It has been 4 weeks since Google Chrome’s last version upgrade, and now it is time for Chrome 99. Google Chrome has been upgraded to version 99.0.4844.51 on the stable channel, which brings about new features and improvements.
This release also includes 28 security improvements, of which 9 are of high importance. Therefore, if you use Chrome often and want to keep your system safe from external threats, you can upgrade to this build using the given guide, or install Google Chrome using the given links below.
Google Chrome is supported on Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Linux.
Table of contents
Release Summary
- Complete Release Build: 99.0.4844.51
- Release Date: Tuesday, March 1st, 2022
- Compatibility: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7 (32-bit and 64-bit), Linux, Mac, iOS, and Android.
- Previous Build: Chrome 98.0.4758.81
- Bug Fixes: 28. More information about security fixes can be found here.
Upgrade to Chrome 99
If you already have Google Chrome installed on your computer, then updating it would be easy. Follow the guide below to update your existing Chrome browser to version 99.0.4844.51.
- Launch Google Chrome and click on the ellipses (3 dots) in the top-right corner of the browser. Then, expand Help, and click About Google Chrome.
- As soon as the About page opens, the browser will start searching for an update and then automatically download it. Once it is ready to install, you will be presented with a Relaunch button. Click Relaunch.
Note: The browser closes when you click Relaunch and then reopens, restoring all closed tabs.
The browser will now close and reopen. When it does, you can navigate to the About Google Chrome page again and confirm that it has indeed been updated to version 99.
There are a few different methods that can also be used to update your Chrome browser to the latest version, including:
- Update using Google update
- Use the downloaded Chrome installer
- Using Ninite
- Download Chrome without using a browser
You can learn more about these methods in this guidepost.
You may also download the Chrome browser from the links given below if you do not already have it.
Download Google Chrome 99
Click on the links below to download Chrome 99.0.4844.51:
Download: Google Chrome web installer
Download: Google Chrome offline installer
Download: Google Chrome MSI Installer [Enterprise Edition]
Download: Google Chrome for macOS
Download: Google Chrome Offline Installer for Linux
Download: Google Chrome for Android
Download: Google Chrome for iOS
Download: Google Chrome Portable
Install Google Chrome 99
Installing the Chrome browser on a Windows PC is as easy as downloading them. The process may vary for different platforms.
Download the file from the links above and then double-click it to execute. The rest of the process is pretty much automatic. The setup will download the required files (if the web installer was downloaded), install them for you and the browser will launch itself as soon as it is installed successfully.
The process is the same for all Windows versions.
What’s New in Google Chrome 99
System Date Picker
Previously, developers had to use a CSS hack or custom widgets for their web applications, so that users could select a date in a form. This resulted in a heavier, unoptimized web app. Chrome 99 eliminates this problem and allows users to use their system’s date picker to input a date.
You can try out this feature on a demo website after upgrading to Chrome 99.
Chrome previously showed all recent downloads in a bar at the bottom of the browser. However, Google Chrome has now switched to a more Microsoft Edge-type look and introduced a new downloads button in the top menu alongside your Chrome account icon.
When a new download begins, you will now see a blue download icon appear at the top menu. Once the download is complete, the blue icon will turn gray and then disappear shortly after.
Web Handwriting Recognition
Google has been experimenting with a handwriting recognition API for some time now. With Chrome 99, they have now finalized this new feature and introduced it to the stable channel.
Users can now input text using their handwriting in web applications which converts your writing into text. You can check out the details of this feature and a visual example in this blog post.
