When it comes to Chrome, getting your Google Chrome free download installed on your PC is just the first step, updating it is the next. This is because one of the best things about Chrome is that there is always a good update around the corner. These updates keep your browser safe and secure and ensure you stay up to date with the latest features in the tech market.
The security that comes through web updates is very important because when you do not update your web browser regularly, you are opening yourself to security exploits of your personal information which could be stolen or destroyed. Information theft happens frequently and in large occurrences. As Google Chrome is known for the security of its platform, updates are frequent and useful.
The web browser is so involved in constant improvement, that chances are the Chrome you had when you first installed it isn’t the latest version from the company. But that’s okay because, with Chrome, you don’t have to download updates yourself. These updates get downloaded in the background of your Google Chrome as you work.
Most times they are installed as you close your Google browser, but most times you need to actively install them. Not to mention that people rarely ever completely close their web browsers.
If the Google Chrome free download installed on your PC hasn’t installed updates for a long time, it could be because your firewall is preventing Chrome for searching for updates. If that is the case, you can download and install updates manually with the steps we will show you.
Because the way Chrome is updated on your PC is different from the way it will be updated on an iPhone or Android phone, we will be touching on updates for these three platforms.
Update Google Chrome on PC
STEP 1. It doesn’t matter if you are updating your Google Chrome on a Windows or Mac, the first thing to do is to select the menu icon located at the top right-hand corner of your Google Chrome web browser. This icon is three dots stacked on top of each other.
STEP 2. Because Chrome downloads updates for you, all you need to do is check if one is available to be installed. This is evident by the arrow that appears in a colored circle next to the ‘update Google Chrome’ option. A green colored circle means the update is 48 hours old, orange means it is four days old and red means it is a week or more since Chrome Downloaded the update for installation.
STEP 3. It is advisable to install updates as soon as you see them. And to do this will simply have you clicking the ‘update Google Chrome’ option and then relaunching your web browser. If you have open tabs, this will relaunch with your Chrome. If you are not quite ready to update your Chrome browser, you can always set it to be updated at a later time.
STEP 4. Finally, if you do not see the ‘update Google Chrome’ option on your menu, this means that you are using the newest version of the web browser, or your browser hasn’t gotten the newest update yet. If it is the latter, don’t fret. It usually takes up to one week for new updates to roll into some Google Chrome browsers.
How To Check for Available Chrome Updates
STEP 1. Click the menu icon and move your cursor unto the ‘help’ option and hover there until a pull out menu appears.
STEP 2. The pull out menu will have ‘about Google Chrome’ option, click on it.
STEP 3. This will take you to a new webpage which will automatically scan your Google Chrome once it loads.
STEP 4. The scan is to tell you what version of Google Chrome you are using and inform you if there are any updates more recent than your version.
Update Google Chrome on iOS and Android
Unlike the Google Chrome free download, you installed and updated on your PC, updating the Chrome app on Android and iOS is much more straightforward.
STEP 1. All you have to do is go to the app store of your OS device and update the app. Android has the Play Store app. Open it and go to ‘my apps and games’ On iOS it is the App Store. Open it and click on the ‘Updates’ tab.
STEP 2. For the Android app, you will see a list of the apps installed on the device. Scroll down until you get to the Google Chrome app. Click on the app and then click on update if they are available.
STEP 3. While for the iOS device, click on the update tab at the bottom of the App store window. Scroll through the update tab, if there is a new version of Chrome available, you will see it there.
