A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
 | This article needs to be updated. (December 2023) |
.svg){kind=icon} Logo used since February 2022 | |||||||||||
 Google Chrome running on Windows 11 | |||||||||||
| Developer(s) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial release |
| ||||||||||
| Stable release(s) [±] | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Preview release(s) [±] | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Written in | C, C++, Assembly, HTML, Java (Android app only), JavaScript, Python[8][9][10] | ||||||||||
| Engines | Blink (WebKit on iOS), V8 JavaScript engine | ||||||||||
| Operating system |
| ||||||||||
| Platform | IA-32, x86-64, ARMv7, ARMv8-A | ||||||||||
| Included with |
| ||||||||||
| Available in | 47 languages[13] | ||||||||||
| Type | Web browser, mobile browser | ||||||||||
| License | Proprietary freeware, based on open source components[14][note 1] | ||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||
Google Chrome is a web browser developed by Google. It was first released in 2008 for Microsoft Windows, built with free software components from Apple WebKit and Mozilla Firefox.[15] Versions were later released for Linux, macOS, iOS, and also for Android, where it is the default browser.[16] The browser is also the main component of ChromeOS, where it serves as the platform for web applications.
Most of Chrome's source code comes from Google's free and open-source software project Chromium, but Chrome is licensed as proprietary freeware.[14] WebKit was the original rendering engine, but Google eventually forked it to create the Blink engine;[17] all Chrome variants except iOS used Blink as of 2017.[18]
As of April 2024[update], StatCounter estimates that Chrome has a 65% worldwide browser market share (after peaking at 72.38% in November 2018) on personal computers (PC),[19] is most used on tablets (having surpassed Safari), and is also dominant on smartphones.[20][21] With a market share of 65% across all platforms combined, Chrome is the most used web browser in the world today.[22]
Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt was previously involved in the "browser wars", a part of U.S. corporate history, and opposed the expansion of the company into such a new area. However, Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page spearheaded a software demonstration that pushed Schmidt into making Chrome a core business priority, which resulted in commercial success.[23] Because of the proliferation of Chrome, Google has expanded the "Chrome" brand name to other products. These include not just ChromeOS but also Chromecast, Chromebook, Chromebit, Chromebox, and Chromebase.
History
Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt opposed the development of an independent web browser for six years. He stated that "at the time, Google was a small company", and he did not want to go through "bruising browser wars". Company co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page hired several Mozilla Firefox developers and built a demonstration of Chrome. Afterwards, Schmidt said, "It was so good that it essentially forced me to change my mind."[23]
In September 2004, rumors of Google building a web browser first appeared. Online journals and U.S. newspapers stated at the time that Google was hiring former Microsoft web developers among others. It also came shortly after the release of Mozilla Firefox 1.0, which was surging in popularity and taking market share from Internet Explorer, which had noted security problems.[24]
Chrome is based on the open-source code of the Chromium project.[15] Development of the browser began in 2006,[25] spearheaded by Sundar Pichai.[26] Chrome was "largely developed" in Google's Kitchener office.[27]
Announcement
The release announcement was originally scheduled for September 3, 2008, and a comic by Scott McCloud was to be sent to journalists and bloggers explaining the features within the new browser.[28] Copies intended for Europe were shipped early and German blogger Philipp Lenssen of Google Blogoscoped made a scanned copy of the 38-page comic available on his website after receiving it on September 1, 2008.[29][30] Google subsequently made the comic available on Google Books,[31] and mentioned it on their official blog along with an explanation for the early release.[32] The product was named "Chrome" as an initial development project code name, because it is associated with fast cars and speed. Google kept the development project name as the final release name, as a "cheeky" or ironic moniker, as one of the main aims was to minimize the user interface chrome.[33]
Public release
The browser was first publicly released, officially as a beta version,[34] on September 2, 2008, for Windows XP and newer, and with support for 43 languages, and later as a "stable" public release on December 11, 2008. On that same day, a CNET news item drew attention to a passage in the Terms of Service statement for the initial beta release, which seemed to grant to Google a license to all content transferred via the Chrome browser.[35] This passage was inherited from the general Google terms of service.[36] Google responded to this criticism immediately by stating that the language used was borrowed from other products, and removed this passage from the Terms of Service.[14]
