Cyber: Google Chrome Shifts To Two-week Release Cycle For Increased Stability

Google Chrome will shift from a four-week to a two-week release cycle to roll out new features, bug fixes, and performance improvements more frequently.

With the release of Chrome 153 on September 8, Google will start shipping two new stable versions of the browser every month, breaking the long-standing schedule developers followed since 2021.

The new model applies to both beta and stable releases across Desktop, Android, and iOS. The new development cycle is reflected in the table below:

However, the Dev and Canary channels for early development and testing will continue on the current schedule. Also, the ‘Extended Stable’ branch will remain on its existing eight-week cycle for enterprise customers who need longer update timelines.

Google says the smaller, more frequent releases will reduce disruption and simplify debugging while maintaining stability due to recent process improvements.

“While releases will be more frequent, their smaller scope minimizes disruption and simplifies post-release debugging,” Google says in a press release.

“And thanks to recent process enhancements, we are confident this shift will maintain our high standards for stability.”

For Chrome users, the impact of this change should not be dramatic, but they can expect to see new feature rollouts more frequently. Chrome updates occur silently in the background, but restart prompts may appear more often now.

Although security fixes will still arrive as part of milestone releases, Chrome will receive weekly security updates according to the current model announced in August 2023.

According to it, Chrome receives security fixes every week to reduce the “patch gap,” shortening the opportunity window for hackers to exploit vulnerabilities in one of the world's most popular web browsers.

Source: BleepingComputer