Google Chrome is a web browser available on all operating systems, both desktop and mobile. Owned by the company of the same name, it is the most used tool in the world: it would have around 65% of the web browser market share in 2024. This places it far ahead of Safari, Microsoft Edge, Opera or Mozilla. Firefox. The arrival of Bing AI on the Microsoft Edge browser has not called into question Chrome's absolute domination of the market, especially with the implementation of SGE.
The Chrome browser was designed by Google in 2008 to compete with Internet Explorer. It is based on the Chromium project which is open source, but Google remains its owner. Other players use Chromium, like Opera and its new One browser. Before it was designed, the group's CEO positioned himself against the development of such a tool. Eric Schmidt didn't want the company to take the fall by competing with key players in the market. Ultimately, he sided with co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page, and rightly so.
The decision was effective since Google Chrome has been one of the best internet browsers for 2 decades. It has taken a leading position across the world with billions of downloads. According to the latest figures published in 2023, Chrome had a market share greater than 63% worldwide, all OS combined. It's a landslide victory that competition authorities are closely scrutinizing. This is particularly the case of the agreement between Apple and Google which installs Chrome by default on iPhones.
Since the beginning of 2023, Chrome has been facing a new offensive from Bing (and Microsoft Edge) which has integrated ChatGPT into its web browser. The company hopes to compete a little more seriously against Google with its essential search engine for 20 years. If you have downloaded Chrome, you will be able to take advantage of its Bard AI which is however less efficient. Microsoft, however, struggles to distinguish itself from Google's user experience.
Once you have downloaded Chrome on your computer, tablet or smartphone, you can use it easily and for free. This first benefits from basic functionalities: we find the traditional search bar which allows you to access your favorites or your search history, but not only that. If you do any research without going to a page you have viewed in the past, you will be sent to Google search results.
Obviously, Google Chrome allows you to open several tabs at once so that you can navigate between your searches, all without impacting page loading time. You can also add pages as favorites with a single click and organize them by folder to find them easily. By synchronizing your computer and your smartphone, you can find your favorites on all your devices. It is simple and intuitive to use, which explains its popularity.
By downloading Chrome, you benefit from a dark mode which has been deployed on all operating systems in recent years, you can activate or deactivate it from the settings. Moreover, the settings also allow you to limit Google advertising tracking so that you can browse the web more easily. Note that there is an anonymous browsing mode so as not to leave a trace.
Among recent features, Google Chrome comes with Lens. This powerful tool allows you to search from an image, the functionality is available from the taskbar and context menu. There is also a screenshot option directly integrated into the internet browser, the latter finally joins Mozilla Firefox with the latter.
As Google Chrome is the number 1 web browser in the world, it is compatible with many extensions that you can easily add to the tool for easy access. You can pin them so that it appears alongside the search bar to help you find them faster. For its part, the Chrome Web Store has thousands of extensions that give you the ability to customize the browser as you see fit. They are not all secure, you must be vigilant.
Chrome is available in French and in many other languages (English, German, Spanish, etc.). Like all major web browsers, downloading Google Chrome is possible anywhere in the world - with a local language. And above all, it's free.
Downloading Google Chrome is possible from the operating system of your choice, we expected no less from the leader in internet browsers. To obtain this tool on a computer, you must have at least Windows 7, macOS X 10.11 or Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian, OpenSUSE). These are the versions needed, but anything newer is supported.
As for smartphones, we find Chrome on Android 4.1 or later, but also on iOS 9 or later. The mobile application includes the same functionalities as those available on the computer, which makes it just as easy and efficient to use on a daily basis, especially for navigating between your devices.
You can download and install the browser from the device of your choice without putting your hand in your pocket for a subscription: it is free. Its use is unlimited and there is no paid version, regardless of the operating system. Google's economic model is based on advertising: there is advertising in the search engine and this is what allows it to finance its operations.
Downloading Chrome has been a no-brainer for billions of users around the world - and that's why it's positioned as the most used web browser. However, there are many alternatives on the market, many of which favor privacy. This is the case of Mozilla Firefox, the first version of which was unveiled in 2003 by the Mozilla Foundation and which is intended to be open source.
Firefox highlights many features in favor of data confidentiality and privacy protection. The browser also has extensions like Facebook Container which prevents tracking by the social network when you leave it. It's free, fast and available on all operating systems. You can also connect it between devices to find your information (favorites, history, etc.) from your computer and your smartphone. This has 3.1% of the global market share, it is positioned behind Chrome and Safari, but ahead of Opera.
Another option: you can choose the Opera web browser rather than Chrome or Firefox. It currently claims 2.6% market share while capitalizing, once again, on features very focused on respecting privacy. Designed by a Norwegian company, it is also an open source project which is completely free and available on all operating systems.
Opera brings together many features for data protection, such as its ad blocker which limits both display and tracking without you needing to install an extension. It is also one of the only ones to have a VPN and already available so you can surf the web without worry. This allows you to stay on the web while chatting directly from your windows thanks to the integration of modules for Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Telegram. Please note, Opera also relies on Chromium which is the engine of Google Chrome.
Finally, we can also find more classic web browsers like Safari and Microsoft Edge, Opera or Brave, also focused on respecting user privacy. All of these players, including Chrome, offer private browsing. This doesn't mean your ISP can't track the information you search for on the web. It's better to opt for a VPN if you're looking to hide your IP address.