After years of being stood up, ARM64 Linux users finally get Chrome date
(2026/03/13)
- Reference: 1773415650
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2026/03/13/google_announces_chrome_for_arm64/
- Source link:
Chrome is finally coming to ARM64 Linux devices, years after it turned up on macOS and Windows on Arm.
Google [1]confirmed the impending release (due in Q2 2026) on the Chromium blog and, according to the company: "Launching Chrome for ARM64 Linux devices allows more users to enjoy the seamless integration of Google's most helpful services into their browser."
Chromium has long been available for Linux (and a wide variety of other platforms), however, the operating system in ARM64 guise has lagged behind others when it comes to Chrome, which adds Google's services to the Chromium engine.
[2]
At a technical level, the announcement is very much an "about time too." The lack of an official Chrome build was a puzzling omission and a pain point for administrators of fleets of ARM-based Chromebooks. The ability to sign in to a Google account and have services, settings, and bookmarks follow a user across devices is certainly attractive.
[3]
[4]
However, the proprietary nature of Chrome is not so appealing for some members of the Linux community, nor is the requirement to have a Google account in order to access many of the search giant's products. That said, given that Chrome currently has a 73.26 percent market share (according to Statcounter), installing the browser is tempting, even with the familiar Chromium engine behind the scenes.
Google wrote: "This move addresses the growing demand for a browsing experience that combines the benefits of the open-source Chromium project with the Google ecosystem of apps and features.
[5]Penguin in your pocket: Nexphone dual boots into Linux, Windows 11
[6]Window Maker Live 13.2 brings 32-bit life to Debian 13
[7]UEFI Secure Boot for Linux Arm64 – where do we stand?
[8]Linus Torvalds: Someone 'more competent who isn't afraid of numbers past the teens' will take over Linux one day
"This release represents a significant undertaking to ensure that ARM64 Linux users receive the same secure, stable, and rich Chrome experience found on other platforms."
The lengthy wait is notable, given that the x64 version has long been available and that porting Chrome to other ARM64-based operating systems has presented few technical problems. As one wag in Vulture Central noted, "Someone somewhere ticked a box on a build farm..."
[9]
The question, therefore, is, why would Google do this now? A surge in Chromebooks? Or perhaps the company is seeking to take advantage of Windows refugees, offering an escape from Microsoft and its hardware requirements and telemetry gathering. What could be more familiar than Chrome in an otherwise different operating system?
Mr. Frying Pan, meet Mr. Fire. ®
Get our [10]Tech Resources
[1] https://blog.chromium.org/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2abRCsRR6AUCOy1gJ-n9MPwAAAAQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44abRCsRR6AUCOy1gJ-n9MPwAAAAQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33abRCsRR6AUCOy1gJ-n9MPwAAAAQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/27/nex_brax_dualboot_fondleslabs/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/09/microsoft_windows_maker_live_132/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/17/uefi_secure_boot_for_linux/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/23/linux_7_0_rc1/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44abRCsRR6AUCOy1gJ-n9MPwAAAAQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Google [1]confirmed the impending release (due in Q2 2026) on the Chromium blog and, according to the company: "Launching Chrome for ARM64 Linux devices allows more users to enjoy the seamless integration of Google's most helpful services into their browser."
Chromium has long been available for Linux (and a wide variety of other platforms), however, the operating system in ARM64 guise has lagged behind others when it comes to Chrome, which adds Google's services to the Chromium engine.
[2]
At a technical level, the announcement is very much an "about time too." The lack of an official Chrome build was a puzzling omission and a pain point for administrators of fleets of ARM-based Chromebooks. The ability to sign in to a Google account and have services, settings, and bookmarks follow a user across devices is certainly attractive.
[3]
[4]
However, the proprietary nature of Chrome is not so appealing for some members of the Linux community, nor is the requirement to have a Google account in order to access many of the search giant's products. That said, given that Chrome currently has a 73.26 percent market share (according to Statcounter), installing the browser is tempting, even with the familiar Chromium engine behind the scenes.
Google wrote: "This move addresses the growing demand for a browsing experience that combines the benefits of the open-source Chromium project with the Google ecosystem of apps and features.
[5]Penguin in your pocket: Nexphone dual boots into Linux, Windows 11
[6]Window Maker Live 13.2 brings 32-bit life to Debian 13
[7]UEFI Secure Boot for Linux Arm64 – where do we stand?
[8]Linus Torvalds: Someone 'more competent who isn't afraid of numbers past the teens' will take over Linux one day
"This release represents a significant undertaking to ensure that ARM64 Linux users receive the same secure, stable, and rich Chrome experience found on other platforms."
The lengthy wait is notable, given that the x64 version has long been available and that porting Chrome to other ARM64-based operating systems has presented few technical problems. As one wag in Vulture Central noted, "Someone somewhere ticked a box on a build farm..."
[9]
The question, therefore, is, why would Google do this now? A surge in Chromebooks? Or perhaps the company is seeking to take advantage of Windows refugees, offering an escape from Microsoft and its hardware requirements and telemetry gathering. What could be more familiar than Chrome in an otherwise different operating system?
Mr. Frying Pan, meet Mr. Fire. ®
Get our [10]Tech Resources
[1] https://blog.chromium.org/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2abRCsRR6AUCOy1gJ-n9MPwAAAAQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44abRCsRR6AUCOy1gJ-n9MPwAAAAQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33abRCsRR6AUCOy1gJ-n9MPwAAAAQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2026/01/27/nex_brax_dualboot_fondleslabs/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/12/09/microsoft_windows_maker_live_132/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/17/uefi_secure_boot_for_linux/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2026/02/23/linux_7_0_rc1/
[9] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44abRCsRR6AUCOy1gJ-n9MPwAAAAQ&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Google is King of Data Harvesting
gv
Only time I use Chrome or Edge is on the work laptop.
No thanks.
nematoad
Launching Chrome for ARM64 Linux devices allows more users to enjoy the seamless integration of Google's most helpful services into their browser."
As well as all the snooping, privacy invasion and data vacuuming that goes along with anything coming out of Google.
Personally I would not touch Chrome or any of its derivatives with a ten foot pole but I suppose that Google is relying on those who either don't know or even care.
JessicaRabbit
Yeah, I don't personally know anyone who uses Linux who would want to touch Chrome with a ten-foot barge pole. It's surveillance capitalism incarnate and proprietary code.
Google is King of Data Harvesting
> Or perhaps the company is seeking to take advantage of Windows refugees, offering an escape from Microsoft and its hardware requirements and telemetry gathering. What could be more familiar than Chrome in an otherwise different operating system?
Hate to break it to you, but if Microsoft's "telemetry gathering" is a turnoff, then Google products and Google accounts are definitely not for you.
The browser you're looking for is Firefox. Worth it, even despite its own imperfections.