Chrome quickly gained about 1% usage share.[32][37][38] After the initial surge, usage share dropped until it hit a low of 0.69% in October 2008. It then started rising again and by December 2008, Chrome again passed the 1% threshold.[39] In early January 2009, CNET reported that Google planned to release versions of Chrome for OS X and Linux in the first half of the year.[40] The first official Chrome OS X and Linux developer previews were announced on June 4, 2009,[41] with a blog post saying they were missing many features and were intended for early feedback rather than general use.[42] In December 2009, Google released beta versions of Chrome for OS X and Linux.[43][44] Google Chrome 5.0, announced on May 25, 2010, was the first stable release to support all three platforms.[45]
Chrome was one of the twelve browsers offered on BrowserChoice.eu to European Economic Area users of Microsoft Windows in 2010.[46]
Development
Chrome was assembled from 25 different code libraries from Google and third parties such as Mozilla's Netscape Portable Runtime, Network Security Services, NPAPI (dropped as of version 45),[47] Skia Graphics Engine, SQLite, and a number of other open-source projects.[48] The V8 JavaScript virtual machine was considered a sufficiently important project to be split off (as was Adobe/Mozilla's Tamarin) and handled by a separate team in Denmark coordinated by Lars Bak. According to Google, existing implementations were designed "for small programs, where the performance and interactivity of the system weren't that important", but web applications such as Gmail "are using the web browser to the fullest when it comes to DOM manipulations and JavaScript", and therefore would significantly benefit from a JavaScript engine that could work faster.
Chrome initially used the WebKit rendering engine to display web pages. In 2013, they forked the WebCore component to create their own layout engine Blink. Based on WebKit, Blink only uses WebKit's "WebCore" components, while substituting other components, such as its own multi-process architecture, in place of WebKit's native implementation.[17] Chrome is internally tested with unit testing, automated testing of scripted user actions, fuzz testing, as well as WebKit's layout tests (99% of which Chrome is claimed to have passed), and against commonly accessed websites inside the Google index within 20–30 minutes.[31] Google created Gears for Chrome, which added features for web developers typically relating to the building of web applications, including offline support.[31] Google phased out Gears as the same functionality became available in the HTML5 standards.[49]
In March 2011, Google introduced a new simplified logo to replace the previous 3D logo that had been used since the project's inception. Google designer Steve Rura explained the company reasoning for the change: "Since Chrome is all about making your web experience as easy and clutter-free as possible, we refreshed the Chrome icon to better represent these sentiments. A simpler icon embodies the Chrome spirit – to make the web quicker, lighter, and easier for all."[50]
On January 11, 2011, the Chrome product manager, Mike Jazayeri, announced that Chrome would remove H.264 video codec support for its HTML5 player, citing the desire to bring Google Chrome more in line with the currently available open codecs available in the Chromium project, which Chrome is based on.[51] Despite this, on November 6, 2012, Google released a version of Chrome on Windows which added hardware-accelerated H.264 video decoding.[52] In October 2013, Cisco announced that it was open-sourcing its H.264 codecs, and it would cover all fees required.[53]
On February 7, 2012, Google launched Google Chrome Beta for Android 4.0 devices.[54] On many new devices with Android 4.1 and later preinstalled, Chrome is the default browser.[55] In May 2017, Google announced a version of Chrome for augmented reality and virtual reality devices.[56]
Features
Google Chrome features a minimalistic user interface, with its user-interface principles later being implemented into other browsers. For example, the merging of the address bar and search bar into the omnibox or omnibar[57][58] Chrome also has a reputation for strong browser performance.[59][60]
Web standards support
| This section needs to be updated. (September 2022) |
The first release of Google Chrome passed both the Acid1 and Acid2 tests. Beginning with version 4.0, Chrome has passed all aspects of the Acid3 test.[61]
As of May 2011[update], Chrome has very good support for JavaScript/ECMAScript according to Ecma International's ECMAScript standards conformance Test 262[62] (version ES5.1 May 18, 2012). This test reports as the final score the number of tests a browser failed; hence lower scores are better. In this test, Chrome version 37 scored 10 failed/11,578 passed. For comparison, Firefox 19 scored 193 failed/11,752 passed and Internet Explorer 9 has a score of 600+ failed, while Internet Explorer 10 has a score of 7 failed.
