Download Google Chrome for Mac: Install Guide (2026)

Want to download Google Chrome for Mac? In March 2009, there was no official Chrome for Mac, so early adopters tried CrossOver Chromium, a Wine-based port that ran the Windows version on Intel Macs. Google released the real Chrome for Mac beta that December. In 2026, installing Chrome on a Mac takes a minute. Here is how to download Google Chrome for Mac safely, what macOS you need, and how to fix common problems.

Quick answer: To download Google Chrome for Mac, open Safari, go to google.com/chrome, click Download Chrome, open the googlechrome.dmg file and drag Chrome into your Applications folder. The same download works on Apple silicon (M-series) and Intel Macs. Current Chrome versions need macOS 12 Monterey or later.

Table of Contents

How to download and install Google Chrome on a Mac

Open Safari and go to the official Google Chrome download page.
Click Download Chrome. The page detects your Mac and offers the right installer.
Open googlechrome.dmg from your Downloads folder.
Drag the Chrome icon onto the Applications folder.
Open Chrome from Applications or Launchpad, and click Open if macOS asks to confirm.
Eject the Google Chrome disk image in Finder and delete the .dmg file.

Only download Chrome from google.com. Fake “Chrome for Mac” downloads on other sites can contain adware.

Google Chrome for Mac system requirements

macOS: macOS 12 Monterey or later. Chrome 138 was the last version for macOS 11 Big Sur, released in 2025.
Processor: Apple silicon (M1 and newer) or Intel. The universal download runs natively on both.
Older Macs: if your Mac cannot run Monterey, Chrome will keep working but stops getting updates, which is a security risk. Safari or another browser that still supports your macOS is safer.

Set Chrome as your default browser on Mac

Open Chrome and go to Chrome > Settings > Default browser.
Click Make default, then confirm in the macOS dialog.
Or open Apple menu > System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Default web browser.

Keep Chrome for Mac updated

Chrome updates itself in the background. To check, go to Chrome > About Google Chrome, and click Relaunch if an update is waiting.

Fix common Chrome on Mac problems

“Chrome can’t be opened”: make sure you dragged it into Applications rather than running it from the disk image.
Chrome is slow or uses lots of battery: turn on Energy Saver and Memory Saver in Settings > Performance, and remove unused extensions.
Chrome won’t update: check your macOS version meets the requirement, then reinstall from google.com/chrome.
Remove Chrome completely: quit Chrome, drag it from Applications to the Trash, and optionally delete ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome to remove your profile.

The 2009 CrossOver Chromium story

When we first wrote this post, Google Chrome was only for Windows. Chrome is built on the open-source Chromium project, and CodeWeavers released CrossOver Chromium for free, using Wine to run the Windows Chromium build on Intel Macs with OS X 10.4 or later. It was a proof of concept and not very stable, but it gave Mac users a first look at Chrome. A few months later, Google shipped Chrome for Mac itself.

The first Chrome for Mac beta arrived on 8 December 2009, alongside the Linux beta. Google promised fast start-up, fast loading and fast search, and joked that Chrome launched so quickly there was hardly time for its Dock icon to bounce. It brought the Omnibox (one box for searching and typing addresses) and artist themes, but it needed Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or later on an Intel Mac, and it lacked extensions, bookmark sync, the bookmark manager and the cookie manager. Those features arrived during 2010 as Chrome for Mac left beta. Read about the original Google Chrome launch in 2008.

FAQ

Is Google Chrome free for Mac?

Yes. Chrome is free to download and use on Mac.

Does Chrome work on M1, M2, M3 and M4 Macs?

Yes. Chrome runs natively on Apple silicon Macs.

Can I install Chrome on an old Mac?

Current versions need macOS 12 Monterey or later. Older macOS versions can only run older, unsupported Chrome versions.

Should I use Chrome or Safari on Mac?

Safari is often more battery-efficient on Mac, while Chrome is best if you use Google services and Chrome extensions across devices.

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4 Comments

Well put Neil! The fact that CrossOver Chromium (which isn’t made by Google), the completely free software based on the completely free Chromium open source project, doesn’t run on some people’s Macs is exactly like a repressive government that doesn’t allow meaningful expression of dissenting opinions, and controls significant aspects of your life.

Making something and giving it away for free, but not making it work for every single person who might want it, is fascism, plain and simple. Mozilla, for example, claims to be for freedom, but refuses to port Firefox to the Atari! Who do they think they are fooling?

Um, that rather bland statement—”PowerPC Macs are NOT supported.”—is downright totalitarian. Why leave a large chunk of users out in the cold? Presumably Google isn’t interested in running Chrome on the iPad, either?

Chromium’s good but why now download the mac version directly : https://www.google.com/chrome/dev/?platform=mac

Cheers!