Google has distributed version 94 of the Chrome browser for Windows, Linux and macOS, which now automatically loads encrypted pages and includes a new stable release cycle. In addition, the developers close 19 security gaps, five of which are classified as serious in terms of their risk potential.
As usual, Google does not provide any details about the security problems found at this point also includes whether the loopholes are already being exploited. This information usually only follows when enough users have switched to the current version.
A new 8-week release channel
In addition, Google has added the extended stable option to its browser, which is primarily intended to provide administrators in companies and Chromium embedders with milestones every eight weeks. The new publication branch is intended to take account of the greater time required to provide updates for the user groups. In addition, Google will distribute updates every two weeks via the extended stable channel, which fix important security problems but do not contain any new functions.
New features as well as all security patches published in the past are reserved for the normal release branch, in which the intervals have been reduced from the previous six to four weeks. Google is now implementing the new release cycle announced in the middle of the year. This is intended primarily for functional updates to reach the user faster, but security gaps should also be closed more quickly in the future.
More security, new functions and a better overview
The HTTPS first feature, which was introduced at the beginning of the year, is also newly implemented, which is primarily intended to increase user security. For this purpose, from the new version onwards, Chrome will first try to load the HTTPS variant of the respective page, even if this was not explicitly entered in the address bar. If the requested page does not support encryption, the insecure HTTP version is automatically loaded.
Furthermore, the developers of the new desktop version have donated a new sharing function, which initially combines all previous options for sharing content and which also offers new features.
Google has also put a hand in the display of the settings: These are no longer displayed as a long list as before, but as individual sections as before.