Starting in September, Google will roll out a new version of the Chrome browser every two weeks. Business users retain the option to allow more time between updates.
Chrome has been receiving a new release monthly since 2021. That is changing after five years: Google announced in a blog post that it is accelerating the update cycle from monthly to biweekly. The changes will take effect starting in September with version 153, expected on September 8.
Google says it is implementing the change to give developers ‘quick access to performance improvements, bug fixes, and new features.’ According to Google, the fact that updates follow each other more quickly will not compromise Chrome’s stability, as the update files will be smaller. Every update will also continue to go through the same procedure: first a branch, then a beta, an early release, and only then a stable release.
The table from Google below shows what the new schedule will look like, starting with the launch of Chrome 153 in September. Chrome 154 will therefore receive a stable release within the same month.
| Stage | M153 (Old) | M153 (New) | M154 (Old) | M154 (New) |
| Branch | Mon, Aug 24 | Mon, Aug 17 | Mon, Sep 21 | Mon, Aug 31 |
| Beta Promotion | Wed, Aug 26 | Wed, Aug 19 | Wed, Sep 23 | Wed, Sep 2 |
| Stable Cut | Tue, Sep 8 | Tue, Aug 25 | Tue, Oct 6 | Tue, Sep 8 |
| Early Stable Release | Wed, Sep 9 | Wed, Aug 26 | Wed, Oct 7 | Wed, Sep 9 |
| Stable Release | Tue, Sep 22 | Tue, Sep 8 | Tue, Oct 20 | Tue, Sep 22 |
Source: Google
Extended release
For Chrome Enterprise users who are not interested in updating their browser monthly or biweekly, Google offers the Extended Stable program. This program extends the update cycle to eight weeks. That timeframe will be maintained for organizations that prefer it. The consumer version of Chrome will, however, be automatically placed on the accelerated update schedule.
read also
Google Chrome gets three new productivity features
These changes only apply to the monthly feature updates. Security updates for Chrome are rolled out weekly. These serve to resolve vulnerabilities and zero-days as quickly as possible.