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Chrome for Android Update

   Hi, everyone! We've just released Chrome 151 (151.0.7922.173) for Android. It'll become available on Google Play over the next few days. 

This release includes stability and performance improvements. You can see a full list of the changes in the Git log. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug.


Android releases contain the same security fixes as their corresponding Desktop releases (Windows & Mac: 151.0.7922.173/174, Linux: 151.0.7922.173) unless otherwise noted.

Harry Souders

How to get the best Wi-Fi speed, signal, and performance

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Yes, GFiber offers fast and reliable internet. But, to truly get "fast" internet and efficiently stream your favorite shows, work from home and enjoy gaming online, getting the most out of your Wi-Fi network is important. Here are some key steps and strategies to ensure you get a seamless optimized Wi-Fi experience.

Understanding Wi-Fi technology basics and fiber network architecture

GFiber internet comes to your home through light over fiber optic cables (this differentiates fiber internet from your typical DSL or cable internet); GFiber Webpass customers get their internet through mmWave wireless technology combined with fiber optics. These deliver data to the Fiber Jack in your home, and your Wi-Fi router connects to the Fiber Jack and transmits data into Wi-Fi waves out to your devices (phones, computers, TVs, smart appliances, etc.). The speed of your Wi-Fi connections depend on a number of factors: internet plan, router’s capabilities and placement are the most relevant. But other factors such as signal strength, interference from neighboring devices, layout, and size of your home and Wi-Fi congestion can also affect the speed and reliability.

Selecting Wi-Fi 7, Wi-Fi 6E, and managing router firmware updates

An up-to-date router that supports the latest Wi-Fi standards will deliver the most stable connection. That’s why GFiber regularly updates the routers that are included with your internet product to support the latest, like Wi-Fi 7.

No matter who your internet provider is, using an updated Wi-Fi device will likely mean a better internet experience. Even with an updated router, you also need to regularly check for firmware updates and install them promptly. Performance enhancements, security fixes and improved features are all included in these updates, which can help ensure optimal performance and security for your Wi-Fi network.

Maximizing Wi-Fi signal strength and placement for mesh coverage

Where your router is in your home can affect your Wi-Fi signal strength and cause interference if not optimally placed. Ideally, the router should be centrally located and placed high, away from obstructions like thick walls or metal appliances to provide even coverage and distribution of the Wi-Fi signal throughout your space.

If you have a large space or areas with poor coverage, a mesh Wi-Fi system can help extend your Wi-Fi coverage and create a more seamless internet experience across the entire home.

Pro Tip: Place the mesh extender halfway between the router and the area with poor coverage.
Hardwiring high-bandwidth devices with Ethernet connections

Additionally, you may want to consider connecting stationary computers, streaming TVs and devices, and gaming consoles to a router via an ethernet cable for a dependable connection. When you hardwire bandwidth hungry devices such as 4K TVs, WFH computers and gaming consoles to name a few, you establish a reliable dedicated link to the network which typically results in faster, more stable internet speeds with less Wi-Fi interference. Wi-Fi connected devices also benefit when you hardwire data hungry devices, since it reduces network congestion and opens up the airwaves for Wi-Fi only devices. If you need a consistent and strong internet connection, hardwiring remains the preferred choice for now.

Comparing 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz Wi-Fi frequency bands

