Google’s Chrome browser has been updated to version 100, nearly 14 years after the world was exposed to its sleek design and all-encompassing “omnibox” in 2008. For the most of its history, the search giant’s browser received a new version number every six weeks, but the business switched to a four-week schedule last year to offer new features more swiftly. According to Google, the version 100 update is now available on stable channels for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS.
Other changes in Chrome 100 include the elimination of “light mode” in the browser’s Android app, which was originally supposed to use less mobile data and load online sites faster. However, as Chrome support manager Craig Tumblison said in a blog post last month, the feature has become less important since mobile data rates have reduced and Chrome has grown more data efficient in general.
There have been concerns that the switch to version 100 will cause problems for websites that only recognise browsers with two-digit version numbers. However, given that Google has been warning about the change for months, it’s probable that any big flaws have already been identified and fixed. If that is not the case, Google has stated that it is able to freeze the version number of its browser at 99 while these concerns are resolved.
