Chrome

If your Mac's storage has been mysteriously shrinking recently and you use Google Chrome, you may have already identified the culprit. The browser has been downloading a 4GB AI model file onto computers without explicit user consent. Here's how to reclaim the space. The file in question is called "weights.bin," which powers Google's on-device Gemini Nano AI model – the engine behind Chrome ...

Google's Chrome browser has often been criticized for being a system resource hog, which has led Chromium developers to provide ways to free up memory and keep things running smoothly when users have multiple windows and tabs open. One of the latest developments in this regard is more transparency into Chrome's tab throttling behavior, by, for example, giving users the ability to view the...

If you're a fan of Google's Chrome browser, you're probably familiar with how easy it is to end up with multiple open browser tabs in a single session. On any other browser, searching for a specific tab can be a hassle as you typically have to click through them one by one, but thanks to a relatively new search feature in Chrome, Google's browser makes it a cinch. You can search for an...

Looking to keep your mobile browsing in Google Chrome private and secure? Keep reading to learn how to lock your Incognito tabs behind Face ID (or Touch ID) on iPhone and iPad. Whatever you think of it, Chrome remains one of the most popular browsers on iPhone and iPad, which is why Google continues to work on new features to differentiate it from Apple's Safari. With this in mind, one of...

Google's Chrome browser has long been criticized for being a system resource hog, which is why Chromium developers have been busy working on ways to free up memory and keep things running smoothly when users have multiple windows and tabs open. The latest effort in that regard comes in the form of Memory Saver, a new feature that deactivates open tabs you haven't used in a while so that the...

With the release of Chrome 90, Google is rolling out a new browser feature that lets you create a shareable link to a section of text you've highlighted on a webpage. Here's how to use it. Sometimes when you share a webpage link with someone, you just want to bring their attention to a specific passage or sentence to make your point, rather than have them read through the entire article. ...

Whenever you browse the web in Google Chrome, the browser stores website data including cookies so that it doesn't have to do so again each time you revisit a site. In theory this should speed up your browsing experience, but there are some scenarios where you might want to clear the cache and start anew. Keep reading to learn how it's done on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. There are a couple of...

Apple's native desktop browser is Safari, but just because it comes pre-installed on every Mac doesn't mean you have to use it. Chrome is actually more popular than Safari by far, and if you're new to Mac, it might already be your preferred browser. If you've tried out Safari and decided you want to switch to Google's equivalent, you can easily import any bookmarks you've used in Apple's...

Google includes a Live Captions transcription feature in version 89 of its Chrome browser for desktop. Live Captions uses machine learning to create a real-time transcription for videos or audio played through the browser, which can make online media more accessible for members of the Deaf community and other people with hearing loss. Once enabled, Live Captions appear in a box in the bottom ...

Apple made a change in iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 that enables third-party browsers and email clients to be used as default apps, meaning users who don't get on with Safari or Apple's native Mail app can choose an alternative and it will be opened automatically whenever the system requires it. The latest version of Google Chrome now supports this ability, so anyone on iOS 14 can set Google's app...

In Chrome 66, rolling out now for Mac and iOS, Google has added a password export option to the web browser so that you can easily migrate your login details to another browser via a third-party password manager app. In this article, we'll show you how to export your passwords from Chrome on Mac and iOS. At the end of the process, you'll be left with a CSV file containing all your login...

Google's Chrome browser hit new records on browser benchmarking tools Speedometer 3.1 and JetStream 3, Google said today. Chrome earned a score of 61 on Speedometer, a five percent improvement since last year. It earned a 469 on JetStream 3, a 10 percent improvement since the beginning of 2026. Tests were done on an M5 MacBook Pro running macOS 26.0.1. Google says it holds a dual record...

OpenAI today launched Codex for Chrome, a Chrome extension that lets Codex work directly in the browser on Macs and PCs. With the extension, Codex can use the browser to test web apps, get context across multiple tabs, use web DevTools, and more without taking over the browser from the user. OpenAI says that after it launched Computer Use in the desktop Codex app, it saw that most common...

Chrome has been updated today with a Skills library that's designed to let Chrome users turn AI tasks into repeatable skills that can be used on any website. Useful prompts you create for Gemini in Chrome can be saved as a Skill that can be accessed later with a single click. If you're shopping for skincare and ask Gemini about the ingredients in a product, for example, you can save the...

Google today updated its Chrome browser with support for vertical tabs, which are displayed in a sidebar instead of at the top of the browser. The tab layout can be changed by right clicking on any Chrome window and choosing the "Show Tabs Vertically" option. Sidebar tabs feature full page titles and make it simple to organize tab groups. Google has also added a new full-page interface...

Google today said that Android has set a new record for mobile web performance, making it the fastest mobile platform for web browsing. The newest Android devices have set new records on web performance benchmarks like Speedometer and LoadLine, which Google attributes to "deep vertical integration across hardware, the Android OS, and the Chrome engine." Speedometer simulates real-world...

