Google Chrome browser on Android updated to version 51, improves performance

Google has updated its Chrome browser app on Android to version 51, focussing mainly on performance improvements. The updated Google Chrome app can be downloaded from Google Play Store.

Google Chrome’s version 51 for desktop was already released last week

Notably, the update brings back the ability to merge browser tabs and apps. This essentially means that users can now access open tabs in the app switcher.

“This release includes two barges full of performance and stability fixes, and also brings tabs back into the Chrome application,” said Google Chrome’s Alex Mineer in the company blog post.


As for developers, the latest browser version includes new APIs and brings in improved page rendering. Developers can make use of the Credential Management API to work more closely with Chrome’s credential managers, says VentureBeat website.

There is also an Intersection Observer API, which would give a better view of information to developers. Scrolling experience in Chrome version 51 has been improved as well, and is now more fluid. By preventing off-screen rendering, the latest browser version manages to reduce data consumption by 30%. WebAudio support has been improved.

In a related note, Google recently pulled a Chrome extension named ‘Coincidence Detector’ from the Chrome Web Store. It was said to be creating a database of Jewish people, so as to let users know when they were reading a work of a Jewish person online. The extension used a symbol used by neo-Nazis “((()))” to let users know the person was Jewish. The extension was pulled for violating Google’s hate speech policy. The extension already had around 2,500 users.