Google moved Chrome 155 to its Stable channel on Tuesday 6 Oct 2026, for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. The desktop release carries 247 security fixes, and Google rates 4 of them Critical. That's a big batch for a single release.
Before anyone panics: Google hasn't said any of these bugs are being exploited. SecurityWeek, which went through the advisory, says the same. The reason to update is the sheer volume and severity of the fixes, not an emergency.
The rollout is staged. Google says the desktop update "will roll out over the coming days/weeks", so you may not have it yet. You can pull it in yourself in about a minute, and the steps are in the next section.
Short version. Update now on your computer and phone. Check if you use Edge, Brave or Opera, if your computer is old, or if it's a work laptop someone else manages. And if you build websites, there's new stuff to play with, starting with JPEG XL images.
Affiliate disclosure: some tool or platform links may later be affiliate or referral links. Facts in this post come from Google's Chrome Releases blog, Chrome Platform Status release notes, Chrome Help and Google's Chromium release schedule, with secondary reporting from SecurityWeek where marked, checked on 8 Oct 2026 (SAST).
How to update in under a minute
On a computer, Chrome downloads updates in the background, but they only apply when you restart the browser. To force it:
- Open Chrome.
- At the top right, click More (the three dots), then Help, then About Google Chrome.
- Chrome checks for updates. When it's done, click Relaunch.
Google's help page puts it simply: "If you can't find the 'Relaunch' option, you're on the latest version." Your normal tabs reopen after the restart. Incognito windows don't, so save anything you need from them first.
On Linux, update through your package manager. On a Chromebook, update ChromeOS itself.
On your phone, open the Play Store (Android) or the App Store (iPhone and iPad), search for Chrome and tap Update if it shows.
Here's what your version number should read once you're updated:
| Platform | Chrome 155 version | How Google says it arrives |
|---|---|---|
| Windows and Mac | 155.0.8059.39 or .40 | Staged over the coming days and weeks; Relaunch to apply |
| Linux | 155.0.8059.39 | Staged; update through your package manager |
| Android | 155.0.8059.39 | Google Play over the next few days; same security fixes as desktop unless noted |
| iPhone and iPad | 155.0.8059.37 | App Store, listed as stability and performance improvements |
A slightly higher number at the end is fine. That just means you're on a later build.
I use Edge, Brave or Opera. Am I covered?
Not automatically. Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi are built on Chromium, the open-source project under Chrome, but each ships fixes on its own schedule. We don't know when each one will carry these particular fixes, or in which version. So open your browser's own About or Help page and install whatever update it offers. Don't assume.
If you've been weighing a browser switch anyway, our Perplexity Comet vs Chrome guide covers that decision. Either way, update what you use today first.
My computer is too old, or work manages it
Chrome Help lists the minimums. On Windows you need Windows 10 or newer on Intel processors (Windows 11 or newer on ARM). On a Mac you need macOS 13 Ventura or newer. On Linux it's 64-bit Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 10+, openSUSE 15.5+ or Fedora Linux 39+.
If your machine is below that line, it won't get Chrome 155 or these fixes. That's worth planning around, especially if it's the laptop you use for banking or client work.
If it's a work or client laptop, IT may control when updates land. Ask them. Don't try to work around their policies.
What the security fixes cover
Google keeps the technical details of bugs restricted "until a majority of users are updated with a fix". That's normal practice. It gives people time to patch before anyone can study the holes.
What we do know: all four Critical bugs are use-after-free issues. That's a type of memory bug where a program keeps using a piece of memory after it's been handed back. In a browser, a bug like that is the kind of thing a malicious web page could try to abuse. The four sit in Chrome's Chromecast, Browser, Navigation and Track components.
Below those, Google lists 53 High severity bugs, including issues in Site Isolation, ANGLE (graphics), Autofill and a type-confusion bug in V8, the JavaScript engine. SecurityWeek says the remaining 190 are medium and low severity.
Why does this matter to you? Your browser is where your money lives now. It holds the logins to wherever you get paid, which our Wise vs Payoneer vs PayPal comparison covers, and to any store or payment dashboard you run. A one-minute restart is cheap insurance for all of that.
What's new besides security
Chrome 155 also adds features you might notice, according to Google's release notes.
