosen Google Account, which in turn updates all signed-in instances of Chrome. This can be authenticated either through Google credentials, or a sync passphrase.

For [[web developer]]s, Chrome features an element inspector which allows users to look into the DOM and see what makes up the webpage.<ref name="features">{{cite web |last=Gralla |first=Preston |date=September 3, 2008 |title=Three hidden Chrome features you'll love |url=https://blogs.computerworld.com/three_hidden_chrome_features_youll_love |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080923064954/https://blogs.computerworld.com/three_hidden_chrome_features_youll_love |archive-date=September 23, 2008 |access-date=September 16, 2008}}</ref>

Chrome has special URLs that load application-specific pages instead of websites or files on disk. Chrome also has a built-in ability to enable experimental features. Originally called <code>about:labs</code>, the address was changed to <code>about:flags</code> to make it less obvious to casual users.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chromium url_constants.cc |url=https://src.chromium.org/svn/trunk/src/chrome/common/url_constants.cc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100908013948/https://src.chromium.org/svn/trunk/src/chrome/common/url_constants.cc |archive-date=September 8, 2010 |access-date=September 1, 2010}}</ref><ref name="AboutFlags19Oct10">{{cite news |last=Pash |first=Adam |date=October 2010 |title=Chrome's About:Labs Renamed to About:Flags, Adds a Warning |work=LifeHacker |url=https://lifehacker.com/5667846/chromes-aboutlabs-renamed-to-aboutflags-adds-a-warning |access-date=October 19, 2010}}</ref>

The desktop edition of Chrome is able to save pages as HTML with assets in a "_files" subfolder, or as unprocessed HTML-only document. It also offers an option to save in the [[MHTML]] format.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gavin |first1=Brady |title=How to Save a Web Page in Chrome |url=https://www.howtogeek.com/415086/how-to-save-a-web-page-in-chrome/ |website=How-To Geek}}</ref>
===Desktop shortcuts and apps===
Chrome allows users to make local desktop [[Shortcut (computing)|shortcuts]] that open [[web application]]s in the browser. The browser, when opened in this way, contains none of the regular interface except for the title bar, so as not to "interrupt anything the user is trying to do". This allows web applications to run alongside local software (similar to [[Mozilla Prism]] and [[Fluid (web browser)|Fluid]]).<ref name="chrome-comic" />

This feature, according to Google, would be enhanced with the [[Chrome Web Store]], a one-stop web-based web applications directory which opened in December 2010.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 19, 2010 |title=Chrome Web Store |url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore |access-date=May 24, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Lay |first=Erik |date=May 19, 2010 |title=The Chrome Web Store |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2010/05/chrome-web-store.html |access-date=May 24, 2010}}</ref>

In September 2013, Google started making Chrome apps "For your desktop". This meant offline access, desktop shortcuts, and less dependence on Chrome—apps launch in a window separate from Chrome, and look more like native applications.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kay |first=Erik |date=September 5, 2013 |title=A new breed of Chrome Apps |url=https://chrome.googleblog.com/2013/09/a-new-breed-of-chrome-apps.html |access-date=March 9, 2017 |website=Chrome Blog}}</ref>
====Chrome Web Store====
{{Main|Chrome Web Store}}Announced on December 7, 2010, the [[Chrome Web Store]] allows users to install web applications as extensions to the browser, although most of these extensions function simply as links to popular web pages and/or games, some of the apps like [[Springpad]] do provide extra features like offline access. The themes and extensions have also been tightly integrated into the new store, allowing users to search the entire catalog of Chrome extras.<ref>{{cite web |last=Paul |first=Ryan |date=December 9, 2010 |title=Chrome Web Store: a solution in search of a problem? |url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2010/12/thoughts-on-the-chrome-store-does-the-web-need-an-app-delivery-channel/ |access-date=March 9, 2017 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]]}}</ref>

The Chrome Web Store was opened on February 11, 2011, with the release of Google Chrome 9.0.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kay |first1=Erik |last2=Boodman |first2=Aaron |date=February 3, 2011 |title=A dash of speed, 3D and apps |url=https://chrome.googleblog.com/2011/02/dash-of-speed-3d-and-apps.html |access-date=March 9, 2017 |website=Chrome Blog}}</ref>
===Extensions===
[[Browser extension]]s are able to modify Google Chrome. They are supported by the browser's desktop edition.<ref name="chromeblog2009">{{cite web |last=Rakowski |first=Brian |date=December 8, 2009 |title=Google Chrome Extensions Blog Announcement |url=https://chrome.blogspot.com/2009/12/google-chrome-for-holidays-mac-linux.html |access-date=February 25, 2010}}</ref> These extensions are written using web technologies like [[HTML]], [[JavaScript]], and [[CSS]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Google Chrome Extensions Help Page |url=https://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?answer=154007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100208233953/https://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?answer=154007 |archive-date=February 8, 2010 |access-date=February 25, 2010}}</ref> They are distributed through [[Chrome Web Store]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Nield |first=David |date=April 20, 2012 |title=20 best Chrome extensions |work=[[TechRadar]] |url=https://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/20-best-chrome-extensions-1076933 |url-status=dead |access-date=May 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503224933/https://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/20-best-chrome-extensions-1076933 |archive-date=May 3, 2012}}</ref> initially known as the Google Chrome Extensions Gallery.<ref name="chromeblog2009" />

On September 9, 2009, Google enabled extensions by default on Chrome's developer channel, and provided several sample extensions for testing.<ref>{{cite web |last=Boodman |first=Aaron |date=September 9, 2009 |title=Extensions Status: On the Runway, Getting Ready for Take-Off |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2009/09/extensions-status-on-runway-getting.html |access-date=May 13, 2010}}</ref> In December, the Google Chrome Extensions Gallery beta began with approximately 300 extensions.<ref name="Extensions beta" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Kay |first=Erik |date=December 8, 2009 |title=Extensions beta launched, with over 300 extensions! |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2009/12/extensions-beta-launched-with-over-300.html |access-date=May 13, 2010}}</ref> It was launched on January 25, 2010, along with Google Chrome 4.0, containing approximately 1500 extensions.<ref>{{cite web |last=Baum |first=Nick |date=January 25, 2010 |title=Over 1,500 new features for Google Chrome |url=https://chrome.googleblog.com/2010/01/over-1500-new-features-for-google.html |access-date=March 9, 2017 |website=Chrome Blog}}</ref>

In 2014, Google started preventing some Windows users from installing extensions not hosted on the [[Chrome Web Store]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chrome For Windows Will Now Only Install Extensions From Google's Web Store |url=https://techcrunch.com/2014/05/27/chrome-for-windows-will-now-only-install-extensions-from-googles-web-store/ |access-date=December 14, 2018 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Protecting Chrome users from malicious extensions |url=https://chrome.googleblog.com/2014/05/protecting-chrome-users-from-malicious.html |access-date=December 14, 2018 |website=Google Chrome Blog |language=en}}</ref> The following year Google reported a "75% drop in customer support help requests for uninstalling unwanted extensions" which led them to expand this restriction to all Windows and Mac users.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Continuing to protect Chrome users from malicious extensions |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2015/05/continuing-to-protect-chrome-users-from.html |access-date=December 15, 2018 |website=Chromium Blog |language=en}}</ref>
====Notable examples====
{{See also category|Google Chrome extensions}}{{colbegin|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Adblock Plus]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cfhdojbkjhnklbpkdaibdccddilifddb |title=Chrome Web Store - Adblock Plus (Beta) |access-date=May 16, 2012}}</ref>
* [[AdBlock|Adblock for Chrome]]
* [[Cut the Rope]]
* [[Dropbox (service)|Dropbox]]
* [[Evernote|Evernote Web]]
* [[Facebook Messenger]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/facebook-messenger/ecmfchgfmbbddembehpkopmhjiepcckd |title=Chrome Web Store - Facebook Messenger |publisher=oinkandstuff.com |access-date=January 1, 2014 |archive-date=September 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160901150321/https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/facebook-messenger/ecmfchgfmbbddembehpkopmhjiepcckd |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* [[Ghostery]]
* [[Google Maps]]
* [[HTTPS Everywhere]]
* [[Pandora Radio]]
* [[Pixlr|Pixlr Express]]
* [[Privacy Badger]]
* [[Streamus]] (discontinued)
* [[Turn Off the Lights (extension)|Turn Off the Lights]]
* [[TweetDeck]]
* [[Stop Tony Meow]]
* [[uBlock Origin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock-origin/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm |title=Chrome Web Store - uBlock Origin |access-date=May 16, 2012}}</ref>
{{colend}}
===Speed===
The [[JavaScript]] [[virtual machine]] used by Chrome, the [[V8 (JavaScript engine)|V8 JavaScript engine]], has features such as ''[[just-in-time compilation|dynamic code generation]]'', ''hidden class transitions'', and ''[[Tracing garbage collection|precise garbage collection]]''.<ref name="chrome-comic" />

In 2008, several websites performed benchmark tests using the [[SunSpider JavaScript Benchmark]] tool as well as Google's own set of computationally intense benchmarks, which include [[ray tracing (graphics)|ray tracing]] and [[constraint solving]].<ref>{{cite web |title=V8 Benchmark suite |url=https://code.google.com/apis/v8/run.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080904201317/https://code.google.com/apis/v8/run.html |archive-date=September 4, 2008 |access-date=September 3, 2008 |work=[[Google Code]]}}</ref> They unanimously reported that Chrome performed much faster than all competitors against which it had been tested, including [[Safari (web browser)|Safari]] (for Windows), [[Firefox 3.0]], [[Internet Explorer 7]], [[Opera (web browser)|Opera]], and [[Internet Explorer 8]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Goodwins |first=Rupert |date=September 2, 2008 |title=Google Chrome – first benchmarks. Summary: wow |url=https://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0,1000000567,10009139o-2000331777b,00.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080903125550/https://community.zdnet.co.uk/blog/0%2C1000000567%2C10009139o-2000331777b%2C00.htm |archive-date=September 3, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=September 1, 2008 |title=Google Chrome Javascript Benchmarks |url=https://jrm.cc/google-chrome-javascript-benchmarks |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120107133154/https://jrm.cc/google-chrome-javascript-benchmarks |archive-date=January 7, 2012 |access-date=April 8, 2012 |website=jrm.cc}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Kingsley-Hughes |first=Adrian |date=September 2, 2008 |title=Google Chrome is insanely fast&nbsp;... faster than Firefox 3.0 |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-chrome-is-insanely-fast-faster-than-firefox-3-0/ |work=[[ZDNet]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]}}</ref><ref name="CNET speed test" />{<ref>{{cite web |last=Limi |first=Alexander |date=September 2, 2008 |title=Chrome: Benchmarks and more |url=https://limi.net/articles/google-chrome-benchmarks-and-more |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424030617/https://limi.net/articles/google-chrome-benchmarks-and-more |archive-date=April 24, 2010 |access-date=May 13, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Lipskas |first=Vygantas |date=March 1, 2009 |title=Safari 4 vs. Firefox 3 vs. Google Chrome vs. Opera 10, 9.6 vs. Internet Explorer 8, 7 |url=https://www.favbrowser.com/safari-4-vs-firefox-3-vs-google-chrome-vs-opera-10-96-vs-internet-explorer-8-7/ |access-date=May 13, 2010 |website=Favbrowser |archive-date=May 1, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100501013649/http://www.favbrowser.com/safari-4-vs-firefox-3-vs-google-chrome-vs-opera-10-96-vs-internet-explorer-8-7/ |dead-url=yes }}</ref> However, on October 11, 2010, independent tests of JavaScript performance, Chrome has been scoring just behind [[Opera (web browser)|Opera's]] [[Presto (browser engine)|Presto]] engine since it was updated in version 10.5.<ref>{{cite web |author=Scott M. Fulton, III |date=October 11, 2010 |title=Firefox in the dust: Opera poised to reclaim browser performance lead |url=https://net1news.com/101011-01-firefox-in-the-dust.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714163918/https://net1news.com/101011-01-firefox-in-the-dust.aspx |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |access-date=November 6, 2010}}</ref>

On September 3, 2008, Mozilla responded by stating that their own [[TraceMonkey]] JavaScript engine (then in beta), was faster than Chrome's V8 engine in some tests.<ref>{{cite web |last=Shankland |first=Stephen |date=October 7, 2008 |title=Firefox counters Google's browser speed test |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/firefox-counters-googles-browser-speed-test/ |access-date=March 9, 2017 |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Eich |first=Brendan |author-link=Brendan Eich |date=September 3, 2008 |title=TraceMonkey Update |url=https://brendaneich.com/2008/09/tracemonkey-update/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Shankland |first=Stephen |date=November 3, 2008 |title=Third Chrome beta another notch faster – News |url=https://www.builderau.com.au/news/soa/Third-Chrome-beta-another-notch-faster/0,339028227,339292979,00.htm?feed=pt_performance |access-date=May 13, 2010 |website=Builder AU}}</ref> [[John Resig]], Mozilla's JavaScript evangelist, further commented on the performance of different browsers on Google's own suite, commenting on Chrome's "decimating" of the other browsers, but he questioned whether Google's suite was representative of real programs. He stated that Firefox 3.0 performed poorly on [[recursion]]-intensive benchmarks, such as those of Google, because the Mozilla team had not implemented recursion-tracing yet.<ref>{{cite web |last=Resig |first=John |author-link=John Resig |date=September 3, 2008 |title=JavaScript Performance Rundown |url=https://ejohn.org/blog/javascript-performance-rundown/}}</ref>

