Google has revealed it has suspended updates for its Chrome browser and Chrome OS platform. The company has taken the decision amid the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. According to Google, the move will ease pressure on developers who are being forced to work from home.
By suspending updates on Chrome, the company is not pressuring developers into keeping their services up to date. Compatibility will be maintained for developers on the last release of the browser and Chrome OS.
“Due to adjusted work schedules, we’re pausing upcoming Chrome & Chrome OS releases. Our goal is to ensure they continue to be stable, secure, & reliable for anyone who depends on them. We’ll prioritize updates related to security, which will be included in Chrome 80. Stay tuned,” Google announced.
“Given the current situation we want to ensure developers don’t have to react to changes or features,” Paul Kinlan, a member of the Google Chrome team, said in a tweet.
Due to adjusted work schedules, we’re pausing upcoming Chrome & Chrome OS releases. Our goal is to ensure they continue to be stable, secure, & reliable for anyone who depends on them. We’ll prioritize updates related to security, which will be included in Chrome 80. Stay tuned.
— Chrome Developers (@ChromiumDev) March 18, 2020
Videoconferencing Fix
Google has also promised to fix a known issue in Chrome 80, the latest version of the browser. In recent weeks, users have complained this version has problems with videoconferencing. This is an untimely issue considering the current situation where many people are working from home.
Google has confirmed the problem and said it is working on a fix. The company said the issue is minor and videoconferencing problems should go away soon.
“We very much care about the use of the product right now and stabilizing that. Thanks for the ping on that issue!” Dion Almaer, another engineer part of the Chrome team, explained.
