Search engine giant Google has announced that the Google Chrome web browser will drop support for Windows 7 and 8.1 from February 2023. Chrome users should ensure that their devices are running at least Windows 10 once support for Windows 7 and 8.1 is discontinued, the company said. Edition.
“With the release of Chrome 110 (tentatively scheduled for February 7, 2023), we will officially end support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. To ensure you continue to receive future Chrome releases, Your device is running Windows 10 or later. This coincides with Microsoft’s support for Windows 7 ESU and Windows 8.1 Extended Support on January 10, 2023,” Tech Ginat noted.
Older versions of Chrome will continue to work, but no further updates will be released to users on these operating systems. If you’re currently on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, the company encourages you to move to a supported Windows version before that date to continue receiving the latest security updates and Chrome features.
According to StatCounter GlobalStats, Windows 7 is still running on more than 10 percent of all Windows systems around the world, while Windows 8.1 is just 2.7 percent. The Google Chrome web browser has a market share of over 65 percent, followed by Safari with about 18 percent and Microsoft Edge with 4.32 percent (which uses the Chrome rendering engine with enhancements from Microsoft).
Google earlier this month announced the launch of support for Passkey later this year, with APIs for native Android apps to be released in 2022. It also announced a slew of new features to the Play Store for a better list of apps next year. The company showcased the upcoming changes at its annual developer conference I/O earlier this year. The apps’ API will allow users to choose whether they want a passkey or a saved password when logging in.
According to Google, “Passkeys are fairly secure replacements for passwords and other phishable authentication factors. They cannot be reused, do not leak in server breaches, and protect users from phishing attacks.”
The Google Chrome post to drop support for Windows 7 and 8.1 next year first appeared on BGR India.
