Google is releasing a new Chrome version optimized for M1-powered Macs

The new version of Chrome is likely to run a lot more efficiently than the x86 version on ARM-based Macs.

What you need to know

• Google will soon release an optimized version of its Chrome browser for Apple's new ARM-powered Macs.
• The optimized version of Chrome began rolling out on Tuesday, but the rollout was paused due to a bug.
• A fix has already been identified, so it shouldn't take long for the rollout to resume.

Apple's new ARM-powered MacBooks are now on sale, but there are still a ton of popular apps that are yet to be optimized for the M1 chipset. Google began rolling out an optimized version of its Chrome browser for the ARM-powered MacBooks on Tuesday, but the rollout was paused due to a bug (via The Verge). According to Mark Chang, a Chrome product manager, the rollout will soon resume.

We hit a bit of a snag with our rollout of the M1-native build of Chrome, so to keep our users in a good place, we paused that rollout and will pick it up again tomorrow. If you already have the M1 build, we have a workaround https://t.co/t5igTxF6Cm

— Mark Chang (@mchang) November 18, 2020

Once the rollout resumes, you will be able to head over to the Chrome download page and choose which version you want to install. If you have already installed Chrome 87 optimized for Apple chips, you will have to follow the recommended workaround to ensure it doesn't crash unexpectedly.

If you want to use Chrome on new Macs with Apple M1 chips, head to https://t.co/uIyDy5PSMS and download the Apple Silicon version we released in M87 today! pic.twitter.com/11uDaIYUR4

— Elvin 🏳️‍🌈 (@elvin_not_11) November 17, 2020

The x86 version of Chrome, which uses Rosetta 2, already works quite well on ARM-powered Macs. However, the new version, which includes optimizations for Apple's Silicon, should be even better.

MacBook Air with M1

From $999 at Amazon From $999 at Apple From $999 at Best Buy

Apple's updated MacBook Air may not look any different from the last model, but it packs some significant changes under the hood. The new M1 system-on-chip delivers vastly superior performance compared to Intel-based MacBook Air models, along with significantly better battery life.

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