Google feels the need for security speed, so will ship Chrome updates every two weeks
Google feels the need for security speed, so will ship Chrome updates every two weeks
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.
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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.
Google last increased the cadence of Chrome releases in 2021, when the company reduced the time between releases from six to four weeks. At the time, the company offered the same reasons for the change: Improved internal processes and the need for faster security fixes. ®
