Hyderabad: Google has confirmed that Gmail will stop working on Chrome Browser version 53 and below, starting February 8, 2017. Gmail users that are still on Windows XP and Windows Vista are the most likely to be affected, because v49 was the last released version which supported those operating systems. As previously announced in April 2015 and November 2015, these systems are no longer maintained by Microsoft, and we strongly encourage you to migrate to more secure and supported systems.
Google will show a banner at the top of the Gmail interface for users who are still on Google Chrome Browser v53 and below to encourage upgrading to the latest version of Chrome, currently on version 55. Chrome Browser v55 contains several important security updates.
What happens if users continue to use Chrome Browser v53 and below?
Gmail will continue to function on Chrome Browser v53 and below through the end of the 2017.
If you continue to use older versions of Chrome Browser now that support has ended, Gmail will be more vulnerable to security risks and users will not have access to new features and bugfixes.
Users who remain on Chrome v53 and below could be redirected to the basic HTML version of Gmail as early as Dec 2017.
Recommendation
If you manage Chrome Browser for your users, we strongly encourage you to update users to the latest version of Chrome. Depending on what operating system your users are on, you may need to migrate them to a supported system to get the latest version and features.
Launch Details
Release track: Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release
Editions: Available to all G Suite editions
Rollout pace: Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility)
Impact: Admins and users
Action: Change management suggested/FYI
Admin action suggested/FYI for those who manage Chrome Browser for their users.
Tech giant Google has announced that its Gmail service will stop working on some Chrome browsers by the end of 2017. According to a blog posted by Google, it has informed that Gmail will stop working on 53 or lower version of its Chrome browser. The process of stopping Gmail for working on these versions will start from February 8 itself. This move by Google, essentially means that it’s time for Windows XP and Windows Vista users, to start worrying, as they will not be able to use the emailing feature of Google on their Chrome browser.
According to Google, the Chrome browser’s versions lower than 53 are open to security risks, mainly because Microsft had stopped the OS support for Windows XP and Vista. This means that if you are still using Chrome v53 or lower, be ready to likely get affected by attacks. Moreover, there will be no bug fixes or security patches available to you. According to Google, you will be able to continue using the Chrome browser till the end of the year, but it will be in the basic HTML version only. Google wrote on the blog, “Gmail users that are still on Windows XP and Windows Vista are the most likely to be affected because v49 was the last released version which supported those operating systems.”