Chrome Browser is an open-source browser developed by Google. The beta phase was launched on September 2, 2008, and the first stable version was released on December 11 of the same year. The company evolved the browser for various types of operating systems, both for PCs such as Windows, Mac, and Linux or Smartphone systems such as iOS and Android. The browser combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the Web faster, safer, and easier. And now with almost 70 percent market share, Google Chrome is by far the most popular browser all over the world.
Recently, the company released Chrome version 136, which closes numerous security gaps. It also brings UI improvements like Fluent scrollbars on Windows and Linux, enhanced Google Lens on iOS, and malicious APK download checks on Android, and security patches to feed the entire Chromium family of browsers.
If you have Google Chrome browser installed on your device, it’s recommended to update the browser to the new version as soon as possible to protect it from attacks that exploit the recently patched security vulnerabilities.
What’s New in Google Chrome 136
Google Chrome 136 addresses a 20-year-old privacy vulnerability related to the CSS :visited selector. Previously, websites could detect visited links across sites, potentially exposing browsing history.
A new triple-key partitioning system ensures that the visited status of links is only accessible to the originating site, using the link URL, top-level site, and frame origin. This eliminates cross-site history leaks while preserving the visual cue (e.g., purple links) for visited links within the same site.
The latest Chrome 136 introduces the RegExp.escape static method, which escapes special characters in strings for safe use in regular expressions. This feature, now supported across all major browsers, enhances developer control over pattern matching
Websites can now upgrade existing password credentials to passkeys using WebAuthn conditional create requests. This improves security by enabling seamless transitions to more secure authentication methods.
Scrollbars on Windows and Linux have been updated to align with Windows 11’s Fluent design language, modernizing their appearance. Non-overlay Fluent scrollbars are enabled by default.
Chrome for Android now performs telemetry-based checks on downloaded APK files by contacting Google servers to identify potential malware. This is currently experimental, with plans to introduce warnings and block malicious downloads in future updates.
On iOS, Google Lens search results (from camera or web pages) are now displayed in a native UI panel that slides up from the bottom, replacing the previous tab-based presentation.
Chrome 136 adds support for HEVC (H.265) encoding in WebRTC, joining VP8, H.264, VP9, and AV1. This offers better compression efficiency, improving quality and battery life. The MediaRecorder API now supports HEVC in MP4 and Matroska formats, with new codec strings (hvc1.*, hev1.*, avc3.*).
Chrome 136 patches eight security vulnerabilities, including:
- A high-severity heap buffer overflow in HTML (CVE-2025-4096).
- Medium-severity issues in DevTools, such as out-of-bounds memory access (CVE-2025-4050) and insufficient data validation (CVE-2025-4051).
- A low-severity inappropriate implementation in DevTools (CVE-2025-4052).
Four additional issues were fixed internally using tools like AddressSanitizer. No active exploits were reported.
Update to Chrome 136
If you have already installed Chrome on your system, updating it to the latest version is easy.
- Open Google Chrome on your computer
- Click on the vertical three dots at the top right of the window, this will open the Chrome menu.
- Under the menu, go to Help –> About Google Chrome. This will trigger Google Updates and will check for new updates automatically.
- Also, you can type chrome://settings/help on the address bar and press the Enter key to update Chrome 136.
Google Chrome for Android and iOS versions are updated through the official Google Play Store and App Store. The Android update for Chrome includes the same security fixes as the desktop version.
Download Chrome 136 offline installer
Note: The offline installer links do not include the automatic update feature.
Download Chrome web installer: 32-bit | 64-bit | Freeware.
Download: Google Chrome MSI Installers for Windows (automatic update)
Download: Google Chrome 136 Portable
Why is Chrome the best browser for Windows 11?
It’s a fast, simple, and the most secure web browser built for the modern web. If you would like a single experience across every Internet-connected device you own, Chrome is your best option.
We can say it’s the most secure browser offering security against malicious software and “phishing”, among others. The latest Chrome introduced real-time blacklisting of malicious sites via the Safe Browsing API. And the company regularly releases auto-updates to make sure you have all the latest security fixes and more.
The main goal of the browser is the speed of navigation, from its implementation to the loading of complex web applications. This is the fastest browser available so far. It’s quick to start up from your desktop, loads web pages in a snap, and runs complex web applications lightning fast.
