Google has announced the upcoming release of Chrome 139. As it turns out, the system requirements for the mobile browser will change once again: however, this is not about the processor model, but about the version of Android installed on the smartphone.
The latest version of the app will only be compatible with Android 10 and newer revisions of the “green robot”. Thus, smartphones running Android 8/9 will no longer receive a new version of the browser. Chrome 138 will continue to work on such devices, but will stop receiving security updates and other patches, including those related to modern web standards.
Google’s statement does not mention the reason for ending support for older versions of the OS. It is likely due to the small user base for which it is not practical to provide software support for the application. As of spring 2025, Android 8/8.1 was installed on 4% of “surveyed” devices worldwide, while the share of Android 9 was 5.8%.