Google Chrome's latest iOS update is breaking the app for some users

Apple iPhone 7 Plus running Chrome (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

A number of users report that the latest version of Google Chrome isn't working for them.
Users report freezes and an unresponsive app across multiple versions of iOS.
No real fix has been found so far and it may require Google to issue an update.

Some Google Chrome users are finding that the app no longer works following a recent update that's currently available for download from the App Store. The update, Google Chrome 97, doesn't appear to break for everyone but a number of users report that the app simply freezes and becomes unresponsive. Restarts and reinstallation don't seem to help matters.

Multiple reports across social media, spied by 9to5Google, show that the problem is more widespread than Google will surely like. I haven't been able to replicate the problem on my iPhone 13 Pro Max running iOS 15.3, but there are plenty who have.

We've since been able to replicate the issue on an iPhone running iOS 15.3. The freezing issue only occurred following an update to Chrome for iOS to version 97, which hit the App Store about three days ago. Older app versions on the same device worked without any issues. However, on another iPhone running iOS 15.2 and the same Chrome version, the freezing issue didn't occur. On a completely fresh install, we found that the issue also didn't occur.

It's that unpredictability that could make this a problematic issue to fix. It's easier to fix a problem that's easily repeated, but let's cross our fingers that Google gets a fix out the door sooner rather than later. Some people report that clearing the app's cache fixes things for them, but that is only going to work if you can keep the app working long enough to do it.

Google Chrome can be downloaded from the App Store but if you're already using an older version it might be wise to leave well alone for now.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.