What’s more, you can access bookmarks, open tabs, and history from any device that is compatible with Chrome.
Signing in to Chrome brings your bookmarks, history, and other settings to any device that is compatible with Chrome. It also automatically signs you into all your favourite Google services as well.
We can say it is designed as simple as possible, allowing you to focus on what you need to do.
The browser has its own manager that tells you what resources are used and on what pages. You can access the Chrome task manager using the keyboard shortcut shift + Esc.
Some of the most useful New Features on Chrome
From generative themes to tab group suggestions, Chrome 136 got a ton of innovative features to make browsing even better.
A new way to customize your toolbar
Pin your favorite features and shortcuts as toolbar buttons.
- At the top of your browser, select Chrome menu > More Tools > Customize Chrome.
- From the side panel, review the list of toolbar buttons that make it easy to quickly access things like bookmarks, print, search with Google Lens, and more.
- Choose the toolbar buttons you want to pin and they will appear in your toolbar.
Improve your browser performance with one click
Chrome automatically suggests that tabs using extra resources become inactive, so the tab you’re currently using gets a performance boost.
- When Chrome finds tabs using extra resources, you’ll get a performance alert.
- Click Fix now to make the listed tabs inactive.
Share passwords on your phone
Now, you can easily and securely share a copy of a password with your family group in Google Password Manager on your phone.
- iOS
- Tap the Chrome menu > Password Manager.
- Select the password you want to share, then tap Share.
- Select family members to share your passwords with.
- Android
- Tap the Chrome menu > Settings > Password Manager.
- Under Search passwords, select the password you want to share, then tap Share.
- Select family members to share your passwords with.
Scan the QR Code to get Chrome on your phone.
Check out more quickly and securely with autofill
Fill in your full payment card details the same way you unlock your device – with a fingerprint, face scan, or screen lock PIN – instead of entering your card security code.
- Go to Settings > Autofill and passwords > Payment methods.
- Select Manually verify every time you pay using autofill to use your biometrics the next time you checkout.
Search anything you see on any page with Google Lens
Google Lens in Chrome makes it easy to search anything you see on your screen. Search within a video you’re watching, a slide in a livestream, or an image on a webpage. Google Lens will give you answers right there, in your tab, and you can continue browsing with the new information you’ve found.
- Open the Chrome menu.
- Select Search with Google Lens.
- Select anything on the page by clicking and dragging anywhere on the page.
- Refine the answers by typing in the search box in the side panel.
- For quicker access, click Pin in the side panel to add the icon to your toolbar.
Chat with Gemini from the address bar
You can quickly get help from Gemini with creative and complex tasks, like planning a trip or learning more about a new topic with this new shortcut in Chrome.
- Type “@” in the address bar and select Chat with Gemini.
- Write your prompt.
- Get your response on gemini.google.com.
The latest Chrome update is both feature-rich and security-focused, primarily fixes security vulnerabilities. The company noted that Google Chrome 136 patches 14 different security issues. However, it will not support systems running Windows 7, 8 and 8.1.
It is recommended to install the update ASAP to protect the browser and system from potential exploits.
How to install Chrome on Windows 11/10
Installing Google Chrome 136 is as simple as downloading it. Just run the installer downloaded from the abovementioned download links. Chrome starts differently depending upon the version of Windows you’re using. Let’s see, we install Chrome using a web installer.
First, visit the Chrome official site and click the Download Chrome button
- The next screen brings up the terms and service screen,
- Read the terms and license agreement, then click the accept and install button to download the web setup file of Chrome.
- Now open the download location, right-click on chromeSetup.exe and select run as administrator,
- This will take less than a minute (depending on your internet speed) to complete the download and installation process.
Once done
Windows 10 or 11: A Chrome window opens after everything is done. You can make Chrome your default browser.
You have successfully installed Google Chrome on Windows 10.
Where to Find More Information:
- Chrome Releases Blog: For official announcements and general release information: https://chromereleases.googleblog.com/
- Chrome for Developers: For detailed information on developer-focused updates, visit https://developer.chrome.com/
- Chrome Enterprise and Education Release Notes: For enterprise-specific changes: https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/7679408?hl=en
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