In 2011, on the official CSS 2.1 test suite by standardization organization W3C, WebKit, the Chrome rendering engine, passes 89.75% (89.38% out of 99.59% covered) CSS 2.1 tests.[63]
On the HTML5 web standards test, Chrome 41 scores 518 out of 555 points, placing it ahead of the five most popular desktop browsers.[64][65] Chrome 41 on Android scores 510 out of 555 points.[66][67][68] Chrome 44 scores 526, only 29 points less than the maximum score.[69]
User interface
.svg){kind=icon}
.svg){kind=icon}
By default, the main user interface includes back, forward, refresh/cancel and menu buttons. A home button is not shown by default, but can be added through the Settings page to take the user to the new tab page or a custom home page.[70]
Tabs are the main component of Chrome's user interface and have been moved to the top of the window rather than below the controls. This subtle change contrasts with many existing tabbed browsers which are based on windows and contain tabs. Tabs, with their state, can be transferred seamlessly between window containers by dragging. Each tab has its own set of controls, including the Omnibox.[31]
The Omnibox is a URL box that combines the functions of both the address bar and search box. If a user enters the URL of a site previously searched from, Chrome allows pressing Tab to search the site again directly from the Omnibox. When a user starts typing in the Omnibox, Chrome provides suggestions for previously visited sites (based on the URL or in-page text), popular websites (not necessarily visited before – powered by Google Instant), and popular searches. Although Instant can be turned off, suggestions based on previously visited sites cannot be turned off. Chrome will also autocomplete the URLs of sites visited often.[31] If a user types keywords into the Omnibox that do not match any previously visited websites and presses enter, Chrome will conduct the search using the default search engine.
One of Chrome's differentiating features is the New Tab Page, which can replace the browser home page and is displayed when a new tab is created. Originally, this showed thumbnails of the nine most visited websites, along with frequent searches, recent bookmarks, and recently closed tabs; similar to Internet Explorer and Firefox with Google Toolbar, or Opera's Speed Dial.[31] In Google Chrome 2.0, the New Tab Page was updated to allow users to hide thumbnails they did not want to appear.[71]
Starting in version 3.0, the New Tab Page was revamped to display thumbnails of the eight most visited websites. The thumbnails could be rearranged, pinned, and removed. Alternatively, a list of text links could be displayed instead of thumbnails. It also features a "Recently closed" bar that shows recently closed tabs and a "tips" section that displays hints and tricks for using the browser.[72] Starting with Google Chrome 3.0, users can install themes to alter the appearance of the browser.[73] Many free third-party themes are provided in an online gallery,[74] accessible through a "Get themes" button in Chrome's options.[75]
Chrome includes a bookmarks submenu that lists the user's bookmarks, provides easy access to Chrome's Bookmark Manager, and allows the user to toggle a bookmarks bar on or off.
On January 2, 2019, Google introduced Native Dark Theme for Chrome on Windows 10.[76]
In 2023, it was announced that Chrome would be completely revamped, using Google's Material You design language, the revamp would include more rounded corners, Chrome colors being swapped out for a similar dynamic color system introduced in Android 12, a revamped address bar, new icons and tabs, and a more simplified 3 dot menu.[77]
Built-in tools
Starting with Google Chrome 4.1, the application added a built-in translation bar using Google Translate. Language translation is currently available for 52 languages.[78] When Chrome detects a foreign language other than the user's preferred language set during the installation time, it asks the user whether or not to translate.
Chrome allows users to synchronize their bookmarks, history, and settings across all devices with the browser installed by sending and receiving data through a chosen Google Account, which in turn updates all signed-in instances of Chrome. This can be authenticated either through Google credentials, or a sync passphrase.
