Google has moved Chrome 157 to the stable channel with 213 security fixes, seven of them rated critical. Open About Google Chrome on your laptop today, and if you see a Relaunch button, press it.
No, Google hasn’t said any of these bugs are being attacked right now. But there’s one small habit that leaves many laptops unprotected for days, even after the update has downloaded. That’s in section 3.
⚡ Key takeaways
- Chrome 157 reached the stable channel on 3 November 2026 with 213 security fixes: 7 critical, 77 high, 75 medium and 54 low.
- Safe desktop versions: 157.0.8103.38/.39 on Windows and Mac, 157.0.8103.38 on Linux.
- Google makes no mention of active attacks using these bugs, so this is “do it today”, not “panic”.
- The update isn’t finished until Chrome restarts. If you never close your browser, you may still be on the old version.
- It takes about a minute, and your tabs come back on their own.
What Chrome 157 Actually Fixes
Google’s Chrome Releases post, dated 3 November, says the update “will roll out over the coming days/weeks”. So your laptop may not have it yet, and that’s normal. You can nudge it along, which we’ll get to.
The size is what stands out. SecurityWeek counts 7 critical and 77 high-severity flaws in the batch. SecurityOnline’s breakdown calls out the graphics code as the hot spot among the critical bugs: Dawn (Chrome’s WebGPU engine), ANGLE and WebGL.
Why should you care about graphics code? Because any web page can ask your browser to draw things. A bug there is reachable just by opening a page, and that’s what makes browser bugs a bigger deal than most app bugs.
The bug types, in plain language
SecurityWeek’s count gives a good picture of what was going wrong:
| Bug type | How many | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Incorrect or missing authorization | 51 | A site or feature gets access it shouldn’t have |
| Use-after-free | 45 | Chrome reuses memory it already released, which attackers can sometimes abuse |
| UI misrepresentation | 19 | The screen shows you something misleading, such as a fake-looking address or prompt |
| Type confusion | 13 | The browser misreads data, a classic route to crashes and exploits |
| Information leak | 13 | Data that should stay private can be read by a page |
Those are the largest groups in the list. Google is keeping most bug details private until most people have updated, which is standard practice for browser security fixes.
Who found them, and why AI is part of the story
SecurityOnline notes that Anthropic researchers, assisted by Claude, reported 12 of the listed bugs, and that OpenAI’s Codex Security found five more. SecurityWeek also lists Anthropic’s Xinyang Ge among the people who reported critical flaws.
Google’s own teams reported a large share too: SecurityOnline says 38 of the 84 critical and high bugs came from them. It may help explain why this batch is so large, though nobody has said that outright. If that trend holds, big patch counts may become more common, which makes that small Relaunch habit worth keeping.
Is Chrome 157 Urgent? An Honest Answer
SecurityWeek says plainly that Google “makes no mention” of any of these flaws being exploited in the wild. That’s different from the emergency zero-day patches you sometimes read about, where attacks are already happening. So there’s no need to panic or stop using your laptop.
Still, I wouldn’t sit on it for a week. Once a fix is public, people can compare the old and new code to work out what changed. That’s why the safe window after a big patch is short, and why Google restricts bug details for a while.
💡 Pro tip
Using Chrome for net banking or UPI-linked accounts on a laptop? Do this update before your next login. It takes less time than the bank’s OTP screen.
The Step Most People Skip: Relaunching Chrome 157
This is the catch I promised. Chrome downloads updates in the background, but the new version only starts running after the browser restarts.
Many of us keep Chrome open for weeks, with 40 tabs and a laptop that just goes to sleep. In that case, the fix can sit on your disk doing nothing.
⚠️ Watch out
Seeing an “Update” or “Relaunch” prompt in Chrome means the fix is waiting on you. Google’s help page also warns that picking “Not now” delays the update until you next restart Chrome.
Restarting costs you almost nothing. Google says the browser “saves your opened tabs and windows and reopens them automatically”. Incognito windows are the exception, as they won’t come back. So finish anything open in Incognito first.
How to Update Chrome on Your Laptop
The steps are the same on Windows, Mac, Linux and Chromebook.
- Open Chrome.
- Click the three dots at the top right.
- Go to Help, then About Google Chrome.