There are three different frequency bands available for Wi-Fi:
  • 2.4 GHz: Most common on all Wi-Fi devices and routers. 2.4 GHz spectrum usually reaches more areas and offers wider coverage. However, it has considerably less bandwidth than other frequencies, meaning you may experience buffering and inconsistent speeds.
  • 5 GHz: Most modern smartphones, laptops and Wi-Fi routers support this. The 5.0 GHz spectrum has a shorter range but can power many devices at once, so smartphone and laptop users won’t have to worry about interruptions on this frequency.
  • 6 GHZ: It provides even faster speeds, increased bandwidth and less congestion than the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Due to operating in a higher frequency band, 6 GHz has a slightly less coverage area than 5 Ghz.
Users typically don’t have to decide which frequency to use. Routers can automatically select the best frequency for your device, as long as your Wi-Fi name and password are common across all three frequency bands. Don’t worry though, most routers default to this setting so there’s nothing for you to figure out. In some cases, it may make sense to separate the 2.4 GHz from other Wi-Fi bands. This will create a dedicated network for your 2.4 GHz devices but your smartphones and other mobile devices will have a hard time seamlessly connecting to your 5 and 6 GHz Wi-Fi as you move around the house. Therefore, we recommend keeping the default setting on your router.

Pro Tip: In rare instances if your Wi-Fi network is not performing as expected, restarting your router can typically solve most common problems.

While there are many things that affect your Wi-Fi experience, implementing these strategies can help ensure a faster and more reliable Wi-Fi connection. For most people, Wi-Fi is the primary way of getting online, so getting the most out of your Wi-Fi will help you get the most out of the internet.

How to get the right internet equipment for your home

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The equipment in your home directly impacts whether your devices are actually getting the high-speed fiber internet you pay for. Many people focus on how much speed is coming into their home, but real-world performance is often determined by your router's technology and placement.

Unmatched hardware standards: advanced Wi-Fi 6E, Wi-Fi 7, and ongoing innovation

GFiber provides reliable hardware at no additional cost, including Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E routers and mesh extenders to ensure total home coverage depending on your product and service area. Our 1 Gig service comes with Wi-Fi 6E and Home and Edge come with Wi-Fi 7 as standard, no upcharge, and depending on your service and home’s unique needs, up to 2 extenders, GFiber’s signature performance verification, and on-going monitoring in the GFiber app. GFiber Labs is dedicated to defining what’s next in internet by researching and testing innovations to bring customers the next-generation of internet service.

Wi-Fi standards and performance

A provider may deliver fast speeds to the edge of your home, but outdated routers (which distribute an internet connection to all the devices in your home) can result in slow Wi-Fi performance, no matter how much speed is coming into your house. When thinking about your home network equipment, consider these technical factors:

  • The most recent Wi-Fi standards: An industry consortium sets technical standards for each generation of equipment. The latest generations, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7,  are significant advances over previous standards, offering several advantages including the addition of a third band of Internet, more efficient traffic routing, meaningful  increases in speed, security and service battery management and the ability to handle more devices with significantly less congestion compared to older standards. GFiber includes this latest equipment with every plan. In fact, as standards have evolved, GFiber has had a pattern of proactively upgrading the in-home equipment of its tenured customers at no extra cost. And GFiber’s Wi-Fi 7 router was custom-made and expertly engineered for the GFiber network, leveraging the most advanced global tech.


  • The addition of the 6 GHz band on the highway: Multiple bands act like lanes on a highway. When numerous devices are on a single band, they compete for room and have to wait their turn, which increases latency. More bands provide more room for simultaneous data transmission.


Superior whole-home coverage with mesh extenders

GFiber provides reliable hardware at no additional cost, including Fiber Jacks and Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6E routers, as well as mesh extenders to ensure total home coverage. GFiber routers are pretty powerful by themselves, covering up to more than 2,000 square feet which is larger than the average home. However, for large or multi-story homes, certain layouts, or areas with dead zones, mesh extenders are a must. A mesh extender is a second node that communicates with the main router to expand your Wi-Fi coverage across your home. Depending on your plan and needs, up to two extenders are included in the GFiber price to provide up to 5,000 sq ft of coverage.

The real cost of equipment 

Many internet providers charge a monthly rental fee for equipment, which can significantly increase the annual cost of service. Equipment rental fees can be up to $15 monthly, according to HighSpeedInternet.com, which adds up to $180 per year. While some providers allow you to buy  your own equipment to avoid these costs, they must be compatible with your provider’s system. In addition, you are then responsible for its maintenance, upgrades and diagnosing issues. And before long, you may find your equipment has become obsolete. Others require proprietary equipment. Always review the terms of service to see if you can opt out of these fees. GFiber never charges you a monthly fee for the equipment to make your internet service work, and we provide our customers the latest technology to ensure they are getting the most out of their network.