Two weeks after Chrome's launch in 2008, the WebKit team announced a new JavaScript engine, [[WebKit#Further development|SquirrelFish Extreme]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Stachowiak |first=Maciej |date=September 18, 2008 |title=WebKit blog: Introducing SquirrelFish Extreme |url=https://webkit.org/blog/214/introducing-squirrelfish-extreme/ |access-date=May 13, 2010}}</ref> citing a 36% speed improvement over Chrome's V8 engine.<ref>{{cite web |last=Zwarich |first=Cameron |date=September 18, 2008 |title=SquirrelFish Extreme has landed! |url=https://summerofjsc.blogspot.com/2008/09/squirrelfish-extreme-has-landed.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427090731/https://summerofjsc.blogspot.com/2008/09/squirrelfish-extreme-has-landed.html |archive-date=April 27, 2009 |access-date=May 13, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Shankland |first=Stephen |date=September 22, 2008 |title=Step aside, Chrome, for Squirrelfish Extreme – News |url=https://www.builderau.com.au/news/soa/Step-aside-Chrome-for-Squirrelfish-Extreme/0,339028227,339292128,00.htm?feed=pt_performance |access-date=May 13, 2010 |website=Builder AU}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ying |first=Charles |date=September 19, 2008 |title=SquirrelFish Extreme: Fastest JavaScript Engine Yet |url=https://www.satine.org/archives/2008/09/19/squirrelfish-extreme-fastest-javascript-engine-yet/ |access-date=May 13, 2010 |archive-date=June 16, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616220016/http://www.satine.org/archives/2008/09/19/squirrelfish-extreme-fastest-javascript-engine-yet/ |dead-url=yes }}</ref>

Like most major web browsers, Chrome uses [[Domain Name System|DNS]] prefetching to speed up website lookups,<ref name="features" /> as do other browsers like Firefox,<ref>{{cite web |date=November 8, 2008 |title=DNS prefetching for Firefox |url=https://bitsup.blogspot.com/2008/11/dns-prefetching-for-firefox.html}}</ref> Safari,<ref>{{cite web |author=Apple Inc. |date=June 7, 2010 |title=What's new in Safari 5 |url=https://www.apple.com/safari/whats-new.html#performance |access-date=July 6, 2010}}</ref> Internet Explorer (called DNS Pre-resolution),<ref>{{cite web |date=March 17, 2011 |title=Internet Explorer 9 Network Performance Improvements |url=https://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2011/03/17/internet-explorer-9-network-performance-improvements.aspx |access-date=April 8, 2012 |website=Blogs.msdn.com}}</ref> and in [[Opera (web browser)|Opera]] as a UserScript (not built-in).<ref>{{cite web |last=Eiras |first=João |title=Page prefetcher |url=https://userjs.org/scripts/browser/enhancements/page-prefetcher |access-date=April 8, 2012 |website=userjs.org}}</ref>

Chrome formerly used their now-deprecated [[SPDY]] protocol instead of only [[HTTP]]<ref>{{cite web |title=chrome&#93; Index of /trunk/src/net/spdy – Chromium SPDY client implementation |url=https://src.chromium.org/viewvc/chrome/trunk/src/net/spdy/ |access-date=April 8, 2012 |website=src.chromium.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=SPDY Proxy Examples – The Chromium Projects |url=https://www.chromium.org/spdy/spdy-proxy-examples |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919141654/https://www.chromium.org/spdy/spdy-proxy-examples |archive-date=September 19, 2017 |access-date=April 8, 2012 |website=www.chromium.org}}</ref> when communicating with servers that support it, such as Google services, Facebook, Twitter. SPDY support was removed in Chrome version 51. This was due to SPDY being replaced by [[HTTP/2]], a standard that was based upon it.

In November 2019, Google said it was working on several "speed badging" systems that let visitors know why a page is taking time to show up. The variations include simple text warnings and more subtle signs that indicate a site is slow. No date has been given for when the badging system will be included with the Chrome browser.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 11, 2019 |title=Moving towards a faster web |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2019/11/moving-towards-faster-web.html |website=Chromium Blog}}</ref>

Chrome formerly supported a Data Saver feature for making pages load faster called Lite Mode.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 23, 2019 |title=Data Saver is now Lite mode |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2019/04/data-saver-is-now-lite-mode.html |website=Chromium Blog}}</ref> Previously, Chrome engineers Addy Osmani and Scott Little announced Lite Mode would automatically lazy-load images and iframes for faster page loads.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 24, 2019 |title=Automatically lazy-loading offscreen images & iframes for Lite mode users |url=https://blog.chromium.org/2019/10/automatically-lazy-loading-offscreen.html |website=Chromium Blog}}</ref> Lite Mode was switched off in Chrome 100, citing a decrease in mobile data costs for many countries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 22, 2022 |title=Sunsetting Chrome Lite mode in M100 and older |url=https://support.google.com/chrome/thread/151853370 |website=Google Chrome Help}}</ref>
===Security===
{{See also|Browser security}}Chrome periodically retrieves updates of two [[Blacklist (computing)|blacklists]] (one for [[phishing]] and one for [[malware]]), and warns users when they attempt to visit a site flagged as potentially harmful. This service is also made available for use by others via a free public [[API]] called "[[Google Safe Browsing]] API".<ref name="chrome-comic" />

Chrome uses a process-allocation model to [[Sandbox (computer security)|sandbox]] [[Tab (interface)|tabs]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://blog.marcchung.com/2008/09/05/chromes-process-model-explained.html |title=chromes-process model explained |first=Marc |last=Chung |date=September 5, 2008 |access-date=September 10, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090321110910/https://blog.marcchung.com/2008/09/05/chromes-process-model-explained.html |archive-date=March 21, 2009 }}</ref> Using the [[principle of least privilege]], each tab process cannot interact with critical memory functions (e.g. OS memory, user files) or other tab processes{{snd}}similar to Microsoft's "Protected Mode" used by [[Internet Explorer 9]] or greater. The ''Sandbox Team'' is said to have "taken this existing process boundary and made it into a [[OS-level virtualization|jail]]". This enforces a [[computer security model]] whereby there are two levels of [[multilevel security]] (''user'' and ''[[Sandbox (computer security)|sandbox]]'') and the ''sandbox'' can only respond to communication requests initiated by the ''user''.<ref name="sec">{{cite web|first1=Adam|last1=Barth|first2=Collin|last2=Jackson|first3=Charles|last3=Reis|collaboration=The Google Chrome Team|title=The Security Architecture of the Chromium Browser|publisher=Stanford Security Laboratory|url=https://crypto.stanford.edu/websec/chromium/chromium-security-architecture.pdf|access-date=September 11, 2008}}</ref> On Linux sandboxing uses the [[seccomp]] mode.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gutschke|first=Markus|title=Re: (PATCH 2/2) x86-64: seccomp: fix 32/64 syscall hole|url=https://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.ports.sparc/11622|date=May 6, 2009|access-date=February 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624200851/https://article.gmane.org/gmane.linux.ports.sparc/11622|archive-date=June 24, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Edge|first=Jake|title=Google's Chromium sandbox|url=https://lwn.net/Articles/347547/|date=August 19, 2009|access-date=February 17, 2011}}</ref>

In January 2015, [[TorrentFreak]] reported that using Chrome when connected to the internet using a VPN can be a serious security issue due to the browser's support for [[WebRTC#Concerns|WebRTC]].<ref>[https://torrentfreak.com/huge-security-flaw-leaks-vpn-users-real-ip-addresses-150130/ Huge Security Flaw Leaks VPN Users’ Real IP-addresses] TorrentFreak.com (January 30, 2015). Retrieved on February 21, 2015.</ref>

On September 9, 2016, it was reported that starting with Chrome 56, users will be warned when they visit insecure HTTP websites to encourage more sites to make the transition to HTTPS.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insightportal.io/desktop-browsers/846-chrome-will-start-flagging-insecure-http-sites|title=InsightPortal {{!}} QualityTaskForce {{!}} Chrome will start flagging insecure HTTP sites|last=Bates|first=Adam|website=www.insightportal.io|language=en-gb|access-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref>

On December 4, 2018, Google announced its Chrome 71 release with new security features, including a built-in ad featuring system. In addition, Google also announced its plan to crack down on websites that make people involuntarily subscribe to mobile subscription plans.<ref>Cimpanu, Catalin, ZDNet. "[https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-releases-chrome-71-with-a-focus-on-security-features/ Google releases Chrome 71 with a focus on security features]." December 4, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2019.</ref>

On September 2, 2020, with the release of Chrome 85, Google extended support for Secure DNS in Chrome for [[Android (operating system)|Android]]. DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), was designed to improve safety and privacy while browsing the web. Under the update, Chrome automatically switches to DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), if the current DNS provider supports the feature.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.xda-developers.com/google-chrome-android-adds-secure-dns-safer-private-browsing/|title=Google Chrome for Android adds Secure DNS for safer, more private browsing|access-date=September 3, 2020|website=XDA Developers|date=September 3, 2020}}</ref>
====Password management====
=====Windows=====
Since 2008, Chrome has been faulted for not including a master password to prevent casual access to a user's passwords. Chrome developers have indicated that a master password does not provide real security against determined hackers and have refused to implement one. Bugs filed on this issue have been marked "WontFix".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=53 |title=Issue 53 - chromium - No Master Password Option |date=September 2, 2008 |access-date=August 13, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Kember |first=Elliott |url=https://mashable.com/2013/08/07/chrome-password-security/ |title=Chrome's Password Security Strategy Is Insane |website=Mashable.com |date=August 7, 2013 |access-date=August 13, 2013}}</ref> {{As of|2014|02}}, Google Chrome asks the user to enter the Windows account password before showing saved passwords.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=53#c151 | title=Issue 53 - chromium - No Master Password Option (post #151) | access-date=May 3, 2014}}</ref>
=====Linux=====
On [[Linux]], Google Chrome/Chromium can store passwords in three ways: [[GNOME Keyring]], [[KWallet]] or [[plain text]]. Google Chrome/Chromium chooses which store to use automatically, based on the [[desktop environment]] in use.<ref>{{cite web
|title=Linux Password Storage
|url=https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src.git/+/master/docs/linux_password_storage.md
|access-date=December 25, 2019
}}{{dead link|date=June 2022|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Passwords stored in [[GNOME Keyring]] or KWallet are encrypted on disk, and access to them is controlled by dedicated daemon software. Passwords stored in plain text are not encrypted. Because of this, when either GNOME Keyring or KWallet is in use, any unencrypted passwords that have been stored previously are automatically moved into the encrypted store. Support for using GNOME Keyring and KWallet was added in version 6, but using these (when available) was not made the default mode until version 12.
=====macOS=====
As of version 45, the Google Chrome password manager is no longer integrated with [[Keychain (software)|Keychain]], since the [[interoperability]] goal is no longer possible.<ref>{{cite web|title=OS X Password Manager/Keychain Integration|url=https://www.chromium.org/developers/design-documents/os-x-password-manager-keychain-integration/|access-date=April 28, 2022}}</ref>
====Security vulnerabilities====
No security vulnerabilities in Chrome were exploited in the three years of [[Pwn2Own]] from 2009 to 2011.<ref>{{cite web|last=Keizer|first=Gregg|url=https://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9214022/Google_s_Chrome_untouched_at_Pwn2Own_hack_match|title=Google's Chrome untouched at Pwn2Own hack match|work=[[Computerworld]]|date=March 10, 2011|access-date=August 17, 2022|archive-date=July 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707181403/http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9214022/Google_s_Chrome_untouched_at_Pwn2Own_hack_match|dead-url=yes}}</ref> At Pwn2Own 2012, Chrome was defeated by a [[France|French]] team who used [[zero day exploit]]s in the version of Flash shipped with Chrome to take complete control of a fully patched [[64-bit computing|64-bit]] Windows 7 PC using a booby-trapped website that overcame Chrome's sandboxing.<ref name="ZDnet07Mar12">{{cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/pwn2own-2012-google-chrome-browser-sandbox-first-to-fall/10588 |title=Pwn2Own 2012: Google Chrome browser sandbox first to fall |website=[[ZDNet]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |date=March 7, 2012 |access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref>

