Google Chrome launches on Arm Linux devices this year

Chrome is available for Linux, and it’s available for Arm devices, but if your device is running Linux on Arm, you're out of luck! Google has announced that Chrome will finally support ARM64 Linux machines in the second quarter of 2026, after having released Chrome for Arm Macs in 2020 and Chrome for Windows on Arm in 2024.

What’s behind the choice of Arm and Linux now? In a blog entry, Google explains it is meeting "the growing need for a browsing experience that merges the advantages of the open-source Chromium project with the Google apps and features ecosystem." 

This raises the question of whether Google means current demand or demand anticipated in the future.

However, those are our x86 desktops — consumer Arm chips running Linux aren’t widespread unless you consider Linux-based Android phones. 

You can find Linux on laptops from companies like Dell, Lenovo, and Framework, but again, these are x86 processors. 

Yet, three companies producing Arm processors — Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Mediatek — might favor Linux as they aim to challenge the established Windows/Intel/AMD dominance. 

Qualcomm mentioned in January its recognition of growing interest in other operating systems beyond Windows for its high-performance Arm chips. 

Nvidia may soon unveil its N1 and N1X processors for Arm laptops during its GTC 2026 developer conference, potentially as early as next week.

While those Nvidia laptops might initially be announced with Windows, it wouldn’t shock anyone if Linux becomes a focus once essentials like Chrome are available.

Google's blog post specifically highlights Nvidia’s DGX Spark as a Chrome target — these $4,000+ advanced AI desktops, sold by a wide range of Nvidia’s partners, also run Linux on Arm. 

Google has made it easier to install Chrome by including it in Nvidia’s package manager; others will need to visit chrome.com/download when the browser becomes available in Q2.