Google is set to cease updates for its Chrome browser and Google Calendar app on smartphones operating on Android 7.1 (Nougat) or earlier versions.
This change, expected to begin with Chrome version 120 in early 2024, necessitates users with older smartphones to upgrade their Android version or consider buying a new phone to maintain access to the latest features and security enhancements in these apps.
A recent update to the Chrome support article, highlighted by 9to5Google, confirms that “Chrome 120 will not support nor ship to users running Android Nougat.”
Additionally, Chrome 119 is reportedly prompting users with outdated Android versions to upgrade their operating system.
The discontinuation of Chrome updates on these older versions will impact approximately 8% of Android users, based on the latest Android usage statistics reported in June.
This move by Google signals a push towards more current Android versions, impacting users with smartphones not running at least Android 8 (Oreo).
The update is significant for maintaining app functionality and security, emphasizing the need for users to stay current with operating system versions on their devices.
Google recently announced a novel extension for Chromium-based web browsers, such as Chrome and Microsoft Edge, named Ad Accelerator, which is designed exclusively to streamline the handling of advertisements on YouTube.
This new add-on works by muting and accelerating the playback of detected advertisements.
Essentially, it speeds up and mutes the ads on YouTube, using a technique slightly different from the Fadblock extension, which either skips the ad or quickly redirects it to YouTube.
While most traditional content-blocking tools have always rebounded from YouTube’s new anti-ad-blocking techniques, it’s always beneficial to be aware of alternative technologies for managing ads on the popular video-sharing site, as reported by Ghacks.