Chrome was compromised twice at the 2012 CanSecWest [[Pwnium]].<ref name="ZDnet07Mar12" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/cansecwest-pwnium-google-chrome-hacked-with-sandbox-bypass/10563 |title=CanSecWest Pwnium: Google Chrome hacked with sandbox bypass |website=[[ZDNet]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |date=March 7, 2012 |access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/teenager-hacks-google-chrome-with-three-0day-vulnerabilities/10649 |title=Teenager hacks Google Chrome with three 0day vulnerabilities |website=[[ZDNet]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]  |date=March 9, 2012 |access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref> Google's official response to the exploits was delivered by Jason Kersey, who congratulated the researchers, noting "We also believe that both submissions are works of art and deserve wider sharing and recognition."<ref name="ChromeReleaseNotes10Mar12">{{cite web|url = https://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2012/03/chrome-stable-update_10.html|title = Chrome Stable Update|access-date =March 10, 2012|last = Kersey|first = Jason |date = March 10, 2012}}</ref> Fixes for these vulnerabilities were deployed within 10 hours of the submission.<ref>{{cite web |first=Dan |last=Goodin |title=Google Chrome exploit fetches "Pinkie Pie" $60,000 hacking prize |url=https://arstechnica.com/security/2012/10/google-chrome-exploit-fetches-pinkie-pie-60000-hacking-prize/ |website=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |date=October 10, 2012 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.chromium.org/2012/10/pwnium-2-results-and-wrap-up_10.html|title=Pwnium 2: results and wrap-up|work=Chromium Blog|date=October 10, 2012}}</ref>

A significant number of security vulnerabilities in Chrome occur in the [[Adobe Flash Player]]. For example, the 2016 Pwn2Own successful attack on Chrome relied on four security vulnerabilities. Two of the vulnerabilities were in Flash, one was in Chrome, and one was in the Windows kernel.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eweek.com/security/pwn2own-day-1-exploits-google-chrome-adobe-flash-apple-safari.html|title=Pwn2own Day 1 Exploits: Google Chrome, Adobe Flash, Apple Safari|date=March 17, 2016|access-date=September 20, 2016}}</ref> In 2016, Google announced that it was planning to phase out Flash Player in Chrome, starting in version 53. The first phase of the plan is to disable Flash for ads and "background analytics", with the ultimate goal of disabling it completely by the end of the year, except on specific sites that Google has deemed to be broken without it. Flash would then be re-enabled with the exclusion of ads and background analytics on a site-by-site basis.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/05/15/google-targets-html5-default-for-chrome-instead-of-flash-in-q4-2016/|title=Google targets HTML5 default for Chrome instead of Flash in Q4 2016|website=VentureBeat|date=May 15, 2016|access-date=September 20, 2016|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108120845/https://venturebeat.com/2016/05/15/google-targets-html5-default-for-chrome-instead-of-flash-in-q4-2016/|dead-url=yes}}</ref>

Leaked documents published by WikiLeaks, codenamed [[Vault 7]] and dated from 2013 to 2016, detail the capabilities of the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]], such as the ability to compromise web browsers (including Google Chrome).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wikileaks-cia-documents-released-cyber-intelligence/|title=WikiLeaks posts trove of CIA documents detailing mass hacking|date=March 7, 2017|work=[[CBS News]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2017/03/cia-can-hack-phone-pc-tv-says-wikileaks/|title=How the CIA Can Hack Your Phone, PC, and TV (Says WikiLeaks)|last=Greenberg|first=Andy|date=March 7, 2017|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
====Malware blocking and ad blocking====
Google introduced download scanning protection in Chrome 17.<ref name="chromereleases17">{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/features.html#security |title=Chrome Browser |website=Google.com |access-date=April 21, 2014}}</ref>  In February 2018, Google introduced an [[ad blocking]] feature based on recommendations from the [[Interactive Advertising Bureau]]. Sites that employ invasive ads are given a 30-day warning, after which their ads will be blocked.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/02/15/googles-chrome-ad-blocker-means-the-webs-largest-ad-company-is-also-now-advertisings-biggest-traffic-cop/|title=Google's Chrome ad blocker means the Web's largest ad company is also now advertising's biggest traffic cop|last=Tsukayama|first=Hayley|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=February 15, 2018|access-date=February 15, 2018}}</ref> ''[[Consumer Reports]]'' recommended users install dedicated ad-blocking tools instead, which offer increased security against malware and tracking.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.consumerreports.org/digital-security/to-protect-against-websites-that-spy-on-you-get-an-adblocker/|title=Want to Protect Against Websites That Spy on You? Get an Ad Blocker.|last=Chaikivsky|first=Andrew|work=[[Consumer Reports]]|date=February 15, 2018|access-date=February 15, 2018}}</ref>
====Plugins====
*Chrome supported, up to version 45, [[Plug-in (computing)|plug-ins]] with the Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface ([[NPAPI]]),<ref name="chrome-faq-activex">{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/webmasters-faq.html#activex |title=Google Chrome FAQ for web developers|access-date=April 8, 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080904005822/https://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/webmasters-faq.html |archive-date = September 4, 2008}}</ref> so that plug-ins (for example [[Adobe Flash Player]]) run as unrestricted separate processes outside the browser and cannot be sandboxed as tabs are. [[ActiveX]] is not supported.<ref name="chrome-faq-activex" /> Since 2010, Adobe Flash has been integral to Chrome and does not need be installed separately. Flash is kept up to date as part of Chrome's own updates.<ref name="Paul31Mar10">{{cite web|url = https://arstechnica.com/web/news/2010/03/google-bakes-flash-into-chrome-hopes-to-improve-plugin-api.ars|title = Google bakes Flash into Chrome, hopes to improve plug-in API|access-date =March 14, 2010|last = Paul|first = Ryan|date=March 2010}}</ref> [[Java applet]] support was available in Chrome with Java 6 update 12 and above.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://java.com/en/download/chrome.jsp|title=Java and Google Chrome|website=java.com|access-date=December 11, 2009}}</ref> Support for Java under OS X was provided by a Java Update released on May 18, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=10812|title=Issue 10812 – chromium – No java plugin support yet|access-date=May 18, 2010}}</ref>
*On August 12, 2009, Google introduced a replacement for [[NPAPI]] that is more portable and more secure<ref>{{cite web|url=https://code.google.com/p/ppapi/wiki/Concepts |title=Pepper.wiki |website=Code.google.com |date=February 24, 2012 |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> called Pepper Plugin API ([[Google Native Client#Pepper|PPAPI]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chromium.org/nativeclient/getting-started/getting-started-background-and-basics#TOC-Pepper-Plugin-API-PPAPI- |title=Pepper Plugin API (PPAPI) |website=Chromium.org |access-date=March 23, 2013 |archive-date=December 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221070247/http://www.chromium.org/nativeclient/getting-started/getting-started-background-and-basics#TOC-Pepper-Plugin-API-PPAPI- |dead-url=yes }}</ref> The default bundled PPAPI Flash Player (or Pepper-based Flash Player) was available on [[ChromeOS]] first, then replaced the NPAPI Flash Player on Linux from Chrome version 20, on Windows from version 21 (which also reduced Flash crashes by 20%),<ref name="the-road-to-safer">{{cite web|url=https://blog.chromium.org/2012/08/the-road-to-safer-more-stable-and.html |title=Chromium Blog: The road to safer, more stable, and flashier Flash|website=blog.chromium.org |date=August 8, 2012 |access-date=August 29, 2012}}</ref> and eventually came to OS X at version 23.<ref name="SecureFlashMac" />
*On September 23, 2013, Google announced that it would be deprecating and then removing NPAPI support. NPAPI support was removed from Linux in Chrome release 35.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.chromium.org/2013/09/saying-goodbye-to-our-old-friend-npapi.html|title=Chromium Blog: Saying Goodbye to Our Old Friend NPAPI|work=Chromium Blog|access-date=July 13, 2015}}</ref> NPAPI plugins like Java can no longer work in Chrome (but there are workarounds for Flash by using PPAPI Flash Player on Linux including for Chromium).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/forum/#!topic/chromium-dev/xEbgvWE7wMk |title=PSA: Chrome for Linux planning to drop NPAPI support as soon as April |quote=Another thing I found last night is a Debian package called PepperFlashPlayer. Apparently, it works the same way as the existing FlashPlayer package (which downloads Adobe Flash from Adobe and installs it) -- it downloads Chrome from Google, extracts the PPAPI Flash plugin, and installs it for Chromium. That might be a good workaround for Chromium users in the interim. (Note: I am not endorsing this method, just making people aware of it.) But obviously, it would be better if PPAPI Flash were available in a more "official" context. |access-date=April 22, 2015}}</ref>
*On April 14, 2015, Google released Chrome v42, disabling the NPAPI by default. This makes plugins that do not have a PPAPI plugin counterpart incompatible with Chrome, such as [[Java (programming language)|Java]], [[Microsoft Silverlight|Silverlight]] and [[Unity (game engine)|Unity]]. However, NPAPI support could be enabled through the chrome://flags{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=Jarble |fix-attempted=yes }} menu, until the release of version 45 on September 1, 2015, that removed NPAPI support entirely.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chromium.org/developers/npapi-deprecation |website=www.chromium.org |title=NPAPI deprecation: developer guide}}</ref>
===Privacy===
====Incognito mode====
{{Redirect|Incognito mode|3=Incognito (disambiguation){{!}}Incognito}}[[Image:Google Chrome Incognito.png|thumb|250px|Google Chrome Incognito mode message]]The [[private browsing]] feature called ''Incognito'' mode prevents the browser from locally storing any [[web browsing history|history]] information, [[HTTP cookie|cookies]], site data, or form inputs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95464?co=GENIE.Platform=Desktop|title=Browse in private - Computer - Google Chrome Help|website=support.google.com|language=en|access-date=April 1, 2018}}</ref> Downloaded files and bookmarks will be stored. In addition, user activity is not hidden from visited websites or the Internet service provider.

Incognito mode is similar to the private browsing feature in other web browsers. It does not prevent saving in all windows: "You can switch between an incognito window and any regular windows you have open. You'll only be in incognito mode when you're using the incognito window".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?answer=95464 |title=Explore Google Chrome Features: Incognito Mode|date=September 2, 2008|access-date=September 4, 2008}}</ref>

The iOS version of Chrome also supports the optional ability to lock incognito tabs with Face ID, Touch ID or the device's passcode.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/20/22585624/chrome-ios-92-incognito-tabs-with-face-touch-id-passcode-full-page-screenshots |title=Chrome for iOS will let you lock down incognito tabs with Face ID |date=July 20, 2021 |access-date=July 21, 2021}}</ref>
====Listening capabilities====
In June 2015, the [[Debian]] developer community discovered that Chromium 43 and Chrome 43 were programmed to download the ''Hotword Shared Module'', which could enable the [[OK Google]] voice recognition extension, although by default it was "off". This raised privacy concerns in the media.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Falkvinge|first=Rick|author-link=Rick Falkvinge|date=June 18, 2015|title=Google Chrome Listening In To Your Room Shows The Importance Of Privacy Defense In Depth|language=en-US|work=Private Internet Access Blog|url=https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/google-chrome-listening-in-to-your-room-shows-the-importance-of-privacy-defense-in-depth/|access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/06/not-ok-google-chromium-voice-extension-pulled-after-spying-concerns/|title=Not OK, Google: Chromium voice extension pulled after spying concerns|last=Bright|first=Peter|work=Ars Technica|access-date=April 7, 2018|language=en-us}}</ref> The module was removed in Chrome 45, which was released on September 1, 2015, and was only present in Chrome 43 and 44.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/0366a5184a70b3eefb5fcef2c2e13721669f00d8%5E!/|title=Diff - 0366a5184a70b3eefb5fcef2c2e13721669f00d8^! - chromium/src - Git at Google|website=chromium.googlesource.com|access-date=September 26, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://googlechromereleases.blogspot.ca/2015/09/stable-channel-update.html|title=Chrome Releases: Stable Channel Update|work=googlechromereleases.blogspot.ca|access-date=September 1, 2015}}</ref>
===={{Anchor|User tracking|Usage_tracking}}User tracking concerns====
Chrome sends details about its users and their activities to [[Google]] through both optional and non-optional user tracking mechanisms.<ref name="The Chromium Blog">{{cite web|title=Google Chrome, Chromium, and Google|url=https://blog.chromium.org/2008/10/google-chrome-chromium-and-google.html|date=October 1, 2008|website=The Chromium Blog}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://8ch.net/tech/chrome.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180407160959/https://8ch.net/tech/chrome.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 7, 2018 |title=Welcome to the Botnet|date=April 7, 2018 |access-date=April 7, 2018}}</ref>

Some of the tracking mechanisms can be optionally enabled and disabled through the installation interface<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/privacy/ |title=Google Chrome Privacy Notice |website=google.com |date=September 23, 2021 |access-date=February 6, 2022}}</ref> and through the browser's options dialog.<ref name="blogoscoped">{{cite web |url=https://blogoscoped.com/archive/2008-09-09-n68.html |title=Google Reacts to Some Chrome Privacy Concerns |access-date=September 24, 2008}}</ref> Unofficial builds, such as [[SRWare Iron]], seek to remove these features from the browser altogether.<ref name="iron">{{cite web |url=https://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php |title=SRWare Iron webpage |access-date=October 12, 2008}}</ref> The RLZ feature is not included in the Chromium browser either.<ref name="ChromiumBlog20Jun10">{{cite web | url=https://blog.chromium.org/2010/06/in-open-for-rlz.html | title=In The Open, For RLZ | website=The Chromium Blog | date=June 2, 2010 | access-date=June 20, 2010}}</ref>