For web developers, Chrome features an element inspector which allows users to look into the DOM and see what makes up the webpage.[79]
Chrome has special URLs that load application-specific pages instead of websites or files on disk. Chrome also has a built-in ability to enable experimental features. Originally called about:labs, the address was changed to about:flags to make it less obvious to casual users.[80][81]
The desktop edition of Chrome is able to save pages as HTML with assets in a "_files" subfolder, or as unprocessed HTML-only document. It also offers an option to save in the MHTML format.[82]
Desktop shortcuts and apps
Chrome allows users to make local desktop shortcuts that open web applications in the browser. The browser, when opened in this way, contains none of the regular interface except for the title bar, so as not to "interrupt anything the user is trying to do". This allows web applications to run alongside local software (similar to Mozilla Prism and Fluid).[31]
This feature, according to Google, would be enhanced with the Chrome Web Store, a one-stop web-based web applications directory which opened in December 2010.[83][84]
In September 2013, Google started making Chrome apps "For your desktop". This meant offline access, desktop shortcuts, and less dependence on Chrome—apps launch in a window separate from Chrome, and look more like native applications.[85]
Chrome Web Store
Announced on December 7, 2010, the Chrome Web Store allows users to install web applications as extensions to the browser, although most of these extensions function simply as links to popular web pages or games, some of the apps like Springpad do provide extra features like offline access. The themes and extensions have also been tightly integrated into the new store, allowing users to search the entire catalog of Chrome extras.[86]
The Chrome Web Store was opened on February 11, 2011, with the release of Google Chrome 9.0.[87]
Extensions
Browser extensions are able to modify Google Chrome. They are supported by the browser's desktop edition,[88] but not on mobile. These extensions are written using web technologies like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.[89] They are distributed through Chrome Web Store,[90] initially known as the Google Chrome Extensions Gallery.[88] Some extensions focus on providing accessibility features. Google Tone is an extension developed by Google that when enabled, can use a computer's speakers to exchange URLs with nearby computers with an Internet connection that have the extension enabled as well.[91][92]
On September 9, 2009, Google enabled extensions by default on Chrome's developer channel, and provided several sample extensions for testing.[93] In December, the Google Chrome Extensions Gallery beta began with approximately 300 extensions.[44][94] It was launched on January 25, 2010, along with Google Chrome 4.0, containing approximately 1500 extensions.[95]
In 2014, Google started preventing some Windows users from installing extensions not hosted on the Chrome Web Store.[96][97] The following year Google reported a "75% drop in customer support help requests for uninstalling unwanted extensions" which led them to expand this restriction to all Windows and Mac users.[98]
Manifest V3
In October 2018, Google announced a major future update to Chrome's extension API, known as "Manifest V3" (in reference to the manifest file contained within extensions). Manifest V3 is intended to modernize the extension architecture and improve the security and performance of the browser; it adopts declarative APIs to "decrease the need for overly-broad access and enable more performant implementation by the browser", replaces background pages with feature-limited "Service Workers" to reduce resource usage, and prohibits remotely-hosted code.[99][100][101]
Manifest V3 has faced criticism for changes to the WebRequest API used by ad blocking and privacy extensions to block and modify network connections.[102] The declarative version of WebRequest uses rules processed by the browser, rather than sending all network traffic through the extension, which Google stated would improve performance. However, DeclarativeWebRequest is limited in the number of rules that may be set, and the types of expressions that may be used.[102] Additionally, the prohibition of remotely-hosted code will restrict the ability for filter lists to be updated independently of the extension itself. As the Chrome Web Store review process has an invariable length, filter lists may not be updated in a timely fashion.[103][104]
Google has been accused of using Manifest V3 to inhibit ad blocking software due to its vested interest in the online advertising market.[105] Google cited performance issues associated with WebRequest, as well as its use in malicious extensions. In June 2019, it announced that it would increase the aforementioned cap from 30,000 to 150,000 entries to help quell concerns about limitations to filtering rules.[106][107][108][102] In 2021, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) issued a statement that Manifest V3 was "outright harmful to privacy efforts", as it would greatly limit the functionality of privacy extensions.[109]
In December 2022, Google announced the transition would be paused "in order to address developer feedback and deliver better solutions to migration issues." In November 2023, Google announced it would resume the transition to Manifest V3; support for Manifest V2 extensions will be removed entirely from non-stable builds of Chrome beginning June 2024.[110][102] Other Chromium-based web browsers will adopt Manifest V3, including Microsoft Edge.[111] Manifest V3 support is being added to Mozilla Firefox's implementation of Chrome's extension API (WebExtensions) for compatibility reasons, but Mozilla has stated that its implementation would not contain limitations that affect privacy and content-blocking extensions, and that its implementation of V2 would not be deprecated.[104]
Notable examples
- Adblock Plus[112]
- Adblock for Chrome
- Cut the Rope
- Dropbox
- Evernote Web
- Facebook Messenger[113]
- Ghostery
- Google Maps
- HTTPS Everywhere (discontinued)
