Following today’s launch of M1-powered Macs, Google has quietly released a Mac version of Chrome that is optimized for Apple Silicon.
Update 11/18: The Apple Silicon version of Chrome for Mac is now available for download. As of this morning, those on M1 devices with the Intel variant of the browser are not automatically getting updated yet. Therefore, an uninstall is required to get the optimized version immediately.
To download, visit google.com/chrome and click the blue “Download” button. If you’re using an M1 computer, you should be given the option to select between “Mac with Intel chip” — which is labeled as being “most common” — and “Mac with Apple chip.”
This change to the installer page has yet to fully roll out to all new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini devices. The new download prompt is shown below.
Update 11/17: Google has pulled the Apple Silicon-optimized version of Chrome due to “unexpected crashes.” Users that were able to install are advised to follow this workaround to resolve the issue:
If you already have Google’s Chrome browser installed on your Mac, go to step 5. If not, proceed to Step 4. 4.) Download Chrome browser from Google’s website, and install it on your Mac. Be sure to log into Chrome using a Google account (usually associated with a Gmail account). MacBook Air (13-inch, 2017), High Sierra 10.13.6, Zoom 4.6.8, then upgraded to 4.6.9. Loaded MacOS on this newly bought refurbished MacBook Air on 3/30. Loaded Zoom 4.6.8 and tried meeting. Screen would freeze after a few minutes and MBA unresponsive. Had to hard reboot. Today, 4/3, loaded Zoom 4.6.9. No issues for 30 minute meeting.
- Open System Preferences.
- Navigate to Security & Privacy.
- At the top, select Privacy.
- From the left, select Bluetooth.
- Below your approved applications, select add application (+).
- Select Google Chrome.
- Restart Chrome.
An alternative is uninstalling the new version and downloading the regular Intel variant until an update is released.
The Intel/x86 version already works thanks to Rosetta 2, but there should be further optimizations in this update geared for the new processor.
Meanwhile, some users report that the Intel version of Chrome for Mac is automatically updating to the Apple Silicon variant. Since the latest release of Chrome launched later in the afternoon, some new Mac owners already downloaded the previous release this morning. You can visit chrome://settings/help to manually initiate the update process.
This support for Apple Silicon is rolling out with Chrome 87, which features a slew of other performance enhancements. Namely, an up to 5x reduction in CPU usage and a 1.25-hour increase in battery life thanks to background tabs throttling. The Google browser opens 25% faster, while page loads also see some speed improvements.
The latest release also features an app icon optimized for macOS 11 Big Sur. The Chrome logo is placed against a white, rounded square background that better fits with the latest operating system’s design direction. It also matches the Chrome for iOS icon.
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