In March 2010, Google devised a new method to collect installation statistics: the unique ID token included with Chrome is now used for only the first connection that Google Update makes to its server.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/16/google_chrome_unique_identifier_change/ |title=Google Chrome Unique Identifier Change|website=[[The Register]]|date=March 16, 2010 |access-date=March 24, 2010}}</ref>

The optional suggestion service included in Google Chrome has been criticized because it provides the information typed into the Omnibox to the search provider before the user even hits return. This allows the search engine to provide URL suggestions, but also provides them with web use information tied to an [[IP address]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Ina |last=Fried |title=Google's Omnibox could be Pandora's box |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/googles-omnibox-could-be-pandoras-box/ |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |date=October 7, 2008 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref>

The optional feature to use a web service to help resolve spelling errors has privacy implications.<ref name="spellcheck-privacy">{{cite web |url=https://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en-GB&answer=114836&p=settings_privacy |title=Chrome's privacy settings |access-date=April 25, 2013}}</ref>

A 2019 review by ''[[Washington Post]]'' technology columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler found that in a typical week of browsing, Chrome allowed thousands of more cookies to be stored than Mozilla Firefox. Fowler pointed out that because of its advertising businesses, despite the privacy controls it offers users, Google is a major producer of third-party cookies and has a financial interest in collecting user data; he recommended switching to [[Firefox]], [[Apple Safari]], or Chromium-based [[Brave (web browser)|Brave]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/06/21/google-chrome-has-become-surveillance-software-its-time-switch/|title=Review &#124; Goodbye, Chrome: Google's Web browser has become spy software|first=Geoffrey A. |last=Fowler |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref>

In January 2021, [[Alphabet Inc.|Alphabet]] stated it was making progress on developing privacy-friendly alternatives which would replace third-party cookies currently being used by advertisers and companies to track browsing habits. Google has promised to phase out the use of cookies in their web-browser in 2022, implementing their [[Federated Learning of Cohorts|FLoC]] technology instead. The announcement came after scrutiny from both the United States and the United Kingdom: the [[Competition and Markets Authority|U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority]] opened a formal probe into Google's claim to end cookie support in January of the same year and the [[United States antitrust law|antitrust lawsuit]] against the company in December 2020 by ten U.S. states.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Schechner|first=Sam|date=January 25, 2021|title=Google Progresses Plan to Remove Third-Party Cookies|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-progresses-plan-to-remove-third-party-cookies-11611581604|access-date=January 25, 2021|issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Patel|first=Bowdeya Tweh and Sahil|date=January 14, 2020|title=Google Chrome to Phase Out Third-Party Cookies in Effort to Boost Privacy|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-chrome-to-phase-out-third-party-cookies-in-effort-to-boost-privacy-11579026834|access-date=January 25, 2021|issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Schechner|first=Sam|date=January 8, 2021|title=Google Chrome Privacy Plan Faces U.K. Competition Probe|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-chrome-privacy-plan-faces-u-k-competition-probe-11610119589|access-date=January 25, 2021|issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Tracy|first=John D. McKinnon and Ryan|date=December 16, 2020|title=Ten States Sue Google, Alleging Deal With Facebook to Rig Online Ad Market|language=en-US|work=Wall Street Journal|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/states-sue-google-over-digital-ad-practices-11608146817|access-date=January 25, 2021|issn=0099-9660}}</ref>

Chrome's future switch to FLoC had drawn criticism from [[DuckDuckGo]], [[Brave (web browser)|Brave]] and the [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Clark|first=Mitchell|date=April 9, 2021|title=DuckDuckGo promises to block Google's latest ad-tracking tech — if Google allows it|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/9/22376110/duckduckgo-privacy-floc-block-chrome-extension-advertising-tech|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=[[The Verge]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Thurrott|first=Paul|author-link=Paul Thurrott|date=April 12, 2021|title=Brave is Blocking Google FLoC|url=https://www.thurrott.com/cloud/web-browsers/249046/brave-is-blocking-google-floc|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=Thurrott.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=EFF technologist cites Google "breach of trust" on FLoC; key ad-tech change agent departs IAB Tech Lab|url=https://itega.org/2021/04/02/privacy-beat-eff-technologist-cites-google-breach-of-trust-on-floc-key-ad-tech-change-agent-departs-iab-tech-lab/|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=[[Information Trust Exchange Governing Association]]}}</ref> On January 25, 2022, Google announced it had killed off development of its FLoC technologies and proposed the new Topics API to replace it. Topics is similarly aimed at removing third-party cookies, using one's weekly web activity to determine a set of five interests. Topics is supposed to refresh every three weeks, changing the type of ads served the user and not retaining the gathered data.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Roth|first=Emma|date=January 25, 2022|title=Google abandons FLoC, introduces Topics API to replace tracking cookies|url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/25/22900567/google-floc-abandon-topics-api-cookies-tracking|access-date=January 25, 2022|website=The Verge|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Li|first=Abner|date=January 25, 2022|title=Google drops FLoC and proposes new Topics API for replacing third-party cookies used by ads|url=https://9to5google.com/2022/01/25/google-topics-api-floc/|access-date=January 25, 2022|website=9to5Google|language=en-US}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Tracking methods
!Method<ref name="iron" />
!Information sent
!When
!Optional?
![[wiktionary:opt-in|Opt-in?]]
|-
| valign="top" |'''Installation'''
|Randomly generated token included in an installer; used to measure the success rate of Google Chrome once at installation<ref name="privacy" />
|On installation
| {{no}}| {{n/a}}
|-
| valign="top" |'''RLZ identifier'''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://foliovision.com/2008/12/09/adwords-ppc-organic-rlz/ |title=&rlz= in Google referrer: Organic traffic or AdWords? |date = December 9, 2008|access-date=February 27, 2009}}</ref>
|[[Code|Encoded]] string, according to Google, contains non-identifying information on where Chrome was downloaded from and its installation week; it is used to measure promotional campaigns;<ref name="privacy" /> Google provides source code to decode this string<ref name="ChromiumBlog20Jun10" />Can be disabled in ChromeOS.<ref name="privacy" /> For Chrome browsers running in all other operating systems:<ref name="privacy" />
*Desktop versions of Chrome can avoid it by downloading the browser directly from Google.
*Mobile versions of Chrome always send the RLZ identifier on first launch.
|
*On Google search query
*On first launch and first use of address bar<ref name="privacy" />
| {{partial}}<br/><ref group=note>RLZ can be disabled in Chrome OS, and is not sent on desktop versions of Chrome if it was downloaded directly from Google. RLZ cannot be disabled on mobile versions of Chrome.</ref><ref name="privacy">{{cite web |url=https://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/chrome/google-chrome-privacy-whitepaper.pdf |title=Google Chrome Privacy Whitepaper |access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref>| {{no}}
|-
| valign="top" |'''clientID'''<ref name="blogoscoped" />
|Unique identifier along with user preferences, logs of use metrics and crashes| {{unk}}| {{yes}}<ref name="stat-settings">Controlled by the setting "Send usage statistics and error reports"; default off</ref>| {{yes}}
|-
| valign="top" |'''Omnibox predictions'''<ref name="blogoscoped" />
|Text typed into the [[address bar]] is sent to the user's search engine when not in incognito mode. When in incognito mode, the suggestions are created on-device instead.<ref name="privacy" />
|While typing| {{yes}}| {{no}}
|-
| valign="top" |'''Google Update'''
|Information about how often Chrome is used, details about the OS and Chrome version
|Periodically| {{partial}}<br/><ref group=note>Requires advanced user intervention</ref><ref name="turning-off-auto-updates">{{cite web |url=https://www.chromium.org/administrators/turning-off-auto-updates |title=Turning Off Auto Updates in Google Chrome
 |access-date=December 12, 2014}}</ref>| {{no}}
|}Chrome previously was able to suggest similar pages when a page could not be found. For this, in some cases Google servers were contacted.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/privacy/whitepaper.html#selection-1669.0-1672.0|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190509014827/https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/privacy/whitepaper.html#selection-1669.0-1672.0|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 9, 2019|title = Google Chrome Privacy Whitepaper}}</ref> The feature has since been removed.
====Do Not Track====
In February 2012, Google announced that Chrome would implement the [[Do Not Track]] (DNT) standard to inform websites the user's desire not to be tracked. The protocol was implemented in version 23. In line with the W3's draft standard for DNT,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.w3.org/2011/tracking-protection/drafts/tracking-dnt.html#determining|publisher=W3C|access-date=December 17, 2015|title=Tracking DNT}}</ref> it is turned off by default in Chrome.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://browserfame.com/478/google-chrome-support-do-not-track |title=Google and Chrome To Support Do Not Track |access-date=March 3, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226042318/https://browserfame.com/478/google-chrome-support-do-not-track |archive-date=February 26, 2012 }}</ref>
===Stability===
[[File:Chrome-crash.png|thumb|Screenshot of a Chrome browser crash]]A multi-process architecture is implemented in Chrome where, by default, a separate process is allocated to each site instance and plugin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.chromium.org/2008/09/multi-process-architecture.html|title=Multi-process Architecture |last=Reisn|first=Charlie|date=September 11, 2008|access-date=September 12, 2008}}</ref> This procedure is termed [[process isolation]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dev.chromium.org/developers/design-documents/process-models|title=Process Models|date=September 3, 2008|work=The Chromium Projects|access-date=September 12, 2008}}</ref> and raises security and stability by preventing tasks from interfering with each other. An attacker successfully gaining access to one application gains access to no others,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Google-Chrome-Puts-Security-in-a-Sandbox/|title=Google Chrome Puts Security in a Sandbox|last=Prince|first=Brian|date=December 11, 2008|website=eWeek.com |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |access-date=June 4, 2010}}</ref> and failure in one instance results in a ''Sad Tab'' [[screen of death]], similar to the well-known ''[[Sad Mac]]'', but only one tab crashes instead of the whole application. This strategy exacts a fixed per-process cost up front, but results in less memory bloat over time as fragmentation is confined to each instance and no longer needs further memory allocations.<ref name="chrome-comic" /> This architecture was later adopted in Safari<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lists.webkit.org/pipermail/webkit-dev/2010-April/012235.html |title=[webkit-dev&#93; Announcing WebKit2 |website=lists.webkit.org |access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref> and Firefox.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://developer.mozilla.org/devnews/index.php/2010/04/08/firefox-lorentz-beta-available-for-download-and-testing/ |title=Firefox Lorentz Beta Available for Download and Testing |date=April 8, 2010 |publisher=Mozilla}}</ref>

Chrome includes a [[process management (computing)|process management]] utility called ''Task Manager'' which lets users see what sites and plugins are using the most [[Random-access memory|memory]], [[download]]ing the most [[byte]]s and overusing the [[central processing unit|CPU]] and provides the ability to terminate them.<ref name="chrome-comic" /> Chrome Version 23 ensures its users an improved battery life for the systems supporting Chrome's GPU accelerated video decoding.<ref name="voiceofgreyhat">{{cite web|url=https://www.voiceofgreyhat.com/2012/11/Chrome23-With-Longer-Battery-Life-Do-Not-Track.html |title=Chrome 23 Closes 15 Security Vulnerabilities, Promises Longer Battery Life & Added Do Not Track (DNT) |access-date=November 9, 2012}}</ref><ref name="November 2012 announcements" />
==={{Anchor|Pre-releases}}Release channels, cycles and updates===
The first production release on December 11, 2008, marked the end of the initial Beta test period and the beginning of production. Shortly thereafter, on January 8, 2009, Google announced an updated release system with three channels: Stable (corresponding to the traditional production), Beta, and Developer preview (also called the "Dev" channel). Where there were before only two channels: Beta and Developer, now there were three. Concurrently, all Developer channel users were moved to the Beta channel along with the promoted Developer release. Google explained that now the Developer channel builds would be less stable and polished than those from the initial Google Chrome's Beta period. Beta users could opt back to the Developer channel as desired.

