Chromium Dashboard, Google's public release tracker, listed Chrome 156.0.8078.49 for Windows on 22 October 2026. The same listing also showed a 157 entry with an identical timestamp, which looks like another channel, so this page reads 156 as the stable line. Microsoft's Edge page corroborates it: Edge 156.0.4314.42 appeared the same day, and Edge is built on the same Chromium code. Google's enterprise release-notes page, however, stopped at Chrome 152 (1 September 2026) when it was read, so it is out of date and is not used for the version number.
Chrome is free to download. The Chrome download page lists no price and no download options beyond a button. It says Chrome works on Windows and Mac devices "provided they meet the minimum system requirements" and sends you to a support page for the details.
Windows requirements
| Processor | Windows version Google's support page lists |
|---|---|
| Intel or AMD (x86) | Windows 10 and up, on an Intel Pentium 4 or newer CPU with SSE3 support |
| ARM | Windows 11 or later |
Scope: Google Chrome Help, system requirements page, read 23 Oct 2026. The page lists the minimums and does not mention Windows 7, 8 or 8.1, so those systems are simply absent from the support list.
If you are still on Windows 8.1 or older, check that a current Chrome installs before relying on it. The page gives no statement about older Windows beyond what it leaves out.
What Google's own page says Chrome does
| Area | What the page states |
|---|---|
| Sync | Sign in to Chrome on any device to reach bookmarks, saved passwords and more |
| Safe Browsing | Warns about malware and phishing; Enhanced Safe Browsing is an option for added protection |
| Passwords | Google Password Manager is built in, saves and manages passwords and suggests stronger ones |
| Extensions | Available through the Chrome Web Store |
| Gemini in Chrome | Explains web content and uses your open tabs and browsing history for context |
| Auto browse | Handles tasks such as shopping and reservations; limited to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. |
Scope: google.com/chrome, read 23 Oct 2026. These are the developer's statements, not measurements. Gemini in Chrome reads browsing context according to the page, so read the privacy settings before turning it on.
Release rhythm
Chrome and Edge ship from the same Chromium code, and the pair gives a way to check cadence from outside. Edge's release notes list 155.0.4283.45 on 8 October 2026 and 156.0.4314.42 on 22 October 2026, which is 14 days between main releases. Edge also had two updates in between, 155.0.4283.60 on 15 October and 155.0.4283.62 on 16 October. Chrome's own dated list on the pages we could read is incomplete, so this page does not compute a Chrome gap.
A two-week main release in the Edge notes matches the idea that Chrome moves quickly, and it means a version number printed on any page, including this one, ages in days. Treat the number as correct for the date shown and check chrome://settings/help on your own PC for the live figure.
Safe Browsing modes
Google's help page for Safe Browsing describes three settings: Enhanced, Standard and No protection. Standard is the default and warns about sites, downloads and extensions already identified as dangerous. Enhanced is described as Google's strongest level and also warns about threats Google does not yet know about. The price of that extra protection is data: Google's page says Enhanced sends the URL, a small sample of page content, extension activity and system information to Google, and says the data is used only for security purposes.
| Mode | What Google's page says |
|---|---|
| Standard (default) | Sends full URLs and bits of page content only when a site behaves suspiciously; part of each URL passes through privacy servers so Google and the server operator cannot see both the URL and your IP address |
| Enhanced | Adds in-depth scans of suspicious downloads and a warning if a password you use was exposed in a data breach; signed-in users can save Safe Browsing data to their Google Account |
| No protection | Not recommended; leaves you unprotected against dangerous sites, downloads and extensions |
Scope: Chrome Help, Safe Browsing page, read 23 Oct 2026. Which mode suits you depends on how much browsing data you are willing to share with Google, so open chrome://settings/security to see what your copy uses.
Before you install: a short check
- Open Windows Settings, then System, then About, and confirm you are on Windows 10 or later (Intel or AMD) or Windows 11 (ARM), the two lines Google's support page lists.
- Download from google.com/chrome only. This directory never hosts the installer, and the download button on this page opens Google's page.
- After setup, choose whether to sign in. Google's page says signing in brings bookmarks and saved passwords to every device, and it also ties activity to a Google Account, so read the sync choices.
- Decide on a Safe Browsing mode, since Enhanced shares more data with Google than Standard does.
Alternatives in this directory
Microsoft Edge uses the same Chromium engine and comes with Windows 10 and 11 support on Microsoft's list. Brave and Vivaldi are also built on Chromium, with their own privacy and interface choices. Mozilla Firefox has its own engine and its own release schedule. Chrome stores cache and cookies that a cleaner such as BleachBit can remove, but Chrome's own settings do the same job without extra software.