A recent Chrome update seems to be causing problems with Android devices around the world.
Affected users are finding Google’s browser instantly crashes as soon as it’s opened. Which is especially tough as many users would normally use the browser to find a resolution to such technical hitches.
Google is yet to acknowledge a specific issue, routinely suggesting those complaining of the bug on Twitter read the generic Chrome support page — which, again, is difficult with a broken browser (as some users have pointed out).
But it seems likely that a recent update caused the problem on some devices, with plenty of people finding that simply reinstalling the patch fixes the problem.
Here’s how to do that.
How to fix the Chrome crashing bug on Android
For plenty of people on Reddit and Twitter, the remedy seems relatively simple if you know how to do it.
As a core Android app, you can’t uninstall Chrome, but you can remove updates, letting you roll back to an earlier version. That means you can try reinstalling the latest version or – if that still doesn’t work – persist with an older version until a more permanent fix is found.
Note that this will lose your open tabs and you’ll have to sign in again. But better that than a broken browser …
1. Open the Google Play Store
2. Search for Chrome and open the store page
3. Tap “Uninstall”
4. You’ll be asked if you want to uninstall all updates to this Android system app. Tap “Uninstall” to continue.
5. When it completes, you can tap “Update” to reinstall the most recent patch.
If that doesn’t work, remember you have the whole of the Play Store to find an alternative browser while Google resolves the problem. Popular options include Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Opera, Vivaldi and Brave.