Each channel has its own release cycle and stability level. The Stable channel updated roughly quarterly, with features and fixes that passed "thorough" testing in the Beta channel. Beta updated roughly monthly, with "stable and complete" features migrated from the Developer channel. The Developer channel updated once or twice per week and was where ideas and features were first publicly exposed "(and sometimes fail) and can be very unstable at times". [Quoted remarks from Google's policy announcements.]<ref>{{cite web |last=Larson |first=Mark |date=January 8, 2009|url=https://blog.chromium.org/2009/01/google-chrome-release-channels.html |title=Google Chrome Release Channels |access-date=January 9, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Larson|first=Mark|date=January 8, 2009|url=https://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2009/01/dev-update-new-webkit-version-new.html|title=Dev update: New WebKit version, new features, and a new Dev channel|access-date=January 9, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Fette|first=Ian|date=December 11, 2008|url=https://blog.chromium.org/2008/12/thanks-for-all-your-help.html|title=Thanks For All Your Help|access-date=May 1, 2015}}</ref>[[File:Chrome-canary-logo.svg|thumb|128px|Google Chrome Canary application icon]]On July 22, 2010, Google announced it would ramp up the speed at which it releases new stable versions; the release cycles were shortened from quarterly to six weeks for major Stable updates.<ref>{{cite web|last=Laforge|first=Anthony|date=July 22, 2010|url=https://blog.chromium.org/2010/07/release-early-release-often.html|title=Release Early, Release Often|access-date=July 25, 2010}}</ref> Beta channel releases now come roughly at the same rate as Stable releases, though approximately one month in advance, while Dev channel releases appear roughly once or twice weekly, allowing time for basic release-critical testing.<ref>{{cite web|author=The Chromium Authors|url=https://dev.chromium.org/getting-involved/dev-channel|title= Chrome Release Channels|access-date=October 29, 2014}}</ref> This faster release cycle also brought a fourth channel: the "Canary" channel, updated daily from a build produced at 09:00 UTC from the most stable of the last 40 [[Version control|revisions]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Irish|first=Paul|date=November 2, 2012|url=https://www.paulirish.com/2012/chrome-canary-for-developers/|title= Chrome Canary for Developers|access-date=October 29, 2014}}</ref> The name refers to the practice of [[Sentinel species|using canaries in coal mines]], so if a change "kills" Chrome Canary, it will be blocked from migrating down to the Developer channel, at least until fixed in a subsequent Canary build.<ref name="Bridge2010">{{cite web|last1=Bridge|first1=Henry|title=Google Chrome in a Coal Mine|url=https://blog.chromium.org/2010/08/google-chrome-in-coal-mine.html|website=Chromium Blog|access-date=March 19, 2015|date=August 2, 2010}}</ref> Canary is "the most bleeding-edge official version of Chrome and somewhat of a mix between Chrome dev and the Chromium snapshot builds". Canary releases run side by side with any other channel; it is not linked to the other Google Chrome installation and can therefore run different synchronization profiles, themes, and browser preferences. This ensures that fallback functionality remains even when some Canary updates may contain release-breaking bugs.<ref>{{cite web|first=Lee |last=Mathews|date=July 23, 2010|url=https://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/07/23/google-chrome-canary-run-two-channels-at-once/|title=Google drops Chrome Canary build down the Chrome mineshaft|access-date=July 25, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725003442/https://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/07/23/google-chrome-canary-run-two-channels-at-once/ |archive-date=July 25, 2010}}</ref> It does not natively include the option to be the default browser, although on Windows and OS X it can be set through System Preferences. Canary was Windows-only at first; an [[OS X]] version was released on May 3, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.chromium.org/2011/05/adding-more-yellow-to-mac-color-scheme.html |title=Adding more yellow to the Mac color scheme |website=blog.chromium.org |date=May 2, 2011 |access-date=February 4, 2012}}.</ref>

The Chrome beta channel for Android was launched on January 10, 2013; like Canary, it runs side by side with the stable channel for Android.<ref name="tnw130110">{{cite web |first= Emil |last= Protalinski |title= Google launches Chrome Beta channel for Android 4.0+ phones and tablets, releases version 25 |url= https://thenextweb.com/google/2013/01/10/google-launches-chrome-beta-channel-for-android-4-0-phones-and-tablets-releases-version-25/ |website= The Next Web |date= January 10, 2013 |access-date= March 9, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chrome.beta |title=Chrome beta for Android on Google Play |website=Play.google.com |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> Chrome Dev for Android was launched on April 29, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chromestory.com/2015/04/google-launches-dev-channel-for-chrome-on-android/|title=Google Launches Dev Channel for Chrome on Android|work=Chrome Story|access-date=July 13, 2015|archive-date=July 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711220228/https://www.chromestory.com/2015/04/google-launches-dev-channel-for-chrome-on-android/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

All Chrome channels are automatically distributed according to their respective release cycles. The mechanism differs by platform. On Windows, it uses Google Update, and auto-update can be controlled via [[Group Policy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://google-opensource.blogspot.com/2009/05/google-update-releases-update-controls.html |title= Google Update Releases Update Controls |last=Dorwin |first=David |date= May 14, 2009 |access-date=May 13, 2010}}</ref> Alternatively, users may download a standalone installer of a version of Chrome that does not auto-update.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95346?visit_id=637339793306428474-1010377970&rd=1#install_win_offline|title=Download & install Google Chrome - Computer - Google Chrome Help|website=support.google.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/desktop/index.html?standalone=1 |title= Get a fast, free web browser |website=Google.com |access-date=February 17, 2017}}</ref> On OS X, it uses Google Update Service, and auto-update can be controlled via the OS X "defaults" system.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/6315198?visit_id=637339793311802494-2911862149&rd=3|title=Fix problems installing Chrome - Google Chrome Help|website=support.google.com}}</ref> On Linux, it lets the system's normal [[package management system]] supply the updates. This auto-updating behavior is a key difference from [[Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]], the non-branded [[open-source software|open-source]] browser which forms the core of Google Chrome. Because Chromium also serves as the [[Software release life cycle#Pre-alpha|pre-release]] [[Trunk (software)|development trunk]] for Chrome, its revisions are provided as source code and buildable snapshots are produced continuously with each new [[Commit (data management)|commit]], requiring users to manage their own browser updates.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dev.chromium.org/developers/testing/chromium-build-infrastructure/tour-of-the-chromium-buildbot|title=Tour of the Chromium Buildbot Waterfall - The Chromium Projects|access-date=December 2, 2014}}</ref>

In March 2021, Google announced that starting with Chrome 94 in the third quarter of 2021, Google Chrome Stable releases will be made every four weeks, instead of six weeks as they have been since 2010. Also, Google announced a new release channel for system administrators and browser embedders with releases every eight weeks.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kwan|first=Campbell|title=Google to shorten Chrome update cycle to four weeks|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-to-shorten-chrome-update-cycle-to-four-weeks/|access-date=March 5, 2021|website=ZDNet|language=en}}</ref>
====Release version numbers====
Releases are identified by a four-part version number, e.g. 42.0.2311.90 (Windows Stable release April 14, 2015<ref name="V42-Stable1">{{cite web|title=Version 42 Stable Release|url=https://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2015/04/stable-channel-update_14.html|website=Chrome Releases|access-date=December 28, 2015|date=April 14, 2015}}</ref>). The components are major.minor.build.patch.<ref name="dev-cal">{{cite web|url=https://www.chromium.org/developers/calendar|title=Chromium Development Calendar and Release Info|website=The Chromium Projects|access-date=May 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chromium.org/developers/version-numbers|title=Version Numbers|website=The Chromium Projects|access-date=May 1, 2015|date=March 14, 2014|author= Mike Frysinger}}</ref>
:''Major.minor'' reflects scheduling policy
:''Build.patch'' identifies content progression
*''Major'' represents a product release. These are scheduled 7–8 per year, unlike other software systems where the ''major'' version number updates only with substantial new content.
*''Minor'' is usually 0. References to version 'x' or 'x.0', e.g. 42.0, refer to this ''major.minor'' designation.
*''Build'' is ever increasing. For a release cycle, e.g. 42.0, there are several builds in the Canary and Developer period. The last ''build'' number from Developer is kept throughout Beta and Stable and is locked with the ''major.minor'' for that release.
*''Patch'' resets with each ''build'', incrementing with each ''patch''. The first ''patch'' is 0, but usually the first publicly released ''patch'' is somewhat higher. In Beta and Stable, only ''patch'' increments.
[[Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]] and Chrome release schedules are linked through [[Chromium (web browser)|Chromium]] (''Major'') version [[Branching (version control)|Branch Point]] dates, published annually.<ref name="dev-cal" /> The Branch Points precede the final Chrome Developer build (initial) release by 4 days (nearly always) and the Chrome Stable initial release by roughly 53 days.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1uv_dNkPVlDFG1kaImq7dW-6PasJQU1Yzpj5IKG_2coA/present?slide=id.i109|title=Chrome Release Cycle -12/16/2010
|website=Google Slides|access-date=May 1, 2015|date=December 16, 2010|author=Anthony LaForge}}</ref>

Example: The version 42 Branch Point was February 20, 2015.<ref name="dev-cal" /> Developer builds stopped advancing at ''build'' 2311 with release 42.0.2311.4 on February 24,<ref>{{cite web|title=Version 42 Developer Update|url=https://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2015/02/dev-channel-update_24.html|website=Chrome Releases|access-date=December 28, 2015|date=February 26, 2015}}</ref> 4 days later. The first Stable release, 42.0.2311.90, was April 14, 2015,<ref name="V42-Stable1" /> 53 days after the Branch Point.<!--There are certain version numbers with "m" appended to it (Such as "49.0.2623.112 m", aside from "49.0.2623.112"). It is not known what "m" stands for.-->
===Color management===
{{Main|Color management}}Chrome supports [[color management]] by using the system-provided ICC v2 and v4 support on [[macOS]], and from version 22 supports ICC v2 profiles by default on other platforms.<ref name="google1" />
===''Dinosaur Game''===
{{Main|Dinosaur Game}}In Chrome, when not connected to the Internet and an error message displaying "No internet" is shown, on the top, an "[[Third generation of video game consoles|8-bit]]" ''[[Tyrannosaurus|Tyrannosaurus rex]]'' is shown, but when pressing the space bar on a keyboard, mouse-clicking on it or tapping it on touch devices, the T-Rex instantly jumps once and dashes across a [[cactus]]-ridden desert, revealing it to be an [[Easter egg (media)|Easter egg]] in the form of a [[platform game]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/google-chrome-easter-egg-t-rex-mini-game-2014-9|title=Google Chrome Easter Egg T-Rex Mini Game|work=Business Insider}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/tech/fun-fact-even-without-an-internet-connection-195609091.html|title=Play Google Chrome's Secret Offline Game|website=www.yahoo.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-05-28/google-chromes-secret-unable-to-connect-to-the-internet-game-could-be-better-than-the-whole-web|title=How do I find the secret dinosaur game on Google Chrome when my internet connection is down?|work=RadioTimes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-chromes-unable-to-connect-to-the-internet-page-has-a-hidden-endless-runner-game-9758418.html|title=Google Chrome's 'Unable to connect to the Internet' page has a hidden endless runner game|work=The Independent|date=September 26, 2014}}</ref> The game itself is an infinite runner, and there is no time limit in the game as it progresses faster and periodically tints to a black background. A school [[Chromebook]] administrator can disable the game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=462221|title=Issue 462221 - chromium - Disable offline game (T-Rex) if device is enrolled - Monorail|date=February 26, 2015|website=Chromium.org|publication-date=February 26, 2015|access-date=July 27, 2016}}</ref>
==Platforms==
The current version of Chrome runs on:
*[[Windows 7]] or later<ref name="support dl">{{cite web|url= https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95346|title= Download and install Google Chrome|website= Google Help|at= See system requirements|access-date= April 20, 2016}}</ref>
*[[MacOS High Sierra|macOS 10.13]] or later<ref name="support dl" />
*[[64-bit computing|64-bit]] versions of [[Ubuntu (operating system)|Ubuntu]] 14.04+, [[Debian]] 8+, [[openSUSE]] 13.3+ and [[Fedora (operating system)|Fedora]] 24+<ref name="support dl" />
*[[Android Marshmallow]] or later
*[[iOS 14]] or later
{{As of|2016|4}}, stable 32-bit and 64-bit builds are available for Windows, with only 64-bit stable builds available for Linux and [[macOS]].<ref name="Chrome39">{{cite web |title= Stable Channel Update |url= https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2014/11/stable-channel-update_18.html|website=googleblog.com|date= November 18, 2014|access-date= November 18, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title= 64-bit Support – The Chromium Projects|url= https://www.chromium.org/developers/design-documents/64-bit-support/|website=chromium.org|access-date= March 5, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.google.com/chrome/|title=Google Chrome - Download the Fast, Secure Browser from Google|website=www.google.com}}</ref> 64-bit Windows builds became available in the developer channel and as canary builds on June 3, 2014,<ref>{{cite web|title= Try out the new 64-bit Windows Canary and Dev channels|url=https://blog.chromium.org/2014/06/try-out-new-64-bit-windows-canary-and.html|website=blog.chromium.org|access-date= July 1, 2014}}</ref> in the beta channel on July 30, 2014,<ref>{{cite web|title= Announcing the Chrome 64-bit Beta Channel for Windows!|url=https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2014/07/announcing-chrome-64-bit-beta-channel.html|website=googleblog.com|access-date= August 11, 2014}}</ref> and in the stable channel on August 26, 2014.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://blog.chromium.org/2014/08/64-bits-of-awesome-64-bit-windows_26.html | title= 64 bits of awesome: 64-bit Windows Support, now in Stable! | date= August 26, 2014 | access-date= August 27, 2014}}</ref> 64-bit OS X builds became available as canary builds on November 7, 2013,<ref>{{cite mailing list|mailing-list=chromium-dev|title=Yesterday's Mac canary was 64-bit|url=https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/d/msg/chromium-dev/LBHN-SWwI7I/XYuj8tHQa04J|author=Mark Mentovai|date=November 8, 2013|access-date=February 6, 2022}}</ref> in the beta channel on October 9, 2014,<ref>{{cite web|title=Beta Channel Update|url=https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/2014/10/beta-channel-update_9.html|date=October 9, 2014|access-date=February 14, 2022}}</ref> and in the stable channel on November 18, 2014.<ref name="Chrome39" />

