Google Chrome snaps, crackles and pops in new system updates

Chrome updates add features and security fixes

Google released updates for its Chrome browser across Windows, Linux, Android and iOS on Monday, adding minor features and tweaks to all four operating systems.

Chrome iPhone and iPad were updated to version 25, adding "long press" on the back button, which lets users view multiple recently visited pages, plus the ability to share web pages via messages, Google said in an announcement.

For Android, Chrome received faster and more responsive scrolling. What's more, Google reported in a blog post that it had improved the browser's performance benchmark on Android by 25 percent, so "interactions within web pages in the browser are snappier."

On Windows and Linux, the main, "stable" Chrome release just got bumped to version 25.0.1364.152, an incremental update that provides "security and stability improvements" and bug fixes, according to yet another announcement.

Google search improving

Google also mentioned today that an update to Google search within Chrome for iPhone and iPad will roll out "over the coming days."

With the new search update, the omnibox at the top of the screen will display the search term instead of the search results URL, and it will be easier to "refine your search queries and view more results on the search results page."

Google added that it's "continuing to add plenty of under-the-hood stability, security improvements and bug fixes" to both the iOS and Android versions of the Chrome app.

Crashes on iOS?

Despite the snappy updates, several users reported that the iOS version was crashing after Chrome 25 was installed. Some noted that their devices were jailbroken.

TechRadar tested out the Chrome 25 update for iOS on an iPhone 4S running iOS 6.1.2, a jailbroken iPhone 4 with iOS 5.1.1, and an iPad mini on iOS 6.1. The update seemed to work fine on all three devices.

Late Monday, a Google spokesperson confirmed with TechRadar that a bug had been identified that caused crashing on jailbroken iOS devices with crash reporting and metrics turned off.

The spokesperson informed us that a "workaround" may be found in Google's public bug forum.

Via Engadget

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Michael Rougeau is a former freelance news writer for TechRadar. Studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Northeastern University, Michael has bylines at Kotaku, 1UP, G4, Complex Magazine, Digital Trends, GamesRadar, GameSpot, IFC, Animal New York, @Gamer, Inside the Magic, Comic Book Resources, Zap2It, TabTimes, GameZone, Cheat Code Central, Gameshark, Gameranx, The Industry, Debonair Mag, Kombo, and others.

Micheal also spent time as the Games Editor for Playboy.com, and was the managing editor at GameSpot before becoming an Animal Care Manager for Wags and Walks.