- Pandora Radio
- Pixlr Express
- Privacy Badger
- Streamus (discontinued)
- TweetDeck
- Stop Tony Meow (discontinued)
- uBlock Origin[114]
Speed
The JavaScript virtual machine used by Chrome, the V8 JavaScript engine, has features such as dynamic code generation, hidden class transitions, and precise garbage collection.[31]
In 2008, several websites performed benchmark tests using the SunSpider JavaScript Benchmark tool as well as Google's own set of computationally intense benchmarks, which include ray tracing and constraint solving.[115] They unanimously reported that Chrome performed much faster than all competitors against which it had been tested, including Safari (for Windows), Firefox 3.0, Internet Explorer 7, Opera, and Internet Explorer 8.[116][117][118][59]{[119][120] However, on October 11, 2010, independent tests of JavaScript performance, Chrome has been scoring just behind Opera's Presto engine since it was updated in version 10.5.[121]
On September 3, 2008, Mozilla responded by stating that their own TraceMonkey JavaScript engine (then in beta), was faster than Chrome's V8 engine in some tests.[122][123][124] John Resig, Mozilla's JavaScript evangelist, further commented on the performance of different browsers on Google's own suite, commenting on Chrome's "decimating" of the other browsers, but he questioned whether Google's suite was representative of real programs. He stated that Firefox 3.0 performed poorly on recursion-intensive benchmarks, such as those of Google, because the Mozilla team had not implemented recursion-tracing yet.[125]
Two weeks after Chrome's launch in 2008, the WebKit team announced a new JavaScript engine, SquirrelFish Extreme,[126] citing a 36% speed improvement over Chrome's V8 engine.[127][128][129]
Like most major web browsers, Chrome uses DNS prefetching to speed up website lookups,[79] as do other browsers like Firefox,[130] Safari,[131] Internet Explorer (called DNS Pre-resolution),[132] and in Opera as a UserScript (not built-in).[133]
Chrome formerly used their now-deprecated SPDY protocol instead of only HTTP[134][135] when communicating with servers that support it, such as Google services, Facebook, Twitter. SPDY support was removed in Chrome version 51. This was due to SPDY being replaced by HTTP/2, a standard that was based upon it.
In November 2019, Google said it was working on several "speed badging" systems that let visitors know why a page is taking time to show up. The variations include simple text warnings and more subtle signs that indicate a site is slow. No date has been given for when the badging system will be included with the Chrome browser.[136]
Chrome formerly supported a Data Saver feature for making pages load faster called Lite Mode.[137] Previously, Chrome engineers Addy Osmani and Scott Little announced Lite Mode would automatically lazy-load images and iframes for faster page loads.[138] Lite Mode was switched off in Chrome 100, citing a decrease in mobile data costs for many countries.[139]
Security
Chrome periodically retrieves updates of two blacklists (one for phishing and one for malware), and warns users when they attempt to visit a site flagged as potentially harmful. This service is also made available for use by others via a free public API called "Google Safe Browsing API".[31]
Chrome uses a process-allocation model to sandbox tabs.[140] Using the principle of least privilege, each tab process cannot interact with critical memory functions (e.g. OS memory, user files) or other tab processes – similar to Microsoft's "Protected Mode" used by Internet Explorer 9 or greater. The Sandbox Team is said to have "taken this existing process boundary and made it into a jail". This enforces a computer security model whereby there are two levels of multilevel security (user and sandbox) and the sandbox can only respond to communication requests initiated by the user.[141] On Linux sandboxing uses the seccomp mode.[142][143]
In January 2015, TorrentFreak reported that using Chrome when connected to the internet using a VPN can be a serious security issue due to the browser's support for WebRTC.[144]
On September 9, 2016, it was reported that starting with Chrome 56, users will be warned when they visit insecure HTTP websites to encourage more sites to make the transition to HTTPS.[145]
On December 4, 2018, Google announced its Chrome 71 release with new security features, including a built-in ad featuring system. In addition, Google also announced its plan to crack down on websites that make people involuntarily subscribe to mobile subscription plans.[146]
On September 2, 2020, with the release of Chrome 85, Google extended support for Secure DNS in Chrome for Android. DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), was designed to improve safety and privacy while browsing the web. Under the update, Chrome automatically switches to DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), if the current DNS provider supports the feature.[147]
Password management
Windows
Since 2008, Chrome has been faulted for not including a master password to prevent casual access to a user's passwords. Chrome developers have indicated that a master password does not provide real security against determined hackers and have refused to implement one. Bugs filed on this issue have been marked "WontFix".[148][149] As of February 2014[update], Google Chrome asks the user to enter their Windows account password before showing saved passwords.[150]
Linux
On Linux, Google Chrome/Chromium can store passwords in three ways: GNOME Keyring, KWallet or plain text. Google Chrome/Chromium chooses which store to use automatically, based on the desktop environment in use.[151] Passwords stored in GNOME Keyring or KWallet are encrypted on disk, and access to them is controlled by dedicated daemon software. Passwords stored in plain text are not encrypted. Because of this, when either GNOME Keyring or KWallet is in use, any unencrypted passwords that have been stored previously are automatically moved into the encrypted store. Support for using GNOME Keyring and KWallet was added in version 6, but using these (when available) was not made the default mode until version 12.
