Google Releasing New Version of Chrome Optimized for Apple Silicon Macs

With Apple Silicon Macs now out in the wild and in the hands of customers, Google has developed a new version of Chrome that's designed for the machines. Chrome 87, released today, comes in a version that's optimized for Apple Silicon.

google chrome apple silicon macs
As noted on by the Chrome team on Twitter, the rollout of the feature has hit a "snag" and it has been temporarily paused for the time being.

Chrome for ‌Apple Silicon‌ Macs will resume rolling out starting tomorrow, and when it's available the new version of Chrome will be able to be downloaded on an ‌Apple Silicon‌ Mac by visiting the Chrome download page. On the page, there's an option to download Chrome on a "Mac with Intel chip" and "Mac with Apple chip."

The prior version of Chrome designed for Intel Macs will run on the Macs with Rosetta 2, but new Mac users will want to download the ‌Apple Silicon‌ specific version because it is better optimized for the new chips and will run better.

Those that already downloaded the M1 version of Chrome when it was available earlier today may be running into some crashing issues, and Google has a workaround available on its website.

Chrome 87 introduces some notable speed improvements implemented through tab throttling and better resource management. The latest version of Chrome also supports additional Chrome actions that can be executed through the address bar along with a tab search option.

Top Rated Comments

WannaGoMac Avatar
33 months ago
Why didnt they use a universal/fat binary for both CPUs?
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
41qser Avatar
33 months ago
I bet it's optimized all right... optimized to bypass Apple safeguards!
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
smithrh Avatar
33 months ago
It's a trap!
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joelhinch Avatar
33 months ago
So people who download the intel version without knowing will never get an optimised version unless they manually re-download and select the right one? Isn't this the point in Universal? So that the update is seamless?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bwillwall Avatar
33 months ago
Why the weird install step? Can it not just decide which chip you have on it's own?
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MadeTheSwitch Avatar
33 months ago
"Mac with Apple chip."

Wondering how many consumers totally unfamiliar with chipsets and what’s under the hood, will look at that and say “well, I have an Apple computer so of course it has an Apple chip..duh” and just click that? It’s kind of funny when you think about it. I can’t think of any other industry that expects the end user to be so familiar with the technical underpinnings. Sure glad I don’t have to know how much horsepower my engine in a car is, or who makes the engine as I would be in trouble...lol.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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