The latest stable version of Google Chrome is version 56, and there’s a very good reason you should download this exact version. One of the major updates included with this release was the disabling of Adobe Flash Player. In its place, Google has enabled HTML5 by default.
Flash was once the trusted source for playing media content on the web but a number of security holes over the years have made it unreliable. While Flash still exists, it has been overtaken by HTML5 as a deliverer of web content.
Security is a major issue on the web these days what with the increase of malware incidents all over the world, even permeating the US presidential elections in 2016. Apart from disabling Flash, Chrome has also included labeling of unsecured HTTP sites starting in version 56.
Version 56 for iOS
Google Chrome is available for iOS and version 56 for that platform includes the following updates:
- Scanning a QR code or barcode through 3D Touch or searching “QR” in Spotlight
- Accessing open sites made easier on iPad through redesign of tab switcher layout
Version 56 for Android
Chrome is also available for the Android platform and version 56 features these changes:
- Downloading of music, videos and full web pages for offline listening and viewing
- Viewing and sharing downloads within the browser
- Highlighting misspelled words in text fields
In addition, version 56 also includes improvements to contextual search UI. A number of bug fixes were also addressed with this update. Version 56 for Android also featured a fix that provided significant memory savings.
Version 56 may be the current version as of this writing but that is bound to change soon enough. Version 57 is already in the Beta Channel and that will eventually move into the Stable Channel. Currently, the beta channel has been updated to 57.0.2987.54 for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Google Chrome is definitely one of the best web browsers available right now. The browser is fast, secure and customizable – just a few of its many great features. Plus, there’s no reason you shouldn’t try it as it is available to download for free.
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