Starting with the release of version 89, Chrome will only be supported on [[Intel processors|Intel]]/[[X86|Intel x86]] and [[List of AMD processors|AMD]] processors with the [[SSE3]] instruction set.<ref>{{Cite web|last=February 2021|first=Jess Weatherbed 08|title=Google Chrome will no longer support some older processors|url=https://www.techradar.com/news/google-chrome-will-no-longer-support-some-older-processors|access-date=February 16, 2021|website=TechRadar|date=February 8, 2021|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Chrome Browser system requirements - Google Chrome Enterprise Help|url=https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/7100626?hl=en|access-date=February 8, 2021|website=support.google.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Require SSE3 for Chrome on x86|url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QUzL4MGNqX4wiLvukUwBf6FdCL35kCDoEJTm2wMkahw/|access-date=February 8, 2021|website=|language=}}</ref>

{{Google Chrome release compatibility}}
===Android===
[[File:Google_Chrome_103_on_Android_12.png|thumb|Google Chrome running on an Android phone]]A beta version for [[Android Ice Cream Sandwich|Android 4.0]] devices was launched on February 7, 2012, available for a limited number of countries from [[Google Play]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?&answer=2393487 |title= Install Chrome for Android Beta – Google Chrome Help |publisher=Google Inc. |access-date= April 6, 2012}}</ref><ref name="Engadget">{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/02/07/google-chrome-browser-arrives-on-android-video/ |title=Google Chrome Beta arrives on Android (video) |first=Mat |last=Smith |work=Engadget |date=February 7, 2012 |access-date=September 22, 2012 }}</ref>

Notable features: synchronization with desktop Chrome to provide the same bookmarks and view the same browser tabs,<ref name="NeowinAndroid">{{cite web|url= https://www.neowin.net/news/beta-version-of-chrome-for-android-40-released |title= Beta version of Chrome for Android 4.0 released |website= www.neowin.net |access-date= February 9, 2012}}.</ref> page pre-rendering,<ref name="GoogleOSAndroid">{{cite web|url= https://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2012/02/chrome-for-android.html |title= Google Operating System: Chrome for Android |website= googlesystem.blogspot.com |date= February 7, 2012 |access-date= August 18, 2021}}</ref> hardware acceleration.<ref name="23 Questions">{{Cite journal |url= https://chromestory.com/2012/02/google-chrome-for-android-23-questions-and-answers-it-wont-support-flash/ |title= Google Chrome for Android – 23 Questions and Answers |website= Chrome Story |access-date= February 9, 2012 |archive-date= February 11, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120211042120/https://chromestory.com/2012/02/google-chrome-for-android-23-questions-and-answers-it-wont-support-flash/ |url-status= dead }}</ref>

Many of the latest HTML5 features: almost all of the Web Platform's features: GPU-accelerated canvas, including CSS 3D Transforms, CSS animations, SVG, [[WebSocket]] (including binary messages), Dedicated Workers; it has overflow scroll support, strong HTML5 video support, and new capabilities such as IndexedDB, WebWorkers, Application Cache and the File APIs, date- and time-pickers, parts of the Media Capture API.<ref name="GoogleOSAndroid" /><ref name="BeverlooAndroid">{{Cite web|url=https://peter.sh/2012/02/bringing-google-chrome-to-android/|title=Bringing Google Chrome to Android |last=Beverloo |first=Peter|date=February 7, 2012|access-date=February 14, 2022}}</ref> Also supports mobile oriented features such as Device Orientation and Geolocation.<ref name="BeverlooAndroid" />

Mobile customizations: swipe gesture tab switching,<ref name="NeowinAndroid" /> link preview allows zooming in on (multiple) links to ensure the desired one is clicked,<ref name="NeowinAndroid" /> font size boosting to ensure readability regardless of the zoom level.<ref name="BeverlooAndroid" />

Features missing in the mobile version include sandboxed tabs,<ref name="GoogleOSAndroid" />Safe Browsing,<ref name="GoogleOSAndroid" /> apps or [[Browser extension|extensions]],<ref name="23 Questions" /> Adobe Flash (now and in the future),<ref name="23 Questions" /> [[Native Client]],<ref name="23 Questions" /> and the ability to [[Import and export of data|export]] user data such a list of their opened tabs or their browsing history into [[data portability|portable]] local files.<ref name="dev_to">{{cite web |last=Piczkowski |first=Marcin |title=When You Never Close Tabs on Your Mobile Chrome Browser |url=https://dev.to/piczmar_0/when-you-never-close-tabs-on-your-mobile-chrome-browser-2boj |website=DEV.to |date=March 7, 2019 }}</ref>

Development changes: remote debugging,<ref name="GoogleOSAndroid" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://developer.chrome.com/docs/devtools/remote-debugging/|title=Remote debug Android devices|author=Kayce Basques|date=April 13, 2015|website=developer.chrome.com|access-date=February 11, 2022}}.</ref> part of the browser layer has been implemented in Java, communicating with the rest of the Chromium and WebKit code through Java Native Bindings.<ref name="BeverlooAndroid" /> The code of Chrome for Android is a fork of the Chromium project. It is a priority to upstream most new and modified code to Chromium and WebKit to resolve the fork.<ref name="BeverlooAndroid" />

The April 17, 2012, update included availability in 31 additional languages and in all countries where Google Play is available. A desktop version of a website can also be requested as opposed to a mobile version. In addition, Android users can now add bookmarks to their Android home screens if they choose and decide which apps should handle links opened in Chrome.<ref>{{cite web|last= Lardinois|first= Frederic|date= April 17, 2012|url= https://techcrunch.com/2012/04/17/chrome-for-android-gets-desktop-view-home-screen-bookmarks-file-downloads/|title= Chrome For Android Gets Desktop View, Home Screen Bookmarks, File Downloads}}</ref>

On June 27, 2012, Google Chrome for Android exited beta and became stable.<ref name="nolongerbetachromeand">{{Cite journal|url= https://www.engadget.com/2012/06/27/google-chrome-for-android/ |title= Google Chrome for Android comes out of beta, Hits Play today |website=[[Engadget]] |publisher=[[AOL]] |date= June 27, 2012 |access-date= June 27, 2012}}.</ref><ref name="Release">{{cite web |url=https://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2012/06/chrome-for-android-out-of-beta.html |title=Chrome for Android out of Beta! |first=Srikanth |last=Rajagopalan |work=Google Chrome Releases blog |date=June 27, 2012 |access-date=September 22, 2012 }}</ref>

Chrome 18.0.1026311, released on September 26, 2012, was the first version of Chrome for Android to support mobile devices based on Intel x86.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2012/09/chrome-for-android-update_26.html |title= Chrome for Android Update |website= Googlechromereleases.blogspot.hu |date= September 26, 2012 |access-date= March 23, 2013}}</ref>

Starting from version 25, the Chrome version for Android is aligned with the desktop version, and usually new stable releases are available at the same time between the Android and the desktop version. Google released a separate Chrome for Android beta channel on January 10, 2013, with version 25.<ref name="tnw130110" /> {{As of | 2013}} a separate beta version of Chrome is available in the Google Play Store{{snd}}it can run side by side with the stable release.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chrome.beta |title= Chrome Beta for Android |website= play.google.com |date= May 26, 2013 |access-date= July 4, 2013}}</ref>
===iOS===
{{anchor|iOS version}}

Chrome is available on [[Apple Inc.|Apple]]'s mobile [[iOS]] operating system as ''Google Chrome for iOS''. Released in the [[App Store (iOS)|Apple App Store]] on June 26, 2012, it supports the [[iPad]], [[iPhone]], and [[iPod Touch]], and the current version requires that the device has iOS 14.0 or greater installed.<ref name="iOS">{{Cite web|url=https://apps.apple.com/us/app/google-chrome/id535886823|title=Google Chrome|website=App Store}}</ref> In accordance with Apple's requirements for browsers released through their App Store, this version of Chrome uses the ''iOS WebKit''{{snd}} which is Apple's own mobile rendering engine and components, developed for their ''Safari'' browser{{snd}} therefore it is restricted from using Google's own V8 JavaScript engine.<ref name="Forbes">{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/06/29/google-chrome-on-ios-hits-1-free-app/|title=Google Chrome on iOS Hits #1 Free App|website=Forbes|access-date=August 29, 2017|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124105829/https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/06/29/google-chrome-on-ios-hits-1-free-app/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="9to5mac">{{Cite web|url=https://9to5mac.com/2014/06/03/ios-8-webkit-changes-finally-allow-all-apps-to-have-the-same-performance-as-safari/|title=iOS 8 WebKit changes finally allow all apps to have the same performance as Safari|first=Mike|last=Beasley|date=June 3, 2014}}</ref> Chrome is the default web browser for the [[iOS]] ''Gmail'' application.

In a review by [[Chitika]], Chrome was noted as having 1.5% of the iOS web browser market {{as of|2012|July|18|lc=y|df=US}}.<ref>{{cite web |first=Don |last=Reisinger |title=Chrome already nabs 1.5 percent of iOS browser market |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/chrome-already-nabs-1-5-percent-of-ios-browser-market/ |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |date=July 18, 2012 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref> In October 2013, Chrome had 3% of the iOS browser market.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/11/chromes-share-of-ios-usage-doubles-year-over-year-to-3/ |title=Chrome's Share of iOS Usage Doubles Year-Over-Year to 3% |website=Mac Rumors |date=October 11, 2013 |access-date=April 21, 2014}}</ref>
===Linux===
On [[Linux distribution]]s, support for 32-bit Intel processors ended in March 2016 although Chromium is still supported.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.osnews.com/story/28980/Google_ends_32-bit_Linux_support_for_Chrome|title=Google ends 32-bit Linux support for Chrome|website=OSNews}}</ref> As of Chrome version 26, Linux installations of the browser may be updated only on systems that support [[GNU Compiler Collection|GCC]] v4.6 and [[GTK]] v2.24 or later. Thus deprecated systems include (for example) [[Debian]] 6's 2.20, and [[Red Hat Enterprise Linux|RHEL]] 6's 2.18.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.h-online.com/open/news/item/Chrome-stops-declaring-Linux-systems-obsolete-1803451.html|title=Chrome stops declaring Linux systems obsolete - The H Open: News and Features|date=February 14, 2013|website=H-online.com|access-date=March 30, 2013}}</ref>
===Windows===
Support for Google Chrome on [[Windows XP]] and [[Windows Vista]] ended in April 2016.<ref name="Updates to Chrome platform support">{{cite web|url=https://chrome.googleblog.com/2015/11/updates-to-chrome-platform-support.html|title=Updates to Chrome platform support|last=Pawliger|first=Marc|date=November 10, 2015|website=Chrome Blog|access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref> The last release of Google Chrome that can be run on Windows XP and Windows Vista was version 49.0.2623.112,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cunningham|first1=Andrew|title=Chrome 50 ends support for Windows XP, OS X 10.6, other old versions|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/04/chrome-50-ends-support-for-windows-xp-os-x-10-6-other-old-versions/|access-date=October 9, 2016|publisher=ArsTechnia|date=April 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505071211/https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/04/chrome-50-ends-support-for-windows-xp-os-x-10-6-other-old-versions/|archive-date=May 5, 2016|language=en}}</ref> released on April 7, 2016,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2016/04/stable-channel-update.html|title=Stable Channel Update|work=googlechromereleases.blogspot.com|access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref> then re-released on April 11, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://filehippo.com/download_google_chrome/67280/|title=Google Chrome 49.0.2623.112|work=filehippo.com|access-date=August 10, 2016}}</ref>

Support for Google Chrome on [[Windows 7]] was supposed to end upon the announcement on July 15, 2021,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/chrome-enterprise/how-chrome-is-helping-enterprises-still-using-windows-7/|title=How Chrome is helping enterprises still using Windows 7|website=Google Cloud Blog|language=en|access-date=January 15, 2020}}</ref> and suddenly moved to January 15, 2022, however due to the ongoing [[COVID-19 pandemic]] and enterprises are taking more time to migrate to [[Windows 10]] or [[Windows 11|11]], the end of support date was pushed at least on January 15, 2023, receiving critical security and stability updates of the Chrome browser.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chrome support for Windows 7 now until January 15, 2022|url=https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/chrome-enterprise/extending-chrome-on-windows-7-to-support-enterprise-customers/|access-date=November 23, 2020|website=Google Cloud Blog|language=en}}</ref>

