Google Chrome is by far the most popular browser on Android, supporting devices of all sizes and form factors. Given Android’s fragmentation, Google ensures that newer Chrome releases remain compatible with older versions of the OS, only phasing out support when necessary. The browser last ended compatibility with Android 7.0 Nougat in November 2023. Now, nearly two years later, it’s preparing to drop support for Chrome on two more Android versions.
Related
6 reasons I’m finally quitting Chrome on Android – and what I’m replacing it with
My Android browser replacement journey
Ellen T, Chrome Support Manager, announced on Chrome support forums that Google will end support for Android 8.0 Oreo and Android 9.0 with Chrome 139. The release is currently scheduled to go live on August 5, 2025, with compatibility for only Android 10 and newer releases planned.
This means Chrome 138 will be the final version to support the two older builds of the OS. Newer versions of Chrome won’t show up as an update on the Play Store going forward.
You can continue using Chrome 138 without issues on your old Android phone or tablet. However, without any future updates, you’ll miss out on new features and security fixes. Plus, your browsing experience will only keep deteriorating from here.
Older Android versions are still relatively popular
Google first released Android 8.0 in August 2017, while Android 9.0 Pie dropped a year later, in 2018. Despite launching over seven years ago, Android 8.0/8.1 Oreo still runs on over 4% of Android devices globally, while Android 9.0 Pie powers around 5.8% of devices.
In comparison, Google’s platform distribution numbers from late April indicate 10.2% devices are on Android 10. So, expect Chrome to remain compatible with Android 10 for at least the next few years.
If you are willing to give up on Chrome, try switching to one of the best browsers for Android. However, considering the age of the OS, they might be incompatible as well.
Firefox for Android still works with Android 5.0 Lollipop and newer versions, so that’s at least one popular browser you can switch to. Ideally, you should consider retiring your old Android device and upgrading to a newer one.
