Google Chrome will soon require at least iOS 17, causing it to stop working on older iPhones and iPads, such as the iPhone X and certain iPad Pro models.
That’s according to release notes accompanying the latest Chrome Beta on TestFlight. The exact removal date is not specified, but the next stable version of Chrome in the App Store is likely to deprecate support for older iPhones and iPads.
Older devices lack the processing power or memory to run Chrome comfortably. Therefore, nixing support for old hardware can help improve performance and stability on newer devices. Additionally, removing support for old devices enables the development team to concentrate on optimizing Chrome for newer platforms.
Chrome is nixing support for these iPhone and iPad models
MacRumors reports that Chrome for iOS v138.7204.13 will stop supporting the iPhone X and iPhone 8 (2017), the fifth-generation iPad (2017), the 9.7-inch iPad Pro (2016) and the first-generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro (2015).
That’s because Google has changed Chrome’s system requirements. Before, you needed at least iOS 15 to run the browser, but you’ll soon need iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 which are incompatible with the iPhone X and other older devices.
Folks using Chrome on unsupported iPhones and iPads may be unable to install Chrome when Google starts enforcing the new requirements. Eventually, you’ll need to switch to a newer device to continue using Chrome as the browser will stop receiving security updates and bug fixes, causing it to stop working over time.
Chrome, like all other browsers offered on the App Store, is basically a glorified WebKit wrapper because Apple doesn’t allow custom engines like Chrome’s Blink.
In the European Union, however, the Cupertino tech giant was forced to permit alternative browser engines to comply with the bloc’s Digital Markets Act. This feature requires iOS 17.4 or newer. So far, no third-party browsers with a non-WebKit rendering engine have hit the EU App Store.
Tab groups and passkeys sync
The Chrome version in testing also includes other improvements and enhancements. For example, iPad owners will be able to organize tabs in groups, something Apple implemented in Safari with iPadOS 18. It also enhances Google’s password manager with the ability to sync saved passkeys across your iPhone, iPad and Mac. Passkeys aim to replace the password with biometric authentication.
This was possible as of January, but with limited functionality. Now any passkeys created in Chrome for iPhone will sync with end-to-end encryption and be available in Chrome’s built-in password manager on your iPad, and vice versa. Before, Chrome would store your passkeys either in Apple Passwords or your iCloud Keychain.