"Windows 8 mode" was introduced in 2012 and has since been discontinued. It was provided to the developer channel, which enabled [[Windows 8]] and [[Windows 8.1]] users to run Chrome with a full-screen, tablet-optimized interface, with access to snapping, sharing, and search functionalities.<ref>{{cite web|last=Newman|first=Jared|title=Google Chrome Gets Early Metro-Style App for Windows 8|url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/257427/google_chrome_gets_early_metrostyle_app_for_windows_8.html|website=[[PCWorld]]|date=June 12, 2012|publisher=[[IDG]]|access-date=June 13, 2012|archive-date=September 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120909004200/https://www.pcworld.com/article/257427/google_chrome_gets_early_metrostyle_app_for_windows_8.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In October 2013, Windows 8 mode on the developer channel changed to use a desktop environment mimicking the interface of Chrome OS with a dedicated windowing system and taskbar for web apps.<ref name="verge-metrochromeos">{{cite web|title=Google is building Chrome OS straight into Windows 8|url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/10/5/4806562/google-building-chrome-os-into-windows-8|work=The Verge|date=October 5, 2013|access-date=October 5, 2013}}</ref> This was removed on version 49 and users that have upgraded to Windows 10 will lose this feature.<ref>{{Cite web
|url= https://productforums.google.com/forum//chrome/44StwlC3Gz0
|title= Unable to open Google Chrome in windows 8 mode - Google Product Forums
|access-date= September 29, 2016
}}</ref>
===macOS===
Google dropped support for [[Mac OS X Leopard]] with the release of Chrome 22.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2599452|title=Chrome no longer supports Mac OS X 10.5|publisher=Google Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329153528/https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/2599452|archive-date=March 29, 2015}}</ref> Support for [[32-bit]] versions of Chrome ended in November 2014 with the release of Chrome 39.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/4660488?|title=Chrome updates on Mac 32-bit|website=Chrome help|publisher=Google Inc.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.omgchrome.com/chrome-32-bit-mac-discontinued-later-year|title=Google to Discontinue 32-bit Chrome for Mac Next Month|website=OMG! Chrome!|date=September 4, 2014}}</ref><ref name="Chrome39" /> Support for [[Mac OS X Snow Leopard]], [[Mac OS X Lion]], and [[OS X Mountain Lion]] ended in April 2016 with the release of Chrome 50. Support for [[OS X Mavericks]] ended in April 2018 with the release of Chrome 66. Support for [[OS X Yosemite]] ended in January 2021 with the release of Chrome 88. Support for [[OS X El Capitan]] and [[macOS Sierra]] ended in August 2022 with the release of Chrome 104.{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}}
===ChromeOS===
{{Main|ChromeOS}}Google Chrome is the basis of Google's [[ChromeOS]] operating system that ships on specific hardware from Google's manufacturing partners.<ref name="Tweney, Wired">{{cite magazine |author=Dylan F. Tweney |date=November 19, 2009 |title=Gadget Lab Hardware News and Reviews Google Chrome OS: Ditch Your Hard Drives, the Future Is the Web |url=https://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/11/google-chrome-os-ditch-your-hard-drives-the-future-is-the-web/ |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409144108/https://www.wired.com/2009/11/google-chrome-os-ditch-your-hard-drives-the-future-is-the-web/ |archive-date=April 9, 2014 |access-date=November 22, 2009}}</ref> The user interface has a [[minimalism (computing)|minimalist design]] resembling the Google Chrome browser. ChromeOS is aimed at users who spend most of their computer time on the Web; the only applications on the devices are a browser incorporating a media player and a [[file manager]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sengupta |first1=Caesar |last2=Papakipos |first2=Matt |date=November 19, 2009 |title=Releasing the Chromium OS open source project |url=https://googleblog.blogspot.no/2009/11/releasing-chromium-os-open-source.html |access-date=March 9, 2017 |website=Official Google Blog}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Stokes |first=Jon |date=January 20, 2010 |title=Google talks Chrome OS, HTML5, and the future of software |url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2010/01/chrome-os-interview-1/ |access-date=March 9, 2017 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]]}}</ref><ref name="Bloomberg">{{cite web |last=Womack |first=Brian |date=July 8, 2009 |title=Google to Challenge Microsoft With Operating System |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aTd2k.YdQZ.Y |access-date=July 8, 2009 |website=Bloomberg}}</ref><ref name="NY Times Hansell">{{cite news |last=Hansell |first=Saul |date=July 8, 2009 |title=Would you miss Windows with a Google operating system? |work=New York Times |url=https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/would-you-miss-windows-with-a-google-operating-system/ |access-date=July 8, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Pichai |first1=Sundar |last2=Upson |first2=Linus |date=July 7, 2009 |title=Introducing the Google Chrome OS |url=https://googleblog.blogspot.no/2009/07/introducing-google-chrome-os.html |access-date=March 9, 2017 |website=Official Google Blog}}</ref>

Google announced ChromeOS on July 7, 2009.<ref name="PC World">{{cite web |last=Mediati |first=Nick |date=July 7, 2009 |title=Google Announces Chrome OS |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/168028/google_announces_chrome_os.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119024148/http://www.pcworld.com/article/168028/google_announces_chrome_os.html |archive-date=January 19, 2010 |access-date=July 8, 2009 |website=[[PC World]] |publisher=[[IDG]]}}</ref>
==Reception==
{{update|section|date=June 2019}}
Google Chrome was met with acclaim upon release. In 2008, Matthew Moore of ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' summarized the verdict of early reviewers: "Google Chrome is attractive, fast and has some impressive new features..."<ref>{{cite news |first=Matthew |last=Moore |title=Google Chrome browser: Review of reviews |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3358306/Google-Chrome-browser-Review-of-reviews.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3358306/Google-Chrome-browser-Review-of-reviews.html |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=September 24, 2011 |date=September 2, 2008 |work=Daily Telegraph }}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Initially, Microsoft reportedly played down the threat from Chrome and predicted that most people would embrace [[Internet Explorer 8]]. [[Opera Software]] said that "Chrome will strengthen the Web as the biggest application platform in the world".<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/09/03/google-polishes-product-line-with-chrome-browser.html|journal=The Jakarta Post|title=Google polishes product line with Chrome browser|first=Michael|last=Liedtke|date=September 3, 2008|agency=Associated Press|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623142424/https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/09/03/google-polishes-product-line-with-chrome-browser.html|archive-date=June 23, 2012}}</ref> But by February 25, 2010, ''BusinessWeek'' had reported that "For the first time in years, energy and resources are being poured into browsers, the ubiquitous programs for accessing content on the Web. Credit for this trend{{snd}}a boon to consumers{{snd}}goes to two parties. The first is Google, whose big plans for the Chrome browser have shaken Microsoft out of its competitive torpor and forced the software giant to pay fresh attention to its own browser, Internet Explorer. Microsoft all but ceased efforts to enhance IE after it triumphed in the last browser war, sending Netscape to its doom. Now it's back in gear."<ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_10/b4169074693523.htm |title=Browser Wars: The Sequel |first=Rich |last=Jaroslovsky |journal=BusinessWeek |date=February 25, 2010 }}</ref> Mozilla said that Chrome's introduction into the web browser market comes as "no real surprise", that "Chrome is not aimed at competing with Firefox", and furthermore that it would not affect [[Mozilla Foundation#Financing|Google's revenue relationship with Mozilla]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://john.jubjubs.net/2008/09/01/thoughts-on-chrome-more/ |title= Thoughts on Chrome & More |website= John's Blog |date= September 1, 2008 |access-date= May 13, 2010 |archive-date= May 27, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100527064451/http://john.jubjubs.net/2008/09/01/thoughts-on-chrome-more |dead-url= yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/222147/mozilla-google-is-not-trying-to-kill-us.html |title=Mozilla: Google's not trying to kill us |first=Barry |last=Collins |date=September 2, 2008 |website=[[PC Pro]] |publisher=[[Dennis Publishing]] |access-date=July 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210111805/https://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/222147/mozilla-google-is-not-trying-to-kill-us.html |archive-date=February 10, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
{{quote|Chrome's design bridges the gap between desktop and so-called "cloud computing." At the touch of a button, Chrome lets you make a desktop, Start menu, or QuickLaunch shortcut to any Web page or Web application, blurring the line between what's online and what's inside your PC. For example, I created a desktop shortcut for Google Maps. When you create a shortcut for a Web application, Chrome strips away all of the toolbars and tabs from the window, leaving you with something that feels much more like a desktop application than like a Web application or page.|''[[PC World]]''<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.pcworld.com/article/150579/google_chrome_web_browser.html |title=Google Chrome Web Browser |first=Nick |last=Mediati |date=September 3, 2008 |access-date=September 7, 2008 |website=[[PC World]] |publisher=[[IDG]]}}</ref>}}
With its dominance in the web browser market, Google has been accused of using Chrome and Blink development to push new web standards that are proposed in-house by Google and subsequently implemented by its services first and foremost. These have led to performance disadvantages and compatibility issues with competing browsers, and in some cases, developers intentionally refusing to test their websites on any other browser than Chrome.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-28/google-s-chrome-becomes-web-gatekeeper-and-rivals-complain|title=Google's Chrome Becomes Web 'Gatekeeper' and Rivals Complain|date=May 28, 2019|newspaper=Bloomberg.com|access-date=May 28, 2019}}</ref> Tom Warren of ''The Verge'' went as far as comparing Chrome to [[Internet Explorer 6]], the default browser of [[Windows XP]] that was often targeted by competitors due to its similar ubiquity in the early 2000s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/4/16805216/google-chrome-only-sites-internet-explorer-6-web-standards|title=Chrome is turning into the new Internet Explorer 6|last=Warren|first=Tom|date=January 4, 2018|website=The Verge|access-date=May 28, 2019}}</ref>

In 2019, Google similarly faced criticism over planned changes to its extensions API for Chrome (dubbed "Manifest V3"), which would inhibit the effectiveness of certain forms of [[ad blocking]] software by preventing the use of the WebRequest [[Application programming interface|API]] to block and modify network connections. Google intends extensions to transition to another API known as DeclarativeWebRequest, which allows the extension to set up pre-configured rules that are processed by the browser itself rather than through the extension. However, concerns over how well the API would perform, in combination with concerns over a cap on the number of entries that may be blacklisted, led to criticism that these changes were designed to inhibit ad blocking (citing Google's vested interest in the online advertising industry). Google cited performance issues associated with WebRequest, as it requires all network traffic to go through the extension before the page is loaded, as well as its use in malicious extensions, as justification for these changes. In June 2019, it announced that it would increase the aforementioned cap from 30,000 to 150,000 entries to help quell concerns.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-promises-to-play-nice-with-ad-blockers-again/|title=Google promises to play nice with ad blockers (again)|last=Cimpanu|first=Catalin|website=ZDNet|language=en|access-date=June 13, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/google-chrome-could-soon-kill-off-most-ad-blocker-extensions/|title=Google Chrome could soon kill off most ad-blocker extensions|last=Tung|first=Liam|website=ZDNet|language=en|access-date=June 13, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/google-says-chrome-isnt-killing-ad-blockers-its-making-them-safer/|title=Google says Chrome isn't killing ad blockers|last=Mihalcik|first=Carrie|website=CNET|language=en|access-date=June 13, 2019}}</ref>
==Usage==
===Market share===
{{Further|Usage share of web browsers|Browser wars}}[[File:Web browser usage share StatCounter.svg|thumb|[[Usage share of web browsers]] according to [[StatCounter]]<ref name="StatsCounter">{{cite web |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/ |title=Top 5 Browsers from December 2010 to December 2011 |website=StatCounter |access-date=January 8, 2012}}</ref>]]{{Countries by most used web browser}}

Chrome overtook [[Firefox]] in November 2011, in worldwide usage. {{As of|2021|03}}, according to StatCounter, Google Chrome had 67% worldwide desktop [[usage share of web browsers|usage share]], making it the most widely used web browser.<ref name="statcounter201606">{{cite web|title=Desktop Browser Market Share Worldwide|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/desktop/worldwide/#monthly-202103-202103-bar|website=StatCounter}}</ref>

Along with [[Safari (web browser)|Safari]] and [[Firefox|Mozilla Firefox]], Chrome receives a weekend "bump", which boosts its market share by as much as three percentage points on weekends, at the expense of [[Internet Explorer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://getclicky.com/marketshare/global/web-browsers/|title=Global Web Browser Marketshares|website=Clicky Analytics|access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref>

It was reported by StatCounter, a web analytics company, that for the single day of Sunday, March 18, 2012, Chrome was the most used web browser in the world for the first time. Chrome secured 32.7% of the global web browsing on that day, while Internet Explorer followed closely behind with 32.5%.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://gs.statcounter.com/press/chrome-is-worlds-number-one-browser-for-a-day | title=Chrome is world's number one browser for a day | website=[[StatCounter]] | date=March 21, 2012}}</ref>