Google has added three new features to the Chrome desktop browser, including split view for multitasking, PDF annotations, and a Save to Google Drive option. Split view for Chrome is a built-in tool that supports using two tabs at the same time side-by-side. Google says that it provides a more streamlined, flexible way to work. There is a split view icon in Chrome that can be clicked to...

AI-powered browsing features have become a battleground among browser makers in recent months. OpenAI launched its Atlas browser in October, while Microsoft Edge and Opera have also introduced AI assistants and automated browsing capabilities. And now Google is upping the ante. The company has announced a slew of new AI features for Chrome, including a persistent sidebar for the Gemini chatbot...

Chrome for iOS will soon feature an option for iPhone users to import their Safari data into Google's mobile browser, avoiding the need to perform the transfer on desktop. Starting in Chrome 145, currently in beta, the new feature will guide users through the process of importing bookmarks, browsing history, and passwords from Safari, since Chrome cannot transfer the data directly because of ...

Google has confirmed that its Chrome 150 browser update coming later this year will be the last version to support macOS Monterey. Going forward, Chrome 151 and later versions will no longer support macOS 12, which Apple released in October 2021. In a platform status update, Google says that on Macs running Monterey, Chrome 150 will continue to work, but the browser will display a warning...

Google is rolling out Gemini integration for its Chrome browser on iPhone and iPad, a move that brings AI feature parity with its web and desktop versions. The company teased built-in Gemini in Chrome for iOS in September, and the feature is now rolling out gradually across the United States. For Gemini to work in Chrome, you'll need version 143. When you've updated, make sure you're signed...

Google is updating the Chrome app for the iPhone and the iPad with a dedicated "AI Mode" button that matches functionality found in the desktop version of Chrome. AI Mode is located under the Google search bar, next to an Incognito Mode button. The AI Mode option provides quicker access to Chrome's Gemini-powered AI search feature. Google says that AI Mode lets users ask more complex,...

Google today said that Gemini AI is being integrated into the Chrome browser for the Mac and PC. Chrome users in the U.S. will get the functionality first, with Gemini able to clarify complex information on any webpage. There will be a small Gemini symbol in the upper right side of the browser that will offer options like learn about the page or explore a topic when clicked. By default, the...

Google today updated its Chrome app for the iPhone and the iPad to add easier account switching for Chrome Enterprise. The functionality is designed for iOS users who need to swap between personal and managed work accounts. When a Chrome user switches from a personal account to a managed work account using the added functionality, Chrome ensures that data for managed accounts stays...

Google has confirmed that its upcoming Chrome 138 browser update will be the last version to support macOS Big Sur. Going forward, Chrome 139 and later versions will no longer support macOS 11, which Apple released in November 2020. In a platform status update, Google says that on Macs running Big Sur, Chrome 138 will continue to work, but the browser will display a warning infobar and will ...

The next version of Chrome that Google is currently testing drops support for devices running iOS 16, meaning it will be the end of the road for the browser on iPhone X and iPhone 8 models. Apple dropped support for these devices when it released iOS 17, which Chrome will require to install. Likewise, the upcoming Chrome v138.7204.13 requires iPadOS 17 to run, so the browser will drop...

Google today shared details on some of the new ways that it is incorporating artificial intelligence into its search products in order to combat online scams. In Chrome for the desktop, the Enhanced Protection mode for safer browsing now incorporates Gemini Nano, an on-device large language model. Gemini Nano is able to provide instant insight to users about websites that might be risky,...

OpenAI would consider purchasing the Chrome browser if Google is forced to sell it as a remedy for anticompetitive search practices, ChatGPT product lead Nick Turley said today. According to The Information, Turley provided the detail as part of a court hearing that will determine remedies to address Google's antitrust violations. The United States Department of Justice wants Google to...

There is a good chance that Google will be forced to sell off its Chrome browser, as the U.S. Department of Justice under Donald Trump is continuing to call for Google to divest the browser. On Friday, the DoJ sent a new proposal [PDF] to the court in its ongoing antitrust lawsuit against Google, and the updated document still recommends that Google sell Chrome. Last year, Google was found...

Apple wants to defend its multi-billion dollar search engine deal with Google, which is in danger because Google has been found guilty of violating antitrust law. Apple has asked the court handling Google's lawsuit with the U.S. government for an emergency stay [PDF], so that Apple has time to intervene and plead its case before a remedy is decided on. The U.S. Department of Justice sued...

The United States Department of Justice wants Google to sell off its Chrome browser as part of an ongoing antitrust lawsuit, reports Bloomberg. Earlier this year, Google was found to have a search monopoly, and antitrust regulators have since been deciding on the actions that should be taken to address Google's anticompetitive practices. The DoJ plans to ask the court to force Google to sell ...