Google rolls out Chrome 72 with new updates: bug fixes, PiP, and security improvements

If you haven’t updated your web browser, you should do it right away as Google is rolling out newer and improved features with its latest Chrome 72. Bug fixes, new settings menu, Web Authentication API improvements, and a host of security updates are among the top highlights of the updated version, applicable to a wide range of operating systems including Android, Chrome OS, Linux, macOS, and Windows. 

“The Stable channel has been updated to 72.0.3626.97 for most Chrome OS devices. This build contains a number of bug fixes and security updates,” the search engine giant announced in an official blog post last week.

According to the announcement, “Systems will be receiving updates over the next several days.”

As and when that happens, Chrome users will notice that Google has optimised the browser for touchscreen devices in tablet mode. Apart from this, there is now an option for external storage access for Android apps, and the Picture in Picture (PiP) feature will be available on Chrome sites.

With Chrome 72, users can also access files saved via Backup and Sync on Drive in the Files app under My Drive/Computers. The updates version also makes it possible to search app shortcuts for Android apps in the launcher. “Users can find an app shortcut by long-pressing or right-clicking on an Android app,” the blog post said.

Another new addition with Chrome 72 is a page about touch gestures in the built-in ChromeVox screen reader tutorial. While “within the ChromeVox screen reader”, Google said it had “added a setting in the ChromeVox options page to read anything under the mouse cursor”.

As for security measures, Google is ensuring that Shill – its network manager for Chrome OS - no longer runs as the root user on the system. This is believed to protect users in case of networking-related security vulnerabilities.

Google has also released Chrome Beta 73 for Android devices. A noteworthy feature in this version could be the dark mode, a much-talked-about theme still in early stages of development.