
On macOS and Linux, Chrome is now 64-bit by default. In addition to having access to larger pools of memory for better efficiency (which you’ll want, since Chrome gobbles up memory like Pac-Man pellets), the 64-bit version has several improved security features. (If you aren’t sure, here’s how to find out.) The 64-bit version of Chrome is the one to get if you have a 64-bit capable computer. Lastly, you’ll see either “32-bit” or “64-bit” in parentheses next to your version number. RELATED: You Should Upgrade to 64-bit Chrome. 32-Bit or 64-Bit: How Much Memory Can Chrome Use? Unlike the Beta and Dev versions, installing the Canary build will not overwrite a standard Chrome installation in Windows or Mac OS-you can run them side by side if you want. Canary is mostly a tool for developers testing out compatibility issues. Like a canary in a coal mine, if something’s going to go wrong, it will go wrong first in this build. It’s three full versions ahead of the Stable release, updated daily, and that Canary title is indicative of its purpose. The Dev version is more prone to crashing, hanging tabs, rendering errors, incompatible extensions, and similar problems (though for most websites it will be okay). Chrome Dev is one or two versions ahead of stable, usually updated at least once a week, and it’s used to test out more comprehensive changes to the browser that may or may not make it into the general release afterward. Now we’re getting into the deep end on the pool. Newer features include tweaks to the rendering engine for speed or accuracy, adjustments to the user interface, new options in the Flags menu, and so on. So when the stable version of Chrome was on 50, Chrome Beta was on 51.

It’s generally one version release ahead of stable. Google updates Beta approximately once a week, with major updates coming every six weeks. The Beta channel is an earlier version of the software meant for testing out new features before they come to the much wider audience in the Stable build. It’s the last to get new features, but if you want a safe and stable browsing experience with no surprises, this one is for you.

The stable version has had the most extensive testing of the lot, and is what Google wants most people to use. It’s the one that most people use, the one that Google links to when you search for “download Chrome” in Edge or Internet Explorer. If you don’t see any of these identifiers after your version number, you’re running the stable version of chrome.
