Google Chrome ends support for Android Nougat: Here's what this means for users

Google Chrome, the most-used mobile browser since its release on Android in 2012, is ending support for Android Nougat. This means that users with Android 7.0 and 7.1 will be left without Chrome support. The change is set to take place with the release of Google Chrome 120. This version, which is heading for the stable release channel on December 6, will not support Android Nougat. As a result, Chrome 119 will be the last version of Google Chrome for Android that supports Nougat.

This decision reflects the ever-changing tech world and the fact that older systems like Nougat are being left behind. Currently, only 2.6% of Android users are using phones running on either 7.0 Nougat or 7.1 Nougat.

For those running newer mobile operating systems, Chrome 120 is going to get a lot of updates. On Android specifically, new visual display options for the Omnibox and toolbars like transparency settings will help with those pesky sites that don’t load properly.

Google Chrome, which was first launched in a stable version in 2008, made its debut on Android four years later with the release of Chrome 18 in late 2012. Since then, it has consistently held the title of the most popular mobile browser app worldwide. This holds true even on iOS devices, where it continually competes with Apple’s Safari for dominance on its native platform.

Meanwhile, Google has unveiled a new feature for Chrome users on iOS, allowing them to relocate the address bar from the top to the bottom of their screen. This change is designed to enhance one-handed usability, particularly on larger devices. Initially, this feature was only accessible to users who activated a specific flag. However, it is now being made available to all users.

“Starting today, you can move the Chrome address bar to the bottom of your iPhone screen. We know people prefer different address bar positions depending on the size of their hands and devices, and we took those preferences into account when building this highly requested feature,” Google said in a blog post.

If you find this feature interesting and want to use it to shift your address bar to the bottom, here is a step-by-step guide.