Every GFiber product comes with the hardware you need to get your home online, including free installation, performance verification, ongoing health monitoring via the GFiber app, and always free repairs (not that you’ll need them). You’ll never see a monthly internet equipment rental fee, and there’s no additional charge for the Fiber Jack or installation in your home. All included equipment is designed to cover up to 5,000 square feet with Wi-Fi.

 Your devices also play a roll in your maximum Wi-Fi speed

Understanding your Wi-Fi technology and how it was built to support your devices is the key to getting the most out of them. Why? Because the Wi-Fi enabled devices in your home were also built on a Wi-Fi standard, which defines the Wi-Fi speeds they’ll get. Some older devices only support earlier standards of Wi-Fi technology. If you have an older device, it may not be able to go as fast as your GFiber internet could otherwise take it

Fiber infrastructure and the right equipment improves connectivity

Even the best high-performance routers cannot resolve the inherent limitations of asymmetrical speed of  infrastructure that is not 100% fiber. Equipment performance is most effective when powered by robust infrastructure. Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) technology delivers symmetrical upload and download speeds – meaning speed that is as fast when sending data as it is when receiving dataThis combination of hardware and technology is particularly critical for high-bandwidth activities like video conferencing, large file transfers, and multi-user households.

 Equipment and installation are always included with GFiber

GFiber provides a complete FTTH service with the latest Wi-Fi standards and mesh extenders included at no additional monthly cost. We install a multi-gig Fiber Optic Jack—the small device that connects your home to our network—and a GFiber Wi-Fi Router.

  • Core 1 Gig: Includes a Wi-Fi 6E router.


  • Home 3 Gig and Edge 8 Gig: Include the latest Wi-Fi 7 router.


  • Installation: Professional or self-installation included at no extra cost for all products.


  • Mesh extenders: up to 2 Included if your home layout requires an extender to cover dead spots and ensure a seamless whole home network.

Learn more about Wi-Fi from these classic blogs:

How does Wi-Fi work? 

How fast can your devices go?

Maximizing your Wi-Fi

 Learn more about GFiber installation here.

Internet provider equipment comparison

GFiber offers high-speed symmetrical internet with advanced Wi-Fi standards, plus equipment and professional or self installation included.

Provider

Monthly Router or extender fee

Wi-Fi standard

Standard Installation fee

GFiber

No

Wi-Fi 6E is minimum standard 

Wi-Fi 7 standard with Home and Edge

No

AT&T Fiber

Yes

Wi-Fi 6 is standard

Wi-Fi 7 with $25/mo. upgrade or promo with 5 Gig

Yes

Metronet (now known as T-Fiber)

Yes

Wi-Fi 6

Yes

Spectrum

Yes

Wi-Fi 6E standard for plans slower than 1 Gig

Wi-Fi 7 with Gig+ plans

Yes

Xfinity

No

Wi-Fi 6 

Wi-Fi 6E with some plans

Yes

Disclaimers


AT&T, Xfinity, Quantum, Spectrum, Metronet: Source of competitor equipment and installation fees is based on publicly available "Nutrition Label" data and competitor websites as of February 2026.


Customers canceling service will have to pay a replacement fee (including any applicable taxes) if they fail to return equipment within 60 days after cancellation.

 Actual internet, Wi-Fi speeds, and Wi-Fi coverage are not guaranteed and can vary based on factors such as home or business size and layout, construction materials, hardware and software limitations, latency, packet loss, etc.



Chrome Beta for Desktop Update

The Chrome team is excited to announce the promotion of Chrome 153 to the Beta channel for Windows, Mac and Linux. Chrome 153.0.8010.5 contains our usual under-the-hood performance and stability tweaks, but there are also some cool new features to explore - please head to the Chromium blog to learn more!