- Chrome checks for updates and downloads whatever is available.
- Click Relaunch.
If there’s no Relaunch button and the page says Chrome is up to date, you’re done. Check that the version starts with 157.0.8103 or higher.
If your version is still 156
The rollout is staged, so it may not have reached you. Come back to the same page tomorrow. Opening it triggers a fresh check, so this is more useful than waiting for Chrome to notice on its own.
Windows users have one extra note from Google: close all Chrome windows and tabs, then relaunch, so the update applies properly.
Office laptops
If your company manages the laptop, IT may hold updates for testing or use the Extended Stable channel. SecurityOnline lists 156.0.8078.88 as the fixed Extended Stable build for Windows and Mac. If you see that number, you’re probably fine, but ask your IT team if you aren’t sure.
Chrome 157 on Your Phone and Other Browsers
Google’s 3 November post covers desktop builds only, and phone versions arrive through the app stores on their own schedule. Don’t assume your phone is covered just because your laptop is.
- Android: Open the Play Store, tap your profile picture, go to Manage apps & device, then Updates, and update Chrome if it’s listed.
- iPhone: Open the App Store, tap your profile picture, scroll to the pending updates and update Chrome if it appears.
SecurityOnline’s vulnerability list includes two flaws affecting Chrome on Android before version 157.0.8103.38, so it’s worth checking. While you’re in the Play Store, look at your parents’ phone too. Those phones often have months of pending updates, and our phone safety checklist for parents covers the other settings to fix.
Also readIs My Phone Hacked? 9 Checks for Android and iPhone Users Edge, Brave and other browsers
Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi and many others are built on the same Chromium code. Flaws in shared parts of the code can affect them too, but they ship fixes through their own update systems, on their own timelines.
So if Edge is your main browser at the office, don’t rely on this article’s version numbers. Open its About page and let it check for updates.
💡 Pro tip
Updating doesn’t help if a risky extension is the problem. Spend one more minute on chrome://extensions and remove anything you don’t recognise. Our guide on Chrome extension safety settings explains what to look for.
Our Verdict on Chrome 157
If you asked me over chai, I’d call this routine. It’s maintenance with a big number attached, so give it a minute today and move on. The only people who should wait are those on office laptops where IT controls updates.
✅ Our verdict
Update today, but don’t stress. There’s no sign of active attacks, and the fix takes about a minute. Open About Google Chrome, press Relaunch, then check your phone in the Play Store or App Store. If your browser hasn’t received it yet, check again tomorrow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the latest version of Chrome?
As of 3 November 2026, the stable desktop release is Chrome 157: version 157.0.8103.38/.39 on Windows and Mac and 157.0.8103.38 on Linux. Google may ship smaller updates after this, so a higher number is fine.
Will updating Chrome delete my tabs or passwords?
No. Google says Chrome saves your open tabs and windows and reopens them after the restart. Incognito windows don’t come back, so finish those first.
Is Chrome 157 being exploited by hackers?
Google’s post doesn’t mention active exploitation, according to SecurityWeek. That can change, which is why updating soon is still the sensible move.
Why does my Chrome still show version 156?
Google is rolling Chrome 157 out over days or weeks. Open the About Google Chrome page to trigger a check, and try again tomorrow if nothing arrives.
Does this update make passwords safer?
It fixes browser bugs, not weak logins. For account safety, passkeys and two-step verification do far more.
The Bottom Line
Chrome 157 is a big security release with no reported attacks, so the right response is calm and quick. Click three dots, Help, About Google Chrome, then Relaunch. Then spend 30 seconds on your phone’s app store, and send this to the family member who hasn’t closed their browser since Holi.
Keep reading
Read nextUpdate Chrome Now: Version 156 Fixes 353 Security FlawsRead nextIs My Phone Hacked? 9 Checks for Android and iPhone Users
Read nextWhat Are Passkeys? Set Them Up on Google, WhatsApp and AmazonSources
- Google Chrome Releases: Stable Channel Update for Desktop, 3 November 2026
- SecurityWeek: Chrome 157 rolls out with 213 security fixes, seven rated critical
- SecurityOnline: Chrome 157 security update, components and reporters
- Google Chrome Help: update Google Chrome