Google has announced it will release a version of Chrome for ARM64 Linux machines in the second quarter of 2026. This move addresses a gap, as Chrome already exists for Arm Macs and Windows on Arm, but not for the Linux-on-Arm combination.
The company cites growing demand for this combination, though the current consumer market for Linux on Arm hardware is limited compared to x86 systems. The decision appears strategically linked to upcoming Arm processors from companies like Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Mediatek, which are targeting the PC market.
A specific target is Nvidia's DGX Spark AI desktops, which run Linux on Arm, with Google planning to distribute Chrome through Nvidia's package manager for easier installation.
Main topics: Google Chrome release for ARM64 Linux, the strategic timing linked to new Arm hardware from chipmakers, and the current market state for Linux on Arm.
You can download Chrome for Linux, and you can download Chrome for Arm devices — but if you’ve got a computer running Linux on Arm, not so much! Now, Google says it’s finally bringing Chrome to ARM64 Linux machines in Q2 2026, following Chrome for Arm Macs in 2020 and Chrome for Windows on Arm in 2024.
Google Chrome is coming to Arm-powered Linux devices later this year
Because of existing demand? Or because of what’s next?
Because of existing demand? Or because of what’s next?
Why Arm + Linux now? In a blog post, Google only says that it “addresses the growing demand for a browsing experience that combines the benefits of the open-source Chromium project with the Google ecosystem of apps and features.” What we’re left wondering is whether Google’s talking about existing demand, or demand yet to come.
There’s certainly a growing demand for Linux. Some Verge editors have begun to ditch Windows with varying degrees of success. But those are our x86 desktops — there isn’t a lot of consumer-facing Linux on Arm chips, unless you count all the Linux-based Android phones out there. You can buy Linux on laptops from Dell, Lenovo, Framework, and such, but again, they use x86 chips. (And if you’re not a consumer, there’s already Chromium.)
But three of the companies that actually build Arm processors — Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Mediatek — may look to Linux as they try to compete with the Windows/Intel/AMD incumbents. Qualcomm told me in January that it sees “a lot of interest on other operating systems” beyond Windows for its PC-grade Arm chips. Nvidia could reveal its N1 and N1X processors for Arm laptops as soon as next week at its GTC 2026 developer conference.
While those Nvidia laptops might get announced with Windows, it wouldn’t be surprising if they targeted Linux too, once the basics like Chrome are sorted out. Google’s blog post specifically namedrops Nvidia’s DGX Spark as a target for Chrome — those $4,000+ beefy micro AI desktops, sold by a wide array of the company’s partners, also run Linux on Arm. Google says it’s putting Chrome into Nvidia’s package manager to make installation easier; everyone else will have to go to chrome.com/download when the browser arrives in Q2.
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