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Chrome Beta/Dev can now run side-by-side with stable Chrome on Windows

Google Chrome features several different release channels to allow developers to test new features ahead of time and ensure that a future change does not impact their web app or site. The browser now allows those users to run multiple versions of Chrome side-by-side.

Historically, developers had to choose between installing a stable version or the Beta/Dev variant of Chrome. While there were workarounds, Google never provided an official solution.

Historically it’s been impossible to install these pre-releases on the same computer as stable Chrome, forcing developers to choose between testing their site in the next version of Chrome and experiencing their site as users see it now.

However, beginning today multiple versions of Chrome can now coexist on the same computer:

Starting today, Chrome Beta and Chrome Dev can be installed on the same Windows computer as stable Chrome and run simultaneously, allowing developers to more easily test their site across multiple versions of Chrome. This means side-by-side Chrome installation is available on Windows, Android, and Linux, and will be made available on other platforms in future releases.

At the moment, it is limited to Windows. Linux is cited, while the various versions on Android have long had this capability. Hopefully, it will soon come to Mac. To run Chrome side-by-side, users will need to uninstall their existing Beta or Dev version and download/reinstall directly from the Chromium release channels page.


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Avatar for Abner Li Abner Li

Editor-in-chief. Interested in the minutiae of Google and Alphabet. Tips/talk: abner@9to5g.com