As part of its plans to phase out 32-bit apps on Android next year, Google is bringing native 64-bit support to its Chrome web-browser. Believed to have been first reported by Android Police, the latest Dev and Canary builds (versions 85 and 86, respectively) of Chrome for Android are full-fledged 64-bit applications. The latest stable and beta builds (versions 83 and 84, respectively), meanwhile, are still 32-bit software.
The report claims that the 64-bit builds are only being distributed on Android 10 and higher. Given the state of Android fragmentation, it means only 8% of all Android users are eligible for these builds. However, the company is committed to phasing out 32-bit apps in just over a year’s time. So it should only be a matter of time before the 64-bit builds start rolling out on all compatible hardware.
In case you’re wondering, Google first rolled out 64-bit support to Android in 2014 with Android 5.0 Lollipop. Fast forward to 2020, and just about all processors, mobile or otherwise, come with native 64-bit architecture. With Google pushing third-party developers to switch over to 64-bit, it’s a surprise that some of the company own apps are yet to make the transition. However, the latest developments are definitely a step in the right direction.
In case you’re wondering, 64-bit technology is faster and more efficient than 32-bit in every way possible. 64-bit processors can process more data and access more memory, provided the OS and the app itself support 64-bit architecture. Apple’s iOS transitioned from 32-bit to 64-bit back in 2017. So it’s time that Google does the same with Android.
