How to Update Google Chrome
Keep Chrome current for speed and security. Here is how to update it on desktop and phone, and how to read the colored Update dot in the menu.
Chrome usually updates itself in the background, but you can force it in seconds. On desktop, open the three-dot menu, go to Help, then About Google Chrome — it checks, downloads, and shows a Relaunch button. Click Relaunch and you are on the latest version, which matters most for the security fixes it carries. You can confirm it worked on that same About page: the version reads as four dot-separated numbers, and it is the final group, the build number, that climbs when a security fix lands.
Update Chrome on a computer
Open the three-dot menu (top right), choose Help, then About Google Chrome, or type chrome://settings/help in the address bar. Chrome checks for an update, downloads it, and asks you to Relaunch to finish; your tabs reopen afterward. If it says Chrome is up to date, you are already done.
Read the colored Update dot
When an update is waiting, the three-dot menu itself changes color, and the color tells you how overdue you are:
| Menu color | How long it has waited |
|---|---|
| Green | About 2 days |
| Orange | About 4 days |
| Red | A week or more |
A red menu means you are on an old, less secure build — relaunch as soon as you can. Chrome moved to a two-week release cycle in 2026, so these updates arrive more often than they used to.
On a phone, and when it is managed
On Android, update Chrome through the Google Play Store; on iPhone and iPad, through the App Store. On a work computer, Chrome may be managed by an administrator, in which case updates are handled centrally and the options above can be greyed out. Keeping current is the cheapest security you have — most fixes patch flaws that are already being exploited. If Chrome is current but still misbehaving, see why Chrome is so slow, Chrome that keeps crashing, and extensions that stop working after an update.
Check About Google Chrome now and relaunch if it offers — it takes ten seconds and closes the security gaps that matter most. Then let it keep updating itself in the background.
Common questions
How do I check my Chrome version?
Open the three-dot menu, choose Help, then About Google Chrome, or type chrome://settings/help in the address bar. The version shows as four dot-separated numbers, and the same page checks for and installs any update.
What do the green, orange, and red dots on the Chrome menu mean?
They flag a downloaded update waiting for a relaunch. Green means it arrived about two days ago, orange about four days, and red a week or more, so a red dot means you are running an older, less secure build.
Do I have to reinstall Chrome to update it?
No. Chrome updates itself in the background and finishes the job when you relaunch. Reinstalling is only for a broken installation, not for routine updates.
How do I update Chrome on a phone?
Chrome updates through the Google Play Store on Android and the App Store on iPhone and iPad, the same way as any other app, rather than from a button inside the browser.