- JPEG XL images. Chrome can now display JPEG XL (image/jxl), a modern image format standardised as ISO/IEC 18181. It supports progressive loading, wide colour, HDR, high bit depth and animation. Google built the decoder with jxl-rs, a memory-safe decoder written in Rust. You'll only see JPEG XL where websites actually serve it, so don't expect every site to change overnight.
- Post-quantum cryptography for web apps. Sites can now use browser-built versions of newer encryption methods designed to resist future quantum computers, namely ML-KEM, ML-DSA, ChaCha20-Poly1305 and X-Wing. This is groundwork you won't see. It's about keeping logins and data safe in the long run.
- Digital credentials into your wallet. Websites such as a university, a government agency or a bank can start issuing digital credentials straight into a mobile wallet.
- Quieter hidden embeds. A new policy lets sites pause audio from embedded frames that are hidden on the page. Fewer mystery sounds from a tab.
For web designers and freelance devs
If you build sites for clients, a few items in the release notes are worth a test.
- CSS:
margin-trim(drop the margin before the first or after the last child of a container),symbols()for custom list counters, andtext-decoration-skip-spaces. - Canvas: new
srgb-linearanddisplay-p3-linearcolour spaces. - Installed web apps: with the window-management permission, apps can now maximise, minimise and restore their own windows, and block resizing with
setResizable(). - Enterprise: on managed browsers, the
chrome.debuggerextension API now respects admin policies on hosts and screenshots.
Use all of this with fallbacks. JPEG XL working in Chrome 155 doesn't mean every visitor's browser can show it. Keep AVIF, WebP or JPEG versions until you're sure your audience's browsers support it.
Update now, check, or wait?
| You are | Call | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| On Chrome for desktop | Update now | About Google Chrome, then Relaunch; check for 155.0.8059.39 or later |
| On Chrome for Android or iPhone | Update now | Play Store or App Store; look for the versions in the table above |
| On Edge, Brave or Opera | Check | Open that browser's About page and install any update it offers |
| On Windows 7 or 8, or macOS 12 or older | Check | Your OS is below Chrome's minimum, so these fixes won't reach you; plan an upgrade |
| On a managed work or client laptop | Wait and ask IT | IT may control updates; don't bypass policy |
| A web designer or developer | Update, then test | Try JPEG XL and the new CSS, but keep fallbacks |
A practical tip from a Joburg desk: do the relaunch while you have power and a stable connection, not five minutes before load-shedding or a client call. It only takes a moment, but you don't want it interrupted.
What's next
Chrome moves fast this month. Google's Chromium release schedule shows a Chrome 155 refresh on 13 Oct and Chrome 156 reaching Stable on 20 Oct 2026. Chrome 156 is already in early Stable for "a small percentage of users" on Windows, Mac and Android.
The easiest habit is to open About Google Chrome once a week and click Relaunch if it's there. That keeps you current without having to follow every release post.
FAQ
Does Chrome update automatically?
It downloads updates in the background, but on a computer they only apply when you relaunch. Use About Google Chrome to force it.
Is any of this being exploited?
Google hasn't said so, and SecurityWeek notes that Google makes no mention of any of these bugs being exploited in the wild. Update anyway, because of the number and severity of the fixes.
What version should I have?
155.0.8059.39 or later on desktop and Android (some Windows and Mac builds show .40). On iPhone and iPad, 155.0.8059.37.
What is JPEG XL?
A modern image format, standardised as ISO/IEC 18181, that Chrome 155 can now display. Sites still have to choose to use it.
Footnote: two of the four Critical bugs are credited on Google's list to a researcher at Anthropic, assisted by its Claude AI model.
Featured photo: FlyD / Unsplash
Sources: Stable Channel Update for Desktop, Chrome 155 (Chrome Releases, 6 Oct 2026), Chrome for Android Update, Chrome 155 (Chrome Releases, 6 Oct 2026), Chrome Stable for iOS Update, Chrome 155 (Chrome Releases, 6 Oct 2026), Early Stable Update for Desktop, Chrome 156 (Chrome Releases, 7 Oct 2026), Chrome for Android Update, Chrome 156 early Stable (Chrome Releases, 7 Oct 2026), Chrome 155 release notes (Chrome Platform Status), Update Google Chrome (Chrome Help), Chromium release schedule (Google), Chrome 155 milestone schedule, 13 Oct refresh (Chromium Dash), Chrome 155 Update Patches 247 Vulnerabilities (SecurityWeek, 7 Oct 2026). Facts checked 8 Oct 2026 (SAST)