Check web browser versions and how to update

Web Browsers are software that allow you to view, save information about, and use web pages. Common web browsers include Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer. Keep your web browser software up to date for your computer to work well, for videos and sound files to play, and for computer security.

Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer gets updated through Windows Operating System updates. 

How to Update Google Chrome

While Google Chrome downloads and prepares updates in the background, you still need to restart your browser to perform the installation. Because some people keep Chrome open for days—maybe even weeks—the update could be idly waiting to install, putting your computer at risk.

In Chrome, click menu (three dots) > Help > About Google Chrome. You can also type chrome://settings/help into Chrome’s location box and press Enter.

Chrome will check for any updates and immediately download them as soon as you open the About Google Chrome page.

If Chrome has already downloaded and is waiting to install an update, the menu icon will change to an up arrow and take on one of three colors, depending on how long the update has been available:


  • Green: An update has been available for two days
  • Orange: An update has been available for four days
  • Red: An update has been available for seven days

After the update has installed—or if it’s been waiting for a few days—click “Relaunch” to finish the update process.

Warning: Make sure you save anything you’re working on. Chrome reopens the tabs that were open before the relaunch but doesn’t save any of the data contained in them.

If you’d rather wait to restart Chrome and finish up the work you’re doing, just close the tab. Chrome will install the update the next time you close and reopen it.

When you relaunch Chrome, and the update finally finishes installing, head back to chrome://settings/help and verify you’re running the latest version of Chrome. Chrome will say “Google Chrome is up to date” if you’ve already installed the latest updates.

 

 

Update Firefox to the latest release

  1. Click the menu button , click Help and select About Firefox.

  2. The About Mozilla Firefox window opens. Firefox will check for updates and download them automatically.

  1. When the download is complete, click Restart to update Firefox.

Update settings can be changed in Firefox Options . Click the menu button and select Options. In the General panel, scroll down to the Firefox Updates section.