macOS
As of version 45, the Google Chrome password manager is no longer integrated with Keychain, since the interoperability goal is no longer possible.[152]
Security vulnerabilities
No security vulnerabilities in Chrome were exploited in the three years of Pwn2Own from 2009 to 2011.[153] At Pwn2Own 2012, Chrome was defeated by a French team who used zero day exploits in the version of Flash shipped with Chrome to take complete control of a fully patched 64-bit Windows 7 PC using a booby-trapped website that overcame Chrome's sandboxing.[154]
Chrome was compromised twice at the 2012 CanSecWest Pwnium.[154][155][156] Google's official response to the exploits was delivered by Jason Kersey, who congratulated the researchers, noting "We also believe that both submissions are works of art and deserve wider sharing and recognition."[157] Fixes for these vulnerabilities were deployed within 10 hours of the submission.[158][159]
A significant number of security vulnerabilities in Chrome occurred in the Adobe Flash Player. For example, the 2016 Pwn2Own successful attack on Chrome relied on four security vulnerabilities. Two of the vulnerabilities were in Flash, one was in Chrome, and one was in the Windows kernel.[160] In 2016, Google announced that it was planning to phase out Flash Player in Chrome, starting in version 53. The first phase of the plan was to disable Flash for ads and "background analytics", with the ultimate goal of disabling it completely by the end of the year, except on specific sites that Google has deemed to be broken without it. Flash would then be re-enabled with the exclusion of ads and background analytics on a site-by-site basis.[161]
Leaked documents from 2013 to 2016 codenamed Vault 7 detail the capabilities of the United States Central Intelligence Agency, such as the ability to compromise web browsers (including Google Chrome).[162][163]
Malware blocking and ad blocking
Google introduced download scanning protection in Chrome 17.[164] In February 2018, Google introduced an ad blocking feature based on recommendations from the Interactive Advertising Bureau. Sites that employ invasive ads are given a 30-day warning, after which their ads will be blocked.[165] Consumer Reports recommended users install dedicated ad-blocking tools instead, which offer increased security against malware and tracking.[166]
Plugins
- Chrome supported, up to version 45, plug-ins with the Netscape Plugin Application Programming Interface (NPAPI),[167] so that plug-ins (for example Adobe Flash Player) run as unrestricted separate processes outside the browser and cannot be sandboxed as tabs are. ActiveX is not supported.[167] Since 2010, Adobe Flash has been integral to Chrome and does not need be installed separately. Flash is kept up to date as part of Chrome's own updates.[168] Java applet support was available in Chrome with Java 6 update 12 and above.[169] Support for Java under OS X was provided by a Java Update released on May 18, 2010.[170]
- On August 12, 2009, Google introduced a replacement for NPAPI that is more portable and more secure[171] called Pepper Plugin API (PPAPI).[172] The default bundled PPAPI Flash Player (or Pepper-based Flash Player) was available on ChromeOS first, then replaced the NPAPI Flash Player on Linux from Chrome version 20, on Windows from version 21 (which also reduced Flash crashes by 20%),[173] and eventually came to OS X at version 23.[174]
- On September 23, 2013, Google announced that it would be deprecating and then removing NPAPI support. NPAPI support was removed from Linux in Chrome release 35.[175] NPAPI plugins like Java can no longer work in Chrome (but there are workarounds for Flash by using PPAPI Flash Player on Linux including for Chromium).[176]
- On April 14, 2015, Google released Chrome v42, disabling the NPAPI by default. This makes plugins that do not have a PPAPI plugin counterpart incompatible with Chrome, such as Java, Silverlight and Unity. However, NPAPI support could be enabled through the chrome://flags menu, until the release of version 45 on September 1, 2015, that removed NPAPI support entirely.[177]
Privacy
Incognito mode
The private browsing feature called Incognito mode prevents the browser from locally storing any history information, cookies, site data, or form inputs.[178] Downloaded files and bookmarks will be stored. In addition, user activity is not hidden from visited websites or the Internet service provider.[179]
