Google has launched Chrome 131 for Windows, Linux, macOS, and mobile platforms, introducing new features, bug fixes, and addressing 12 vulnerabilities, including one critical issue.
Major Enhancements
- Improved PDF Text Recognition
Chrome’s updated PDF viewer now features enhanced text recognition for scanned documents. This functionality uses a built-in optical engine powered by machine learning, improving accessibility for text within images. - Memory Allocation System Upgrades
The PartitionAlloc memory allocation system now has better verification capabilities, blocking vulnerabilities like use-after-free issues by preventing access to already-released memory areas. - Certificate Authority Changes
Chrome has removed trust for the Entrust Certificate Authority (CA) in its Root Store due to multiple violations. Any TLS certificates issued by Entrust after November 11, 2024, are now untrusted.
Additional Improvements
- Password and Form Management on Android
Third-party providers can now be integrated for automatic form filling and password management without relying on the Accessibility API. Connecting to a Google account and managing data sync between browsers has also been simplified. - Performance and Memory Saver Tools
New experimental memory saver modes—Moderate, Balanced, and Maximum—are available, along with settings for better performance management. A Performance Detection tool has also been introduced to identify and resolve page issues quickly with actionable recommendations. - Enhanced Developer Tools
Developers can explore expanded analytics in the Performance section and test the experimental AI assistant panel, adding to Chrome’s developer-friendly features. - Language Overlay in Google Lens
The image search function now supports overlaying translations into another language via Google Lens, enhancing usability for global audiences. - Security Advancements
Chrome now supports the X25519Kyber768 key encapsulation algorithm in TLS 1.3 and QUIC, adopting the finalized ML-KEM (CRYSTALS-Kyber) specification.
These updates emphasize Chrome’s focus on security, performance, and user convenience. Yet, we’ll keep you updated as more integrations become available in future releases.