Google Chrome 81 released

Martin Brinkmann
Apr 8, 2020
Updated • Apr 8, 2020
Google Chrome
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Google released Chrome 81, a new stable version of the company's web browser to the public. The company announced previously that it would skip Chrome 82 to jump straight to Chrome 83 and that Chrome 83 would be released three weeks early in the middle of May.

Chrome 81 is being rolled out on all platforms at the time of writing. Desktop users can enforce the upgrade to the new version by selecting Menu > Help > About Google Chrome. The browser will pick up the new version when the page loads to download and install the update on the device. A restart is required to complete the update.

google chrome 81

Chrome should list version 81.0.4044.92 as the version after the update on the About Chrome page.

Chrome 81 is first and foremost a security update. Google notes that it has fixed a total of 32 security issues in the new version of the web browser, some of them rated as high, the second highest severity rating after critical.

Just like Mozilla's release of Firefox 75 yesterday, Chrome 81 is low on new features or changes. Google highlights the following core changes in Chrome 81:

  • WebVR Hit Testing -- An API that developers may use to place "virtual objects" into the camera's view of the real world.
  • App icon badging -- The feature has graduated and may now be used by any site without restriction. It allows sites to place a bade on their icon to indicate that updates are available.
  • Web NFC -- New Origin trial in Chrome 81; this one allows web applications to read and write to NFC tags.
  • Media session API supports tracking the position state.

Google planned to remove TLS 1.0 and 1.1 in Chrome 81 initially but decided to postpone the change until at least Chrome 83.

Chrome 81 will upgrade  images that are loaded via HTTP on HTTPS sites to HTTPS automatically or, if that fails, block them. It is possible that images won't load anymore on some sites because of that.

Additional changes, mostly of interest to web developers, are listed on the Chrome Platform Status site.

Summary
Google Chrome 81 released
Article Name
Google Chrome 81 released
Description
Google released Chrome 81, a new stable version of the company's web browser to the public. The company announced previously that it would skip Chrome 82 to jump straight to Chrome 83 and that Chrome 83 would be released three weeks early in the middle of May.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. Robert Palmar said on April 8, 2020 at 3:58 pm
    Reply

    Outlook.com crashes with the update.
    I expect another update addressing
    the issue will soon be released.

  2. Paul(us) said on April 8, 2020 at 12:57 pm
    Reply

    Martin, Do you know about a workaround (So I can download) concerning the blocking of images when there, not delivered/downloadable Https style?

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on April 8, 2020 at 2:36 pm
      Reply

      I don’t think there is an option other than using a different browser.

  3. JohnIL said on April 8, 2020 at 12:29 pm
    Reply

    I stick with Chrome mostly because the Chromium copies tend to lag behind in pushing out updates. Most of the time its only a day or two but when you have a zero day or active exploit occurring that may be a issue. I know with version 80 Edge was about two days behind Google which surprised me given it was Microsoft. Given that so many browsers use Chromium its a big target these days. Unfortunately the only other option is Firefox or Tor if you choose to abandon Chromium altogether. Yeah we have choices but not so much in terms of core browser engines.

    1. Klaas Vaak said on April 8, 2020 at 12:35 pm
      Reply

      @JohnIL

      ……Chromium copies tend to lag behind in pushing out updates.

      Ungoogled Chromium lags behind by 1 or 2 days.

  4. Opera FunBoy said on April 8, 2020 at 11:55 am
    Reply

    Fantastic Opera will soon follow…

  5. Iron Heart said on April 8, 2020 at 8:56 am
    Reply

    Waiting for the equivalent Brave update here. I expect it to arrive very soon.

  6. Sampei Nihira said on April 8, 2020 at 8:40 am
    Reply

    …..Chrome 81 will upgrade images that are loaded via HTTP on HTTPS sites to HTTPS automatically or, if that fails, block them. It is possible that images won’t load anymore on some sites because of that…….

    It does not seem to me so.

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