Google Chrome releases updates to
different release channels. Subscribing to the Beta or Dev
channel means you'll get more frequent (but less stable)
updates and you'll get to try new features first. There are
three release channels:
- Stable channel. Everyone is on the
Stable channel when they first install Google Chrome.
The Stable channel is updated with features and fixes
once they have been thoroughly tested in the Beta channel.
If you want a rock solid browser but don't need the
latest features, the Stable channel is for
you.
- Beta channel. People who like to use
and help refine the latest features subscribe to the Beta
channel. Every month or so, we promote stable and complete
features from the Dev channel to the Beta channel. The Beta
channel is more stable than Dev, but may lack the polish
one expects from a finished product.
- Dev channel.
This developer preview channel is where
ideas get tested (and sometimes fail). The Dev channel can
be very unstable at times, and new features usually require
some manual configuration to be enabled. Still, simply
using Dev channel releases is an easy (practically
zero-effort) way for anyone to help improve Google
Chrome.
- Canary build. This build is for people who want to help test Google Chrome and contribute to its development. The Canary build is updated even more frequently than the Dev channel and is not tested before being released. Because the Canary build may at times be unusable, it cannot be set as your default browser and may be installed in addition to any of the above channels of Google Chrome. By default, it also reports crashes and usage statistics to Google (you can disable this on the download page).
Note: Early access releases
(Canary builds and Dev and Beta channels) will be only partly translated into
languages other than English. Text related to new features
might not get translated into all languages until the feature
is released in the Stable channel.
Before you change channels
Note: If you install a Dev channel build 5.0.317.2 or later, you'll experience tab crashes on startup if you later switch to an earlier build (4.0.249.x Stable or 5.0.307.x Beta). This crash only affects tabs restored during the first launch due to a change in how tab state is stored. See http://bugs.chromium.org/34688. It's always a good idea to back up your profile before changing channels.
Back up your data
Before you switch, you should make a backup of your profile
(bookmarks, most visited pages, history, cookies, etc). If
you ever want to switch back to a more stable channel, your
updated profile data might not be compatible with the older
version.
Make a copy of the User Data\Default directory (for example,
copy it to 'Default Backup' in the same location). The
location depends on your operating system:
- Windows XP:
\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
- Windows Vista or 7:
\Users\username\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
- Mac OS X: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default
- Linux: ~/.config/google-chrome/Default
Note: If you're using Explorer to find the folder,
you might need to set Show hidden files and folders in Tools
> Folder Options... > View.Enable anonymous usage statistics
Please configure Google Chrome to send anonymous usage stats to Google. The statistics we gather have no personally
identifiable information. The aggregate of all the stats for
all users in a release channel really help us
understand how stable the release is and how people are using
any new features.
Choose [Wrench menu] > Options (Windows and Linux) or Chrome > Preferences… (Mac), go to the Under the Hood
tab, and check Help make Google Chrome better by
automatically sending usage statistics and crash reports to
Google.
Subscribing to a channel
Windows
Download and run the installer for the desired channel:
You'll need to restart Google Chrome to get the update. MacRequirements: Intel CPU; Mac OS X 10.5.6 or later.
Download the desired channel:
Then drag the app to the usual place.
LinuxRequirements: Intel Pentium 4 / Athlon 64 or later CPU; 32- or 64-bit Ubuntu 8.04 or later, or 32-bit Debian 5. Support for other Linux distributions is planned;
unpacking the .deb files by hand may work.
Note: Installing Google Chrome will add the Google repository so your
system will automatically keep Chrome up to date. If you
don't want Google's repository, do
"sudo touch /etc/default/google-chrome" before installing
the package.
Download and install the package appropriate for your system (just clicking on it should do the right thing):
Reporting Dev channel problems
Remember, Dev channel browsers may still crash
frequently. Before reporting bugs, consult the following pages: Going back to a more stable channel
If you decide to switch from Dev to Beta or from Beta to
Stable, the new channel will be on an earlier version of
Google Chrome. You won't get automatic updates on that
channel until it reaches a version later than what you're
already running.
If you re-install an older version, you might find that
your profile is not compatible (because the data formats
changed in the newer version you had been running). You'll
have to delete your profile data. Delete the User
Data\Default folder (see the Before You Change Channels
section above for the location). If you made a back
up of your Default directory, you can then rename it
to Default so that you at least restore some of your
previous bookmarks, most visited pages, etc.
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