With a few weeks of delay, naturally due to the Covid-19 epidemic, Google has released the version 81 of Chrome. There are some interesting news, but some changes have been moved to the next stable version. Which will not be 82, as announced in recent days, but directly 83.
Without prejudice to updates relating to the safety, which are important but do not change users' lives, essentially with the version 81 of Chrome comes some interesting news for developers, but only one that is really useful for users. It is clear that Google has done what it could, given the global health emergency that has also had an impact on the big names of the Web. But it is also equally clear that those who expected great news from this update will be disappointed. Here you are what has changed with Chrome 81 and what, instead, has been postponed at least to version 83.
Chrome 81: what's new
- Chrome users 81 now have a new mode for notifications sent by websites. Technically it is called "App Icon Badging" and it is a feature previously introduced for testing and now stable. So now all sites will be able to use icons to report to users that there are notifications, instead of sending them the classic pop-up message that everyone closes. Instead, the "Web NFC“, That is the reading of NFC tags via browser or web app. It can be used, for example, by museum structures or in the management of inventory in the warehouse. The WebXR API for augmented reality.
Chrome 81: the news that are not there
The first disappointment for those who just have updated Chrome 81 is that the browser continues to be very heavy and causes, on laptops, the continuous activation of the fans. Then there are some features that have been postponed, like farewell to support for TLS 1.0 and TLS 1.1 encryption protocols, now old and unsafe (they date back to 1999 and 2006 respectively). We will probably only be able to say goodbye with Chrome 84. The new icons for Chrome and Chromium browsers, such as Microsoft Edge, should arrive with Chrome 83.
Chrome 82: the version that isn't there
Finally, Google again confirmed that there will never be a version 82 of Chrome why it was deleted: “We did this because it is important to ensure that Chrome continues to be stable, secure and reliable for everyone who depends on it. In short, Chrome 81 is available now. We will skip Chrome 82 and go straight to Chrome 83, which will be released 3 weeks ahead of schedule, around mid-May “.
How to update Chrome to version 81
La new version of Chrome it is still in the process of being released and before it reaches all users, they will have to wait a couple of days or weeks. To check if the update is available, press the icon with three vertical dots, select "Guide" and then click on "Information about Google Chrome". A browser window will open and if an update is available it will be downloaded automatically. To install it you need to restart Chrome.
Chrome updates to version 81: what's new and how to download it
