Google is officially ending support for Chrome on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 devices.
Announced on the Google Chrome help blog, the last Chrome update that will include updates and support for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 will be Chrome 110, which is tentatively scheduled for February 7, 2023. This overlaps the date that Microsoft is ending support for Windows 7’s extended security updates and Windows 8.1’s extended support.
These versions of Windows will lose support from Microsoft on January 10, 2023. Don’t confuse this with Microsoft ending support for Windows 8, as that happened all the way back in 2016. Windows 8.1 functioned as a service pack and free update to Windows 8 (and it genuinely improved it, although Windows 10 was better in pretty much every way).
“Older versions of Chrome will continue to work, but there will be no further updates released for users on these operating systems,” Google wrote on the official post.
“If you are currently on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, we encourage you to move to a supported Windows version before that date to ensure you continue to receive the latest security updates and Chrome features.”
Google Chrome originally launched back in September 2008, over a year before Windows 7 was released in October, 2009. They were two pieces of software that helped shape the tech landscape over the next decade: Windows 7 continued to be the second most popular operating system well into the lifecycle of Windows 10, and Chrome became the most used browser in the world, spawning other browsers based on its framework from other developers (often called “Chromium” browsers), including Microsoft’s own Edge.
Windows 8 (and 8.1) wasn’t as loved.
If you’re currently using Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, it’s definitely worth upgrading to Windows 10 or Windows 11 at the start of next year, as 7 and 8.1 will not get security updates after January 10, 2023. This means that they will be vulnerable to viruses and malware, without ongoing updates from the developers.
If you’re curious, the end date for Windows 10 support is set to continue until at least October 14, 2025. Windows 11 has no end date in sight.