Google is testing new Chrome version that may not support these iPhone models

Google is testing a new version of its

Chrome

browser that may no longer support older iPhone and iPad models, including the iPhone X and certain iPad Pro devices. This change is due to Chrome soon requiring at least iOS 17. According to release notes for the latest Chrome Beta on TestFlight (seen by MacRumors), the exact removal date is not specified. However, the next stable version of Chrome in the App Store is expected to stop supporting these older devices. The decision to discontinue support may be linked to older devices reportedly lacking the necessary processing power or memory to run Chrome effectively. Removing support for older hardware can help improve performance and stability on newer devices, and allows the development team to focus on optimising Chrome for more current platforms.

iPhone models that may lose support for Google Chrome’s next version

According to a report by MacRumors, Chrome for iOS version 138.7204.13 will no longer support several older Apple devices, including the iPhone X and iPhone 8 (2017), the fifth-generation iPad (2017), the 9.7-inch iPad Pro (2016), and the first-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2015).The reason is a change in Chrome’s system requirements. Previously, the browser required iOS 15 or later, but soon it will need iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 to run. Since these newer operating systems are not compatible with older devices, users of unsupported iPhones and iPads may no longer be able to install Chrome once Google enforces the update.

Over time, those sticking with older devices will also stop receiving Chrome’s security updates and bug fixes, which will eventually render the browser unusable. To continue using Chrome safely, users will need to upgrade to a newer device.Like all browsers on the App Store, Chrome relies on Apple’s WebKit engine, as Apple does not allow custom browser engines like Chrome’s Blink. However, in the European Union, Apple was recently required to support alternative browser engines under the Digital Markets Act. This functionality demands iOS 17.4 or later, though no third-party browsers using non-WebKit engines have launched in the EU App Store yet.

Other features that may arrive in the next version of Google Chrome for iPhones

The Chrome version that Google is currently testing may also bring a range of improvements. For instance, iPad users will soon be able to organise tabs into groups, a feature Apple already introduced in Safari with iPadOS 18. Additionally, Google’s password manager is getting an upgrade, allowing saved passkeys to sync seamlessly across your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Passkeys are designed to replace traditional passwords with biometric authentication.While basic passkey syncing was available as of January, it had limited functionality. With this update, any passkeys created in Chrome on your iPhone will now sync with end-to-end encryption and appear in Chrome’s built-in password manager on your iPad, and vice versa. Previously, Chrome stored passkeys either in Apple Passwords or iCloud Keychain.