Chrome urges users to move to Windows 10 or later as Windows 7, 8.1 end-of-support date nears

Microsoft and Google are big rivals in terms of browsers, but the latter has to make some considerations since most Chrome users generally rely on the Windows system. The two companies are certainly intertwined. With this, it is no surprise that even Google is reminding its customers to start using higher releases of the Windows system.

Windows has the biggest desktop operating system market share worldwide, hitting up to 75.09% in November 2022. And with Microsoft ending support for Windows 8.1 and its extended support of Windows 7 in January 2023, it means tech companies delivering their services to the Windows ecosystem, like Google, would also have to make adjustments. Without Microsoft providing updates for the said operating systems, continuously using apps on such unsupported systems can just mean risks. That said, Google is now explicitly reminding its users to move to higher Windows systems via persistent notifications on Chrome.

As spotted by Ghacks, Chrome now relentlessly shows prompts to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 users, reminding them that “to get future Google Chrome updates, you’ll need Windows 10 or later. This computer is using Windows 7.” The notification can be spotted at the top section of the browser and will repeatedly show every time the user opens or launches Chrome. The need to upgrade to higher Windows system releases also extends to other Chromium-based browsers.

Microsoft is consistently reminding its customers of the event. After the first initial announcements, the Redmond company reiterated the Windows 8.1 end-of-life support date in June and even issued an ‘End of Support’ screen warning on Windows 8.1 OS in July. In October, Google released an announcement on its support page regarding the tentative date for the release of the final Chrome update for Windows 7 and 8.1.

“You’ll need to ensure your device is running Windows 10 or later to continue receiving future Chrome releases. This matches Microsoft’s end of support for Windows 7 ESU and Windows 8.1 extended support on January 10th, 2023,” said Google at that time. “If you are currently on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, we encourage you to move to a supported Windows version before that date to ensure you continue to receive the latest security updates and Chrome features.”