Google Chrome Update History
Google Chrome Releases Version History
| Chrome Version | Release Date | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome 120 | 29-Nov-23 | Auto-grouping of tabs using AI, copy and save video frames, pin side panel elements to toolbar, improved transparent navigation bar on Android |
| Chrome 119 | 31-Oct-23 | 15 security updates, save and sync grouped tabs, smart Omnibox with typo detection, and continue where you left off on another device for iOS. |
| Chrome 118 | 10-Oct-23 | 20 security patches, extended Passkey support, Read Aloud in Reading Mode |
| Chrome 117 | 12-Sep-23 | New Material You designs, intimation of potentially malicious web store extensions. |
| Chrome 116 | 15-Aug-23 | Security update cadence changed to weekly from biweekly, One-Time permissions, 26 security patches |
| Chrome 115 | 12-Jul-23 | Includes Topics API (Privacy Sandbox), reading mode, improved Memory Saver UI, HTTP automatic conversion to HTTPS |
| Chrome 114 | 30-May-23 | Improves the Google Password Manager, introduces Popover API for developers, and adds auto-verification of CAPTCHAs. |
| Chrome 113 | 26-Apr-23 | Makes notes in the sidebar, deletes the last 15-minute browsing history on Android, adds a bookmark or translate button in the toolbar on Android, enable or disables all extensions, and WebGPU enabled by default. |
| Chrome 112 | 4-Apr-23 | Removal of Chrome app support, improved UI (experimental), CSS Nesting, WebAssembly Tail Call |
| Chrome 111 | 6-Mar-23 | Automatic lazy-loading, sharing selected regions of the screen, and several improvements for Chromebooks |
| Chrome 110 | 7-Feb-23 | Improved Password Manager and Google Translate controls, Cookies Having Independent Partitioned State, opt-out support for Secure Payment Confirmation |
| Chrome 109 | 10-Jan-23 | Conditional focus on screen sharing, Material You theming support |
| Chrome 108 | 29-Nov-22 | Evergy saver mode, COLRv1 fonts, resize virtual keyboards (Android) |
| Chrome 107 | 25-Oct-22 | HEVC hardware decoding, screen-sharing improvements, and User-Agent reduction (Phase 5) |
| Chrome 106 | 28-Sep-22 | Selective text translation, integrated RSS reader, and advanced search improvements to Omnibox. |
| Chrome 105 | 30-Aug-22 | Improvements for web applications in terms of customizations |
| Chrome 104 | 2-Aug-22 | Automatic lazy-loading, share selected regions of the screen, and several improvements for Chromebooks |
| Chrome 103 | 21-Jun-22 | Pre-fetch page data for faster loading, local fonts for web apps, and block notifications automatically. |
| Chrome 102 | 24-May-22 | Extensions Starter Kit, New Keyboard Shortcuts, And Continued Searches |
| Chrome 101 | 26-Apr-22 | Improved downloads UI, save group tabs, and password manager |
| Chrome 100 | 29-Mar-22 | Multi-screen API, audio controls |
| Chrome 99 | 1-Mar-22 | Handwriting Recognition, Date Picker, And Security Improvements |
| Chrome 98 | 1-Feb-22 | Built-in screenshot tool, smoother emojis with COLRv1, Emojis to screenshots on Android |
| Chrome 97 | 4-Jan-22 | Delete data saved by websites, zoom settings, better web application layouts, HDR enabled |
| Chrome 96 | 15-Nov-21 | Faster navigation, dark mode per site, flags for testing v100 |
| Chrome 95 | 19-Oct-21 | Save grouped tabs, secure payments |
| Chrome 94 | 21-Sep-21 | HTTPS-only mode, sharing hub |
| Chrome 90 | 15-Apr-21 | AV1 codecs support, window naming feature |
| Download Google Chrome Offline Installers [Stable, Beta, Canary] |
Final Verdict
Google has shifted the release of new Chrome versions from a 6-week cycle to a 4-week cycle. Therefore, we do not see any major changes to the browser altogether. However, Google still improves the browser’s features and publishes them as they get finalized.
Google Chrome 100 is expected in another 4 weeks, which should be around 28th March 2022. This will mark 100 versions of Google Chrome. We certainly hope this century will bring along new, exciting features.
