News
Chrome for Mac will be 64-bit only, older Macs out of luck

- September 15, 2014
- Updated: July 2, 2025 at 7:28 AM

Chrome users on Windows received a 64-bit version just a few weeks ago and now new details have emerged about the 64-bit Mac version. Google says the updated browser will be coming out in November. Version 39 for Mac will be significant because it will be the only version available unlike Windows which has a 32-bit offering for older machines.
So why is Google switching to 64-bit for Chrome? Modern hardware is becoming more and more powerful an 64-bit apps can take full advantage of these powerful systems. 64-bit Chrome also promises heightened security and fewer crashes.
Most Mac users are already using 64-bit capable processors so it makes sense for Google to transition solely to 64-bit. Mac users will older machines will be out of luck, stuck using an unsupported version of 32-bit Chrome.
Switching to 64-bit also means extensions designed for 32-bit Chrome won’t work any more. Extension developers will have to update their extensions to in order for them to work with the new browser.
Chrome 39 is expected to arrive some time in November but you can try an experimental version of it now.
Source: Google Apps Update
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