Chrome is a widely used web browser developed by Google. It was first released in 2008 and has since become one of the most popular browsers globally due to its speed, simplicity and integration with Google’s ecosystem.
Chrome is ideal for users who prioritize speed, seamless Google service integration (like Gmail, Drive, and Docs), and access to a wide range of extensions. However, privacy-conscious users or those with limited system resources might prefer alternatives like Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge or privacy-focused browsers like Brave.
The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly hoping to require Google to sell Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser — it’s even preferred by a majority of Mac users.
And this is just one of the possible consequences of a federal judge ruling this autumn that Google is a monopolist.
Tab groups, a feature of Google’s Chrome desktop browser for years, finally made its way to the iPhone and iPad version of the web browser.
The goal is to bring some order to the huge pile of tabs so many people keep open.
Not a fan of Safari? You can change the default web browser on your iPhone or iPad quite easily. If you prefer Google’s Chrome, you can ditch Safari when tapping links on your phone or tablet. And that’s not the only option.
Making the switch is easy, though the setting is somewhat hidden. Here’s what you do.
As an alternative to using the Apple Podcasts app, as of Monday anyone can browse, hear, sync and share Apple Podcasts in 170 countries on all major web browsers, including Safari, Chrome, Edge and Firefox.
So now Apple Podcasts joins the likes of Podbay and Podurama in offering its own online player for anyone on any platform.
Google rolled out three new artificial intelligence (AI) features for its Chrome browser, including support for Mac users, the company said Thursday. Powered by Google’s latest AI and Gemini models, the new AI features in Chrome aim to make it easier to search visually, compare products and easily return to websites you’ve visited.
“We’re making it even easier to search what you see with the power of Google Lens, compare products across multiple tabs and rediscover sites from your browser history,” wrote Parisa Tabriz, Google vice president, Chrome.
Google is reportedly required to delete the data it gathered while millions of users of its Chrome web bowser were in Incognito mode as part of settling a lawsuit.
Moving forward, the company will continue to track Chrome users in Incognito mode — while making it clearer that is what is happening.
Privacy-preserving URL protection and beefed-up password protection are coming to Google Safe Browsing for the popular Chrome browser for macOS and iOS, Google said Thursday. The Chrome security update comes to Macs, iPhones and iPads first. Android devices will see them later in March.
Google Chrome uses artificial intelligence in a new experimental tool that makes it easier to start writing or improve something already written online. “Help me write” can punch up the content of any text field in the browser.
It’s coming to Mac and Windows, and is just the latest AI addition to Chrome.
Apple is further opening up iOS to alternative browsers and browser engines, as part of Cupertino’s plan to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act.
In iOS 17.4 — launched Thursday as a beta — iPhone users in the EU will have a lot more choice over the default browser and browser engines.
The biggest change will be the ability to use alternative browser engines, like Google’s Blink renderer instead of Apple’s WebKit.
The description of Chrome’s Incognito mode will soon be changed to make it clear that Google tracks people who use the web browser. It also will warn users that websites can gather data about them as well.
This means the only people blocked from knowing your browsing history when using Incognito mode are family/friends who use the same computer.
A lot of Mac owners use Google Chrome as their web browser, and personally, I don’t get it. For Apple fans, it seems like a total disconnect not to use Safari instead of Chrome.
For starters, Apple markets its products as privacy-forward and seamlessly integrated with each other. And the web browser is an essential component of your computer, whether we’re talking Mac, iPhone or iPad. You have a lot to gain by using Safari on all your devices.
But look at the numbers: Apple’s web browser Safari only captures 18% of the market, a distant second to Google’s Chrome. Here’s my attempt to sway it the other way — the top five reasons I use Safari instead of Chrome.
More people use Apple Safari as their desktop web browser than Microsoft Edge. In the battle of the default browsers, Apple is now winning.
Of course, there’s a third competitor that’s really in first place.
Google said Tuesday it’s making several changes to the Chrome browser to make it less of a MacBook battery hog. Modifications include adjusting timers to wake the CPU less often, tuning memory compression and further optimizing Energy Saver mode.
The company’s tests using a 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro suggest the tweaks may help folks browse for 17 hours or watch YouTube for 18 hours on a single charge.
Google is tinkering with a version of its Chrome web browser for iPhone that does not use the WebKit rendering engine. The same is true for Mozilla and the Firefox browser.
Releasing these is currently impossible because of Apple’s browser rules, but the iPhone-maker may be forced to drop that restriction soon.
Google tweaked the desktop version of Chrome so that background tabs take up less memory. The widely used browser will also use less power when a laptop’s battery is getting low.
The changes are coming soon to the macOS version as well as other desktop OSs.
How do you kill that which cannot die? The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro boast industry-leading battery life. In the PC world, the high power consumption of Intel processors means you generally must choose between battery life and performance.
The latest MacBooks use Apple’s own custom chips, cut from the same cloth as the iPhone and iPad chips Apple has been designing since 2010 (and, in a roundabout way, the one they made for the Apple Newton in 1994). This is what powers them to last all day at full speed.
If you want to take your M1 Max MacBook Pro to the coffee shop to get work done, and you leave your power cable at home — even if you’re editing 8K ProRes video streams in Final Cut Pro — you still might be ordering lunch and staying through dinner. How could one possibly need more battery life, and how do you get it?
Google says that the latest version of the Chrome browser beats the macOS version of Apple’s Safari in benchmark tests.
The company has worked hard to improve the performance of Chrome because Google wants Mac owners to use its browser so Google can track them for advertising reasons.
Google, which makes Chrome, and Mozilla, which makes Firefox, warn that those web browsers are about to reach version 100. And that could mean major websites stop working properly with them.
Why? Coded to recognize two-digit version numbers, websites may have trouble identifying browsers with three-digit numbers.
Google has rolled out its newest Chrome beta with a new WebGPU API that finally adds support for Apple Metal. The version 94 release should lead to improved rendering performance for websites and web apps.
Google promises improvements to the Chrome browser to keep “your Mac cooler and those fans quiet.” The latest version of the browser uses less memory and achieves lower Apple Energy Impact scores.
Apple has rolled out a somewhat surprise Google Chrome extension that allows users to access iCloud Passwords on Windows machines.
You can use it to sync all the passwords you’ve created on Mac, iPhone, and iPad to your Windows desktop. And to sync any passwords you create in Chrome to iCloud Keychain for use on Apple devices.
We’ll show you how to get set up.
At long last, Adobe Flash Player is finally dead. Not only do you no longer need to have it installed on your Mac, but as of January 12, Adobe will actually begin blocking Flash Player content from working at all.
We’ll show you how to remove Flash Player from your Mac right away.
A fresh update to Google Chrome for iPad lets users open multiple browser windows side-by-side. This long-overdue feature enables tablet users see two web pages simultaneously.
Google also released Gmail and Google Drive Home screen widgets.
Google Chrome is today being updated to run natively on Apple Silicon. The newest version of the browser will be optimized for the M1 chip inside the new Mac mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro.
Got an old Mac that’s crawling to a halt every time you browse the web? It might not be your hardware that’s in need of a change. Before splashing out on new components, try switching browsers instead.
