Google to release Chrome Early Stable updates from Chrome 110 on

Martin Brinkmann
Dec 22, 2022
Google Chrome
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Some users of the Google Chrome web browser will receive stable versions of the web browser a week earlier than the rest. Starting with Chrome 110, scheduled for a release in early February 2022, Google plans to release the browser a week early to a small subset of users.

The announcement was published by Rachel Andrew at the official Chrome Developer blog. According to the published information, Chrome Early Stable 110 will be released to some users on February 1, 2023. The mass of Chrome Stable users will receive the new version of the browser on February 7, 2023 based on the regular release schedule.

The official release date on February 7 will also be the date the new version is published on the Chrome download page.

Google explains why it decided to make the change:

"By releasing stable to a small percentage of users early, we get a chance to monitor the release before it rolls out to all of our users. If any showstopping issue is discovered, it can be addressed while the impact is relatively small".

While that sounds like a good idea on paper, it is actually only good for Google, which gets more release Telemetry early on. Chrome Stable users on the other hand may feel like guinea pigs on the other hand.

Google does not reveal any information on how it is picking Chrome installations, and whether the same installations are picked permanently once selected, and whether users have any say in the matter. It is unclear if Google plans to release Chrome Early Stable only for major version upgrades, or for any Stable release of the web browser.

Users are kept in the dark. Many may not want the Chrome Early Stable release, especially since these may still be considered beta releases.

Is there an opt-in or opt-out available? Or is Google playing Russian Roulette with Chrome Stable users? We do not know at this time, but if I had to guess, users won't get a say in the matter and are picked randomly one week prior to any new Chrome Stable release.

There should either be an opt-out or a skip feature. We will see how this plays out in February, unless Google reveals more information on Chrome Early Stable before the Chrome 110 release date.

Now You: what is your take on Chrome Early Stable?

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Google to release Chrome Early Stable updates from Chrome 110 on
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Some users of the Google Chrome web browser will receive stable versions of the web browser a week earlier than the rest.
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Ghacks Technology News
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Comments

  1. ilev said on December 22, 2022 at 7:32 pm
    Reply

    This is a stupid move and explanation.

    Google has beta versions to test before final versions.
    They can release as many beta versions as they please.

    I am running Chrome betas for years.

  2. J. Tripper said on December 22, 2022 at 5:40 pm
    Reply

    >Chrome Stable users on the other hand may feel like guinea pigs on the other hand.

    seems to be something wrong with this sentence.

  3. Anonymous said on December 22, 2022 at 5:09 pm
    Reply

    Bye-bye win7, I am glad the special people who are not upgrading even if it’d free will complain, even more than they already do.
    Lovely tears and and the nice whining I will hear.

  4. chesscanoe said on December 22, 2022 at 2:51 pm
    Reply

    I used to run Google beta all the time with no major problem for many months. Then the inevitable happened so I switched to stable with no problems and frequent updates, which I like. I am ambivalent about the blog teaser and what It will really mean to users. Sounds potentially good to me,

  5. John G. said on December 22, 2022 at 2:17 pm
    Reply

    Just some kind of news for April’s fool day. Thanks for the article.

  6. Tom Hawack said on December 22, 2022 at 1:46 pm
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    “You are designated as a volunteer”. A beta-tester volunteer. Ubuesque.
    Darn Google, always the first to draw the word to laugh.

    By the way does Google Chrome include the option to disable automatic updates? No idea, I don’t use Google products, but I’m curious to know.

    1. Drake said on December 22, 2022 at 5:12 pm
      Reply

      It takes like 3 seconds to disable automatic updates in any chromium browser. If you installed it without admin rights, it’s even easier. So even ants would do it but I doubt humans are smart to even do such a simple thing.

      1. Tom Hawack said on December 22, 2022 at 5:42 pm
        Reply

        > “[…] I doubt humans are smart to even do such a simple thing.”

        If humans can’t, who can? :=) + LOL

      2. Andy Prough said on December 23, 2022 at 4:03 am
        Reply

        >”If humans can’t, who can?”

        Matthew 19:26

      3. Tom Hawack said on December 23, 2022 at 10:52 am
        Reply

        @Andy Prough, I admit I had in mind the All Mighty when I wrote the words you refer to :=)

      4. Drake said on December 23, 2022 at 2:45 am
        Reply

        I said ants, they probably would do it without having to ask on the internet like humans.

        Anyway automatic updates are handled by 2 task schedulers and services, you put the services on manual and disable the 2 task schedulers and you won’t get automatic updates, you only check updates when you go to about page, don’t disable the services though, only put them as manual so they work like that.

        If you install a browser without admin rights (at least in Brave), you will not get services installed, it is only managed by the same 2 task schedulers and a startup entry, so that is even easier to disable, since you don’t deal with services.

        In fact, Browsers shouldn’t be installed as admin unless you have more accounts/people using your computer. Per user is better, but you would save 200+MB per installation just installing it once for everyone.

      5. Tom Hawack said on December 23, 2022 at 10:50 am
        Reply

        @Drake, I read you loud and clear. I’ve never used whatever Chromium browser. Thanks for the details.
        Ants indeed it was, with humor but nevertheless bringing my question to obsolescence.

    2. Martin Brinkmann said on December 22, 2022 at 1:54 pm
      Reply

      Tom, there is no such option in Chrome itself. Administrators may configure policies and users may remove the autostart items that Chrome adds to the system to check for updates and download them https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6350036?hl=en

      1. Oss said on December 22, 2022 at 3:16 pm
        Reply

        FWIW users can also configure policies to disable auto-update in Chrome or limit it to a certain version prefix, although in Windows it requires adding “MDM-FakeEnrollment-Win10.reg” in admin mode to make the update actually adhere to your policies.

      2. Tom Hawack said on December 22, 2022 at 1:58 pm
        Reply

        Thanks Martin. Far less practical than with Firefox.

        Side-note, editing my above comment : “ubuesque” is French, sorry. That’ll be “grotesque” in English.

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