Switching Google Chrome Release Channels

The Chromium Dev team has released a piece of software that manages which version of Chrome you’re given when updates are pushed through. They feature three levels of product: stable, beta, and developer preview. For more info on how to utilize these channels, including how to test the newly released Chrome 2.0 pre-beta, read on.

According to the Chromium developer documentation, here’s a rundown of the differences between channels.

• Stable channel. Everyone is on the Stable channel when they first install Google Chrome. The Stable channel is updated with features and fixes once they have been throughly tested in the Beta channel. If you want a rock solid browser but don’t need the latest features, the Stable channel is for you.
• Beta channel. People who like to use and help refine the latest features subscribe to the Beta channel. Every month or so, we promote stable and complete features from the Dev channel to the Beta channel. The Beta channel is more stable than Dev, but may lack the polish one expects from a finished product.
• Developer preview channel. The Dev channel is where ideas get tested (and sometimes fail). The Dev channel can be very unstable at times, and new features usually require some manual configuration to be enabled. Still, simply using Dev channel releases is an easy (practically zero-effort) way for anyone to help improve Google Chrome.

That sought after 2.0 pre-beta can be downloaded by utilizing the developer preview channel. How do you do so? Glad you asked!

In order to switch channels you’ll have to download the software found on this page. Here’s a direct download of the software itself, if you trust me .

Remember to backup if you don’t want to lose any saved data, especially if you plan on switching to the dev preview channel. Its scary there!