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How to update Chrome comes down to four clicks on a computer, and the step that matters most is the last one, Relaunch. Google’s support page says Chrome normally updates in the background, but the update applies only after the browser restarts. Security researchers keep the pressure on: Malwarebytes reported that Google’s Sept. 22 desktop release carried 108 security fixes, 11 of them rated Critical, and that its Oct. 6 release carried 247 fixes, four of them Critical. This guide covers the steps for each platform, what Relaunch does and how to confirm the patch is in place.
Why Chrome updates carry security fixes
Each stable Chrome release bundles bug fixes with security patches. In its Sept. 24 report, Malwarebytes described two Critical buffer overflows in ANGLE, the layer Chrome uses to translate graphics calls. A crafted web page could potentially reach the vulnerable code, leading to crashes or possible code execution, and Google had not released exploitation details. The same report listed an out-of-bounds write in Chrome’s GPU component.
The Oct. 7 report described a larger release with 247 fixes, including four Critical. It named two Critical use-after-free bugs in the browser and navigation components and a High-rated type confusion bug in V8, Chrome’s JavaScript engine. A patch protects a browser only once it is installed, which is why knowing how to update Chrome matters more than the headline count.
How to update Chrome on a computer
Google’s Update Google Chrome page lists the same four steps for desktop browsers. Open Chrome and click More, the three dots at the top right. Click Help, then About Google Chrome. Click Relaunch to apply any pending update.
Opening the About page prompts Chrome to check for a new version. If an update is waiting, the page shows a Relaunch button. Google says that if there is no Relaunch option, the browser is already on the latest version.
What Relaunch does
Relaunch restarts Chrome to apply the update. Google says open tabs and windows are saved and reopen automatically, though Incognito windows do not reopen. A user who is not ready to restart can click Not now, and the update applies the next time Chrome restarts. Until that restart happens, the older version is still the one running.
How to update Chrome on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook
The basic route is the same across desktop systems, with a few platform notes from Google’s support page.
On Windows, Google says to close all Chrome windows and tabs and then relaunch the browser. On a Mac, if Chrome sits in the Applications folder, the About Google Chrome page offers an option to turn on automatic updates for all users of the computer. On Linux, Google says to update Chrome through the system’s package manager.
A Chromebook updates Chrome by updating the device’s operating system. Malwarebytes describes the prompt as an “Update device” notification at the bottom right of the screen, followed by a restart to finish. Chromebooks managed by an employer or school may follow an administrator’s schedule, and Google’s page links to a way to check whether a Chromebook is managed.
How to update Chrome on a phone
The phone version of how to update Chrome differs mainly in where the update comes from, because phone versions of Chrome update through the device’s app store. Malwarebytes noted that the Android release in September began as an Early Stable rollout to a small group of users, so it might not appear on Google Play for everyone right away. A phone user who does not see the update can check again in a few days.
How to confirm the patch is installed
The About Google Chrome page is the quickest test. Chrome checks for updates when the page opens, and the absence of a Relaunch button means no update is pending. The page also shows the browser’s version number. Google publishes each stable release and its security fixes on the Chrome Releases blog, so a user who wants to be sure can compare the two numbers.
Version numbers differ by platform. Malwarebytes listed separate builds for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android in the same release, so the comparison has to use the matching platform line.
What can stop an update
Even when a user knows how to update Chrome, something can get in the way. Malwarebytes notes that browser extensions can sometimes block updates. A browser that has run for weeks without a restart can also hold a downloaded update that has not been applied yet. Google’s support page does not cover enterprise update management, so a workplace computer may follow its administrator’s policy and not the steps above.
How to update Chrome questions
Does Chrome update itself? Google says Chrome normally updates in the background when the browser is closed and reopened. Users who keep Chrome open for long stretches may not see that restart for days.
Will tabs be lost? Google says open tabs and windows are saved and reopen automatically after Relaunch. Incognito windows are the exception.
What if there is no Relaunch button? Google says the browser is then already on the latest version.
Do other browsers get the same patch? Chrome’s update applies to Chrome only. Other browsers built on the same engine ship updates on their own schedules, so each needs its own check.
A quick routine that works
Knowing how to update Chrome is only half the habit. Given how often Google ships security updates, a weekly check is a reasonable routine in the Jolt Journal’s view. Open About Google Chrome, look for the Relaunch button and restart when it appears. The Jolt Journal’s report on an AI-assisted Chrome exploit built in six days shows why delay is costly, and its guide to what to update after the PHP2Shell emergency patches covers another case where a fix helps only once it is installed.
Editor’s take
How to update Chrome is a solved problem, and the hard part is habit. The update is free, takes a minute and saves the open tabs. The risk sits in the gap between a patch being released and a restart being done, and that gap is entirely in the user’s hands. A person who restarts Chrome on a regular schedule closes most of it. A person who leaves the browser open for a month does not, no matter how many fixes Google ships.
This is general information, not security advice. Google’s Chrome Help pages have the final word on update steps for each platform.
