Google Chrome is dropping support for these older Android versions

Summary

Chrome support for Android 8 and 9 will end with the release of Chrome 139 on August 5.
While Chrome will still function on Android 8 and 9, there will be no new updates or security patches.
Alternatives to Chrome on Android 8 and 9 devices include Firefox, which supports Android 5 and newer.

Google Chrome is the most popular web browser globally, and no other browser even comes close to matching it. With about two-thirds of the worldwide browser market, Chrome is used on billions of devices, including Windows PCs, Macs, iPhones, and Android devices.

Since Android has a diverse ecosystem of devices, Google works hard to ensure Chrome is supported on as many older versions of the OS as possible. However, occasionally, it has to phase out support for older Android versions. The last time this happened was in November 2023, when Google announced it would end Chrome update support for Android 7 Nougat. Now, Google has announced that support for Chrome will end for another set of Android versions.

On the Google Chrome support forums, the tech giant announced that it would be ending Chrome support for Android 8 Oreo and Android 9 Pie, effective with Chrome’s next major release, Chrome 139. This update is scheduled to go live on August 5, supporting Android 10 and above. Google recommends that if you have a device running Android 8 or 9, you should upgrade to a supported device with Android 10 or newer.

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What happens if you’re running Android 8 and 9?

Chrome will still work, you just won’t be able to download updates

With Google phasing out Chrome support for Android 8 and 9, the last official Chrome update to support them is Chrome 138, which is expected to be released soon. The current stable version of Chrome on these devices is Chrome 137.

Although support for Chrome updates is ending on these devices, it doesn’t mean Chrome will suddenly stop working. It simply means that updates will no longer appear on the Play Store for you to download, as those updates will not be compatible with Android 8 and 9. You can continue using Chrome on your device, but it won’t receive new features or security updates. Consequently, your browsing experience will degrade over time.

Android 8 was launched in August 2017, followed by Android 9 in 2018. So they’re both more than 7 years old. If you’re looking for an alternative web browser to Chrome on your Android device running Android 8 or 9, Firefox still supports Android 5 and newer.