Google Chrome for Android finally switching to 64-bit with v85


Back in 2014, with the launch of Android 5.0 Lollipop, Google announced support for the apps running with 64-bit architecture. Many apps running these days are 64-bit, however Google Chrome was one native app that stayed with a 32-bit design. That is changing finally, as Chrome v85 is moving to a 64-bit version on phones running Android 10 and higher.

According to the Google Play Store rules, all apps must be updated to their 64-bit version for all supported devices. Chrome v85 stable is slated to release on August 2020, which puts it well ahead of the deadline. However, it is interesting and maybe a little embarrassing that Google did not release a 64-bit version of Chrome earlier.

Moving to 64-bit apps on Android has been a lot slower when compared to iOS. This is largely due to how tightly Apple has their app ecosystem on lockdown and also how fragmented the Android ecosystem is. Google Chrome for Android moving to 64-bit should help improve the overall security and performance.

The Chrome Dev and Chrome Canary are now available to download from Google Play Store.

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