A partial list of changes is available in the Git log. Interested in switching release channels? Find out how. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug. The community help forum is also a great place to reach out for help or learn about common issues.

Chrome Release Team
Google Chrome

Stable Channel Update for Desktop

The Stable channel has been updated to 151.0.7922.173/.174 for Windows and Mac and 151.0.7922.173 for Linux, which will roll out over the coming days/weeks. A full list of changes in this build is available in the Log 

Security Fixes and Rewards

Note: Access to bug details and links may be kept restricted until a majority of users are updated with a fix. We will also retain restrictions if the bug exists in a third party library that other projects similarly depend on, but haven’t yet fixed.

This update includes 7 security fixes. Please see the Chrome Security Page for more information.


[N/A][522819252] Critical CVE-2026-76017: Use after free in Chromoting. Reported by Google on 2026-06-11

[N/A][513757918] High CVE-2026-76018: Privilege elevation in Import. Reported by Google on 2026-05-16

[TBD][539032888] High CVE-2026-76019: Incorrect authorization in Workers. Reported by Anonymous on 2026-07-26

[TBD][541837151] High CVE-2026-76020: Race condition in V8. Reported by Salvatore Gulizia (nickname: Serotav) on 2026-08-03

[N/A][541854084] High CVE-2026-76021: Use after free in DOM. Reported by Google BigSleep@Grape on 2026-08-02

[TBD][543798025] High CVE-2026-76022: Buffer overflow in Network. Reported by 0xAlessandro on 2026-08-07

[TBD][545124048] High CVE-2026-76023: Improper resource control in Linux Toolkit Theming. Reported by Keita Sode and Daisuke Hatakeyama of SYZD Research on 2026-08-11


We would also like to thank all security researchers that worked with us during the development cycle to prevent security bugs from ever reaching the stable channel.


Many of our security bugs are detected using AddressSanitizer, MemorySanitizer, UndefinedBehaviorSanitizer, Control Flow Integrity, libFuzzer, or AFL.

Interested in switching release channels? Find out how here. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug. The community help forum is also a great place to reach out for help or learn about common issues.


Srinivas Sista

Google Chrome

Record presentations in Google Slides with Google Vids

We are introducing a seamless way to record presentations in Google Slides using Google Vids directly from the Slides interface. Moving forward, you will see a new Record option in the right-hand menu of Slides. Selecting this option guides you through a streamlined recording workflow and outputs an immediately shareable link.

This new integration provides advanced creation capabilities—including transcript-based editing and voiceover generation—helping you turn simple slide decks into polished, professional video assets in seconds.

Note: For organizations currently using the existing Slides recording experience, here is what you need to know about the transition:

  • Users with access to the existing Slides recording experience will have access to both the legacy experience and the new Vids recording experience.
  • The legacy Slides recording option will move to the View menu (View > Slides Recording).

Getting started

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Available to all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with personal Google accounts

Resources

View Google Chat usage metrics in Gemini reports dashboard

Admins can now access Google Chat usage metrics in the Gemini reports dashboard across both organization- and user-level reports.

At the organization level, this allows admins to track active Gemini users in Google Chat, analyze usage trends, and identify who benefits most from Gemini-powered summarization and generation features.

At the user level, admins can now view the level of Gemini adoption for specific users who actively engage with the app.

This launch also updates a few Gemini summarization interactions in Chat to “Active” as they are initiated by the user. Given this, you may see updated metrics reported for active users and overall usage of Chat.


Getting started

  • Admins: Visit the Help Center to learn more about Gemini reports.
  • End users: There is no end user impact or action required.

Rollout pace

Availability

  • Business: Business Starter, Standard, and Plus
  • Enterprise: Enterprise Starter, Standard, and Plus
  • Education Add-ons: Google AI Pro for Education

Resources