Incognito mode is similar to the private browsing feature in other web browsers. It does not prevent saving in all windows: "You can switch between an incognito window and any regular windows you have open. You'll only be in incognito mode when you're using the incognito window".[180]
The iOS version of Chrome also supports the optional ability to lock incognito tabs with Face ID, Touch ID or the device's passcode.[181]
A class-action lawsuit seeking $5 billion in damages was filed against Google in 2020 on the grounds it misled consumers into thinking it would not track them when using incognito mode, despite using various means to do so. In December 2023, a settlement was reportedly agreed to, with public disclosure expected in February 2024.[182]
Listening capabilities
In June 2015, the Debian developer community discovered that Chromium 43 and Chrome 43 were programmed to download the Hotword Shared Module, which could enable the OK Google voice recognition extension, although by default it was "off". This raised privacy concerns in the media.[183][184] The module was removed in Chrome 45, which was released on September 1, 2015, and was only present in Chrome 43 and 44.[185][186]
User tracking concerns
Chrome sends details about its users and their activities to Google through both optional and non-optional user tracking mechanisms.[187][188]
Some of the tracking mechanisms can be optionally enabled and disabled through the installation interface[189] and through the browser's options dialog.[190] Unofficial builds, such as SRWare Iron, seek to remove these features from the browser altogether.[191] The RLZ[clarification needed] feature is not included in the Chromium browser either.[192]
In March 2010, Google devised a new method to collect installation statistics: the unique ID token included with Chrome is now used for only the first connection that Google Update makes to its server.[193]
The optional suggestion service included in Google Chrome has been criticized because it provides the information typed into the Omnibox to the search provider before the user even hits return. This allows the search engine to provide URL suggestions, but also provides them with web use information tied to an IP address.[194]
Chrome previously was able to suggest similar pages when a page could not be found. For this, in some cases Google servers were contacted.[195] The feature has since been removed.[citation needed]
A 2019 review by Washington Post technology columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler found that in a typical week of browsing, Chrome allowed thousands more cookies to be stored than Mozilla Firefox. Fowler pointed out that because of its advertising businesses, despite the privacy controls it offers users, Google is a major producer of third-party cookies and has a financial interest in collecting user data; he recommended switching to Firefox, Apple Safari, or Chromium-based Brave.[196]
| Method[191] | Information sent | When | Optional? | Opt-in? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Installation | Randomly generated token included in an installer; used to measure the success rate of Google Chrome once at installation[197] |
On installation |
No | — |
| RLZ identifier[198] | Encoded string, according to Google, contains non-identifying information on where Chrome was downloaded from and its installation week; it is used to measure promotional campaigns;[197] Google provides source code to decode this string[192]
Can be disabled in ChromeOS.[197] For Chrome browsers running in all other operating systems:[197]
|
Text je dostupný za podmienok Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0 Unported; prípadne za ďalších podmienok. Podrobnejšie informácie nájdete na stránke Podmienky použitia.
Analytika
Antropológia Aplikované vedy Bibliometria Dejiny vedy Encyklopédie Filozofia vedy Forenzné vedy Humanitné vedy Knižničná veda Kryogenika Kryptológia Kulturológia Literárna veda Medzidisciplinárne oblasti Metódy kvantitatívnej analýzy Metavedy Metodika Text je dostupný za podmienok Creative
Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License 3.0 Unported; prípadne za ďalších
podmienok. www.astronomia.sk | www.biologia.sk | www.botanika.sk | www.dejiny.sk | www.economy.sk | www.elektrotechnika.sk | www.estetika.sk | www.farmakologia.sk | www.filozofia.sk | Fyzika | www.futurologia.sk | www.genetika.sk | www.chemia.sk | www.lingvistika.sk | www.politologia.sk | www.psychologia.sk | www.sexuologia.sk | www.sociologia.sk | www.veda.sk I www.zoologia.sk |