Developed by Google, Google Chrome is a widely utilized free web browser built on the open-source Chromium engine that allows users to navigate the internet with remarkable speed and security. Recently updated to version 145 in February 2026, this dynamic internet application continues to blend a minimalist interface with deep integration into the broader Google ecosystem. By providing an intuitive search engine interface alongside newly integrated, proactive AI tools, Chrome transforms everyday web surfing from a passive activity into a highly productive, interactive experience.
Key Features
- Gemini Side Panel: A dedicated, built-in AI assistant that operates alongside your active web page, helping you generate text, summarize long articles, or create custom images using the Nano Banana model without ever leaving your current tab.
- Split View Workspace: View and interact with two tabs side-by-side within a single, unified window, which enables you to reference complex documentation or take detailed notes while simultaneously watching a video or reading a primary source.
- Direct PDF Annotations: Highlight important text, apply digital signatures, and add customized notes right inside the native Chrome PDF Viewer, completely eliminating the need to download files and open external desktop editing tools.
- Save to Google Drive: Bypass your local hard drive clutter by automatically routing file downloads straight into a dedicated "Saved from Chrome" cloud folder, ensuring that your important documents are organized and securely backed up.
- Tab Groups and Profiles: Organize dozens of open pages by clustering them into customized, color-coded folders, and use multiple profiles to keep your work bookmarks completely separate from your personal browsing history.
- Agentic Auto Browse: Available for premium AI subscribers, this advanced automation tool acts on your behalf to independently navigate multi-step workflows, such as filling out tedious online forms, researching travel flights, or compiling expense reports.
Use Cases
Students, software developers, and remote professionals rely heavily on this browser to juggle multiple data sources, bookmark important research, and operate cloud-based web apps all at once. It particularly excels in high-productivity scenarios where individuals need constant, immediate access to collaborative Google workspace tools, transforming a basic internet application into a comprehensive digital workstation.
By continuously introducing intelligent automation and ensuring secure compatibility for operating systems like Windows 10 and Windows 11, Google Chrome stands out as the definitive environment for experiencing the modern web.
Version 145.0.7632.110 — February 2026
- Added essential under-the-hood security optimizations to ensure a safer browsing environment for users.
- Improved performance and stability by resolving underlying memory management flaws across browser components.
- Fixed issue with a high-severity heap buffer overflow vulnerability affecting the PDFium document engine (CVE-2026-2648).
- Fixed issue with a critical integer overflow bug within the V8 jаvascript processing component (CVE-2026-2649).
- Fixed issue with a medium-risk heap buffer overflow flaw located in the media handling subsystem (CVE-2026-2650).
