What is Chrome Canary, is it safe? 👉

With millions of active users, Google Chrome is a browser that undergoes extensive testing for new features and bug fixes before its general release. If you want to try these features and fixes before standard Chrome users, you can switch to Google Chrome Canary, the cutting-edge version of Chrome browser. But what is Chrome Canary and above all, is it safe?

Google Canary is one of four Chrome release “channels” that allow Chrome to test these features with a smaller user base, aimed at developers and testers who can report bugs and issues to help fix them quickly. If you’re curious about Google Chrome Canary and want to learn more, here’s what you need to know.

What is Google Chrome Canary?

When coal miners used to go down the mines, they would take a canary with them as an alert system. If the canary survived, the air could breathe safely. If not, it was time to go.

The term “canary” is now used in tech circles, referring to alpha test versions of software. Google Chrome is no different, with four different release “channels” ranging from Stable, which offers the most stable version for normal users, to Canary, which offers cutting-edge features and fixes but with much more instability.

That’s important to recognize, as Google Chrome Canary is not a stable browser. If you decide to use it, expect the unexpected, from broken features to regular crashes. It may look like Chrome, but under the hood, numerous code changes are tested to help make the Google Chrome browser better to use.

Some of the fixes and new features in Chrome Canary will make their way through the release channels, thoroughly tested in the channels. Dev and Beta before becoming part of the main stable release. Others, however, will be removed or changed with almost no notice.

Who is Chrome Canary suitable for?

There is a reason why Chrome Canary is not offered as standard for Chrome users, as an unstable browser is likely to encourage users to switch to another browser. It’s not suitable for most users, who shouldn’t expect to deal with crashes, slowdowns, bugs, and other issues in everyday use.

Chrome Canary is the testbed browser for developers, QA testers, and curious techies who want to try out the newest features and fixes. With this in mind, use Canary as intended: for testing only. Don’t plan to use it for mission-critical work that could be lost in a random accident, for example.

If you want to try and help make the Chrome browser better to use, switching to Canary is the best way to go. If you identify new bugs or want to suggest new features, you can do so using the .

You can also check out new features or bug fixes in Chrome Canary and the other Chrome release channels on the .

How to install Chrome Canary

If you want to switch to Chrome Canary on your Windows PC, Mac, or Android smartphone, you’ll need to install it separately. As a separate installation, you can install Chrome Canary on your PC, Mac, or Android smartphone without removing or replacing the stable version of Chrome.

1. To do this in Windows, and run the installation. Most Windows users will want to install the 64-bit version, but there is one available for older PCs. Mac users will need to , while Android users will need to .

2. Follow the instructions on the screen to install Chrome on your platform. Windows users will need to confirm any of the on-screen instructions, while Mac users will need to drag the chrome canary icon to the Applications folder in the Finder installation window.

3. Once installed, Chrome Canary will appear in the Windows Start menu or the Launchpad menu on Mac; select this icon to launch it on your PC or Mac. Chrome Canary, unlike the stable version of Google Chrome, has a gold icon to distinguish it from the stable version of Chrome Browser.

4. If you’re on Android, tap the Chrome Canary icon in your device’s app drawer. Like the desktop versions, Chrome Canary on Android has a gold icon; touch it to open it.

5. The Chrome Canary window will open, much like the stable version of Chrome, but with some minor differences, depending on new features. You can start testing the browser at this point.

Like the stable version of Chrome, you can use your Google account once Canary is installed, but you may prefer to keep your account profile separate from a likely buggy version of the browser. If you decide to stop using Google Chrome Canary, uninstall the browser from your device in the normal way.

In Windows, you can uninstall programs from the menu windows settings while Mac users can delete the app from the folder Applications in the Finder app. Android users will need to long press and select the Canary icon in the app drawer, then select the uninstall option to remove it.

Enabling Chrome Canary Features and Flags

Not all features of Google Chrome Canary are available as soon as you install and open the browser. While many new features turn on automatically, others require you to in your browser to activate them.

Chrome flags are hidden features in the Chrome browser that, among other things, allow you to enable or disable new features. If a new feature is very new and particularly unstable, these features may ship in a Chrome Canary build with a disabled flag, allowing the user to enable or disable them for testing.

1. To enable a custom setting flag, open a new Chrome Canary browser window. In the address bar, type chrome:// flags to see the hidden flags menu.

2. The menu will load experiments , with a list of various flags that you can enable or disable. Available indicators are listed on the tab Available , with brief descriptions of their use and whether they will remain available in future releases. To enable or disable a flag, select the dropdown next to a flag and select the option disabled either Enabled .

3. Disabling certain flags will require Chrome Canary to be restarted. To do this, select the button Relaunch at the bottom of the window, or close and restart your browser manually.

4. Once Chrome Canary restarts, you can test the new feature (if it’s visible) or monitor the browser’s performance or stability while the browser is active. If you are not satisfied, repeat the above steps to return to the menu experiments and restore the configuration mark to the configuration default in the dropdown menu. Alternatively, select the option reset all to reset all indicators to their default settings.

5. Chrome Canary also has a tab experiments of quick access you can see, allowing you to quickly enable or disable major feature tests. To do this, open the Canary window, then select the icon experiments in the upper right corner. In the dropdown menu, set one or more of the options to Enabled disabled either Predetermined depending on your preferred choice.

Try a better Google Chrome experience

If you want to help the Chromium project and help make Google Chrome and other Chrome-based browsers even better, switching to Google Chrome Canary is a great way to do it. By testing new features and reporting bugs, you can help reduce Chrome hangs and crashes in the stable version.

If Chrome Canary is too unstable, there are other ways to try new Chrome features. For example, some experimental Chrome flags are available for testing in the standard Chrome stable release. Alternatively, you can install new Chrome extensions to extend the functionality of Chrome with fun or productive add-ons.

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