From May 14–21, 2012, Google Chrome was for the first time responsible for more Internet traffic than Microsoft's Internet Explorer, which long had held its spot as the most used web browser in the world.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.cnn.com/2012/05/21/tech/web/chrome-explorer-browser-wars/index.html | title=Chrome overtakes Internet Explorer as No. 1 browser -- maybe | work=CNN | date=May 21, 2012 | access-date=May 21, 2012}}</ref> According to StatCounter, 31.88% of web traffic was generated by Chrome for a sustained period of one week and 31.47% by Internet Explorer. Though Chrome had topped Internet Explorer for a single day's usage in the past, this was the first time it had led for one full week.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://mashable.com/2012/05/21/chrome-is-tops/ | title=Google Chrome Now the No. 1 Browser in the World |website=[[mashable.com]] | date=May 21, 2012 | last= Pachal |first= Peter}}</ref>

At the 2012 Google I/O developers' conference, Google claimed that there were 310 million active users of Chrome, almost double the number in 2011, which was stated as 160 million active users.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/06/28/chrome-tops-310-million-users-almost-100-growth-over-last-year/ |title=Chrome tops 310 million users, almost 100% growth over last year |date=June 28, 2012}}</ref>

In June 2013, according to StatCounter, Chrome overtook Internet Explorer for the first time in the US.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-US-monthly-201306-201306-bar|title=Stats Counter US Monthly bar graph|date=June 2013|access-date=July 25, 2013}}</ref>

In August 2013, Chrome was used by 43% of internet users worldwide. This study was done by Statista, which also noted that in North America, 36% of people use Chrome, the lowest in the world.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fox|first=Zoe|date=August 14, 2013|url=https://mashable.com/2013/08/14/google-chrome-global-share/|title=43% of Global Web Surfers Choose Google Chrome|website=[[Mashable]]}}</ref>{{bar box
|title=Desktop/laptop browser statistics
|titlebar=#DDD
|float   = center
|width=440px
|barwidth=250px
|bars=
{{bar percent|Google Chrome|#A3FFA3|68.33|68.33%}}
{{bar percent|[[Safari (web browser)|Safari]]|#A3D3FF|9.4|9.4%}}
{{bar percent|[[Firefox|Mozilla Firefox]]|#A3D3FF|8.91|8.91%}}
{{bar percent|[[Microsoft Edge]]|#A3D3FF|4.41|4.41%}}
{{bar percent|[[Internet Explorer]]|#A3D3FF|3|3%}}
{{bar percent|''Others''|#A3A3A3|5.95|5.95%}}
{{bar gap|height=11}}
|caption=Desktop web browser market share according to [[StatCounter]] for May 2020<ref>{{cite web |title=Desktop Browser Market Share Worldwide |url=https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/desktop/worldwide/#monthly-202005-202005-bar|website=StatCounter Global Stats |access-date=June 16, 2020 |language=en}}</ref>}}{{As of|2020|05}}, Chrome is the most used browser in every country.<ref name="most_popular_map">{{Cite web|url=https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share#monthly-202005-202005-map|title=Browser Market Share Worldwide {{!}} StatCounter Global Stats|website=StatCounter Global Stats|language=en|access-date=June 16, 2020}}</ref>
===Enterprise deployment===
In December 2010, Google announced that to make it easier for businesses to use Chrome they would provide an official Chrome [[Windows Installer|MSI package]]. For business use it is helpful to have full-fledged MSI packages that can be customized via transform files (.mst){{snd}}but the MSI provided with Chrome is only a very limited [[MSI wrapper]] fitted around the normal installer, and many businesses find that this arrangement does not meet their needs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=68519 |title=Change MSI from a wrapper to "full" MSI |date=January 4, 2011 |access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref> The normal downloaded Chrome installer puts the browser in the user's local app data directory and provides invisible background updates, but the MSI package will allow installation at the system level, providing system administrators control over the update process<ref>{{cite web |first=Ryan |last=Paul |title=Google offering MSI to simplify Chrome enterprise deployment |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2010/12/google-offering-msi-to-simplify-chrome-enterprise-deployment/ |website=[[Ars Technica]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] |date=December 16, 2010 |access-date=March 9, 2017}}</ref>{{snd}}it was formerly possible only when Chrome was installed using [[Google Pack]]. Google also created [[Group Policy|group policy objects]] to fine-tune the behavior of Chrome in the business environment, for example by setting automatic updates intervals, disabling auto-updates, and configuring a home page.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/support/installer/bin/answer.py?&answer=146164 |title=Google Update for Enterprise – Google Help |access-date=July 11, 2012}}</ref> Until version 24 the software is known not to be ready for enterprise deployments with roaming profiles or Terminal Server/Citrix environments.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=2423 |title=Issue 2423 – chromium – Windows Roaming Profile support – An open-source browser project to help move the web forward. – Google Project Hosting |date=September 17, 2008 |access-date=April 8, 2012}}</ref>

In 2010, Google first started supporting Chrome in enterprise environments by providing an MSI wrapper around the Chrome installer. Google starting providing group policy objects, with more added each release,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/7679408?hl=en|title=Chrome Enterprise release notes - Google Chrome Enterprise Help|website=support.google.com}}</ref> and today there are more than 500 policies available to control Chrome's behavior in enterprise environments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cloud.google.com/docs/chrome-enterprise/policies|title=Chrome Enterprise Policy List & Management &#124; Documentation|website=Google Cloud}}</ref> In 2016, Google launched Chrome Browser Enterprise Support, a paid service enabling IT admins access to Google experts to support their browser deployment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://social.techcrunch.com/2017/08/22/google-launches-chrome-enterprise-for-businesses-that-want-to-use-chrome-os/|title=Google launches Chrome Enterprise subscription service for Chrome OS|access-date=August 17, 2022|archive-date=November 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112024333/https://consent.yahoo.com/v2/collectConsent?sessionId=3_cc-session_bbc2d00c-0a49-4fb8-8660-cbb7b65b59e0|dead-url=yes}}</ref> In 2019, Google launched ''Chrome Browser Cloud Management'', a dashboard that gives business IT managers the ability to control content accessibility, app usage and browser extensions installed on its deployed computers.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://siliconangle.com/2019/04/11/google-intros-centralized-controls-chrome-browser-deployments/|title = Google debuts centralized controls for Chrome browser deployments |access-date = May 6, 2020|last = Wheatley|first = Mike |work = siliconangle.com|date = April 11, 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190412194815/https://siliconangle.com/2019/04/11/google-intros-centralized-controls-chrome-browser-deployments/|archive-date =April 12, 2019 }}</ref>
===Chromium===
{{Main|Chromium (web browser)}}In September 2008, Google released a large portion of Chrome's source code as an open-source project called Chromium. This move enabled third-party developers to study the underlying source code and to help port the browser to the [[macOS]] and [[Linux]] operating systems. The Google-authored portion of Chromium is released under the permissive [[BSD license]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Home (Chromium Developer Documentation)|url=https://dev.chromium.org/Home|access-date=May 5, 2009|year=2009|work=Chromium Developer Documentation}}</ref> Other portions of the source code are subject to a variety of open-source licenses.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://code.google.com/chromium/terms.html |title=Chromium Terms and Conditions |date=September 2, 2008 |access-date=September 3, 2008 |work=[[Google Code]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080904201317/https://code.google.com/chromium/terms.html |archive-date=September 4, 2008 }}</ref> Chromium is similar to Chrome, but lacks built-in automatic updates and a built-in Flash player, as well as Google branding and has a blue-colored logo instead of the multicolored Google logo.<ref name="GoogleComparison">{{cite web|url = https://code.google.com/p/chromium/wiki/ChromiumBrowserVsGoogleChrome|title = ChromiumBrowserVsGoogleChrome |access-date =July 10, 2011|last = Chromium Project|date=March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://weblog.infoworld.com/fatalexception/archives/2008/09/building_google.html |title=Building Google Chrome: A first look |last=McAllister |first=Neil |date=September 11, 2008 |work=[[InfoWorld]] |publisher=[[IDG]] |access-date=September 16, 2008 |quote=As the name suggests, Chromium is a rawer, less polished version of Chrome. The UI is mostly identical, with only a few very minor visual differences. [...] The most readily evident difference is the logo, which sheds the Google colors in favor of a subdued blue design. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080913214424/https://weblog.infoworld.com/fatalexception/archives/2008/09/building_google.html |archive-date=September 13, 2008 }}</ref> Chromium does not implement user RLZ tracking.<ref name="ChromiumBlog20Jun10" /><ref name="The Chromium Blog" /><ref name="Differences between Google Chrome and Linux distro Chromium">{{cite web|title=Differences between Google Chrome and Linux distro Chromium|url=https://code.google.com/p/chromium/wiki/ChromiumBrowserVsGoogleChrome|access-date=September 1, 2010|year=2010}}</ref> Initially, the Google Chrome PDF viewer, PDFium, was excluded from Chromium, but was later made open-source in May 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://src.chromium.org/viewvc/chrome?view=revision&revision=271531 |title=Chromium revision log: Changes in revision 271531 |date=May 20, 2014 |access-date=May 24, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://code.google.com/p/chromium/source/diff?spec=svn4547&r=4547&format=side&path=/wiki/ChromiumBrowserVsGoogleChrome.wiki |title=Change log for Chromium wiki showing removal of a part that said PDF support were different between Chromium and Google Chrome |date=May 20, 2014 |access-date=May 24, 2014 |archive-date=January 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160125034438/https://code.google.com/p/chromium/source/diff?spec=svn4547&r=4547&format=side&path=/wiki/ChromiumBrowserVsGoogleChrome.wiki |dead-url=yes }}</ref> PDFium can be used to fill PDF forms.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itproportal.com/2014/06/19/google-throws-pdfium-into-the-open-source-community/|title=Google throws PDFium into the open source community|last=Garthwaite|first=Emily|website=IT Pro Portal|date=June 19, 2014|access-date=September 11, 2016}}</ref>
==Developing for Chrome==
It is possible to develop applications, extensions, and themes for Chrome. They are zipped in a .crx file and contain a manifest.json file that specifies basic information (such as version, name, description, privileges, etc.), and other files for the user interface (icons, popups, etc.). Google has an official developer's guide on how to create, develop, and publish projects.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/devguide |title=Developer's Guide - Google Chrome |website=Developer.chrome.com |access-date=February 17, 2014 |archive-date=November 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118040743/https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/devguide |dead-url=yes }}</ref> Chrome has its own web store where users and developers can upload and download these applications and extensions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/ |title=Chrome Web Store |website=chrome.google.com}}</ref>
==Impersonation by malware==
As with [[Internet_Explorer#Impersonation_by_malware|Microsoft Internet Explorer]], the popularity of Google Chrome has led to the appearance of malware abusing its name. In late 2015, an [[adware#Malware|adware]] replica of Chrome named "eFast" appeared, which would usurp the Google Chrome installation and hijack file type associations to make [[Shortcut (computing)|shortcut]]s for common file types and [[communication protocol]]s link to itself, and inject advertisements into web pages. Its similar-looking icon was intended to deceive users.<ref>{{cite news |title=Latest in Malware: eFast Browser Attacks with False Google Chrome, Traps Users with Adware |url=https://baymcp.com/latest-in-malware-efast-browser-attacks-with-false-google-chrome-traps-users-with-adware/ |website=Bay Computing |access-date=September 11, 2021 |date=March 30, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Clever Malware Replaces Web Browser with Dangerous 'eFast' Chrome Lookalike |url=https://www.enigmasoftware.com/malware-replaces-web-browser-efast-chrome-lookalike/ |website=Remove Spyware & Malware with SpyHunter - EnigmaSoft Ltd |access-date=September 11, 2021 |date=October 20, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=eFast Browser Removal Guide |url=https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/virus-removal/remove-efast-browser |website=[[Bleeping Computer]] |access-date=September 11, 2021 |language=en-us |date=October 28, 2015}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Internet}}
*[[Browser wars]]
*[[Google Chrome Experiments]]
*[[Google Chrome Frame]]
*[[Google Workspace]]
*[[History of the web browser|History of web browsers]]
*[[List of web browsers]]
*[[Widevine]]
==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}
==References==
{{Reflist
|refs =
<ref name="Blog21Mar11">{{cite web |url = https://chrome.blogspot.com/2011/03/fresh-take-on-icon.html |title = A fresh take on an icon |last = Rura |first = Steve |date = March 2011 |access-date = March 22, 2011 }}</ref>
<ref name="chrome4">{{cite web |url = https://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2010/01/stable-channel-update_25.html|title=Stable Channel Update |last = Laforge |first = Anthony |access-date = May 25, 2010 }}</ref>
<ref name="google1">{{cite web |url = https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=143 |title = Issue 143: Handle color profiles in tagged images |website = Code.google.com |date = September 2, 2008 |access-date = March 23, 2013 }}</ref>
<ref name="SecureFlashMac">{{cite web |url = https://chrome.blogspot.com/2012/11/securing-flash-player-for-our-mac-users.html |title = Securing Flash Player for our Mac users |access-date = November 14, 2012 }}</ref>
}}
==External links==
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*{{Official website}}
*[https://www.chromestatus.com/features/schedule Chrome release timeline] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328125303/https://chromestatus.com/features/schedule |date=March 28, 2022 }}
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