Skip to main content

The most unstable version of the Chrome browser is now available on Android

chrome android data saver news google app os
bloomua/123rf
Like to live dangerously? Prefer your mobile internet browsers filled with work-in-progress features just barely fit for public consumption? Chances are you use Chrome Canary, the bleeding-edge edition of Google’s Chrome browser that’s so precariously close to catastrophic failure, it takes its name from the practice of using canaries in coal mines. Previously, that pleasant experience was relegated to the clients on Windows and Mac, but now, all that voluntary instability is heading to Android. On Tuesday, Google listed a mobile version of Chrome Canary in the Play Store.

Canary is the most unstable version of Chrome publicly available, created daily from the most stable of the Chrome team’s last 40 revisions. It is so fraught with data peril, in fact, that it runs alongside other Chrome releases, does not share files with any other Chrome installation, silos profile, settings, plugin, and theme data. By default, in fact, Chrome Canary cannot be set as the default browser on Windows or Mac — that preference has to be changed at the operating system level.

Recommended Videos

Chrome Canary for Android seems no different. The Play Store listing describes it as “experimental,” and a release that “has not been tested,” and one that “may be unstable” at times.” Just like the Canary channel for other platforms, new versions are built from the most recent code available and often contain a variety of new features, enhancements, and bug fixes,” Google said in a blog post. “These builds shipped automatically with now manual testing, which means that the build can be unstable and may even stop working entirely for days at a time.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Google also warns Canary will see frequent updates — up to “seven times per week” — and so potentially consume more bandwidth than other, slightly more polished browsers. “The frequency of builds means that keeping the app update will consume … typically more than 100MB,” Google said. “This is especially important for phones set to update native apps over cellular data.”

All that said, Canary is hardly a lost cause. “The goal is for Canary to remain usable at all times,” Google said. The takeaway: as long as you don’t mind a bit of unpredictability, Canary will not give you any major trouble. Just don’t trust it with your manifesto. “The Chrome team prioritizes fixing major issues as quickly as possible,” Google said.

Chrome Canary joins the two other prerelease Chrome versions on Android, Chrome Beta and Chrome Dev. The former became available in January 2013 and the latter launched in April 2015.

Kyle Wiggers
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kyle Wiggers is a writer, Web designer, and podcaster with an acute interest in all things tech. When not reviewing gadgets…
Nothing’s Android 15 update is now rolling out with these new features
Lock Screen of Nothing OS 3.

After weeks of beta testing, Nothing is the latest name to join the stable Android 15 rollout bandwagon. In a community update today, the company announced the wide release of Nothing OS 3.0 based on Android 15 for its relatively slim smartphone portfolio.

The first devices to get the update are the Nothing Phone 2 and Nothing Phone 2a, both of which are slated to get the over-the-air (OTA) update in a phased format throughout December. Next in line are the Nothing Phone 1, Nothing Phone 2a Plus, and CMF Phone 1, which are scheduled to receive the OS upgrade early next year.

Read more
Here’s how Android 16 could make managing notifications easier than ever
Moto G Play (2023) notifications

Are you tired of the constant stream of notifications on your Android phone? Google may have a solution in development as part of its Android 16 update.

Recently, Android Authority discovered a hidden page in the latest Android 15 beta, located under Settings > Notifications, that references Bundled Notifications. This suggests a stable version of Android 15 QPR2 or the upcoming Android 16 release could introduce a new feature similar to Gmail's notification grouping. This would allow similar notifications to be organized into bundles rather than displaying a long, overwhelming list of individual alerts.

Read more
Another Nothing Phone can now download the Android 15 beta
The Nothing Phone 2, Nothing Phone 2a, and Nothing Phone 2a Plus.

Nothing has been running an open beta of Android 15 with Nothing OS 3.0 for several of its devices, including the Nothing Phone 2, Phone 2a, and CMF Phone 1. But now, if you have a Nothing Phone 2a Plus, you can also get the Android 15 beta.

The Nothing Phone 2a Plus is a bit of a weird phone. It’s another phone in the trend of manufacturers releasing something that is “new-but-not-really,” because the Nothing Phone 2a Plus is mostly the same as the Nothing Phone 2a, but with a slight bump in specs.

Read more