: Retains eight-weekly Extended Stable releases but warns fortnightly updates are the best way to stay safe
Google will halve the time between releases of its Chrome browser to two weeks, across versions of the software for desktop operating systems, Android, and iOS.
The text ads giant announced the change on Tuesday in a post penned by Chrome Browser Release Team Manager Ben Mason and Distinguished Engineer Deepak Ravichandran.
“While releases will be more frequent, their smaller scope minimizes disruption and simplifies post-release debugging,” the pair wrote. “And thanks to recent process enhancements, we are confident this shift will maintain our high standards for stability.”
The Googlers justified the change on grounds that “The web platform is constantly advancing, and our goal is to ensure developers and users have immediate access to the latest performance improvements, fixes and new capabilities.”
The new cadence commences on September 8th with the release of Chrome 153.
Chrome Gemini panel became privilege escalator for rogue extensions
Indie web browser Ladybird flutters toward Rust with a little help from AI
Google patches Chrome zero-day as in-the-wild exploits surface
Google to foist Gemini pane on Chrome users in automated browsing push
Google isn’t changing the method it uses for Extended Stable releases, the Chrome cuts it delivers every eight weeks to serve enterprise users and developers who embed the Chromium engine in other projects.
However, in guidance for enterprise users, the company says the forthcoming fortnightly releases will be the most secure option “and should be used if security is a larger concern than maintenance costs.”
Google’s change will mean it also releases new beta cuts of Chrome every two weeks, so enterprise users will have a chance for an advance look at any new features that might spell trouble for SaaS services to which they subscribe, or for other web apps. Mason and Ravichandran also promised Google will persist with extended release options for Chromebook users.