Google releases Chrome 96 with cache function for faster navigation

Google has announced the arrival of the stable version of Chrome 96. This will make available, among other things, a cache implementation that should make navigating faster. It specifically concerns navigating back to previously visited pages.

Google reports in a short message that Chrome 96 is ready for the stable channel for Windows, Mac and Linux. This also applies to the new extended stable channel for Windows and Mac. The update for this will be available in the coming days or weeks.

As part of this new version, the back-forward cache feature will be introduced, which Google has been working on for several years. Creates a cache for pages that allows users to navigate directly to previously visited pages. This applies to subpages within the same website as well as when navigating back to other websites.

The idea is that Chrome saves the current and last visited page at the same time, so navigating back and forth between those pages via the back and forward buttons is instant. This was previously available on Android in Chrome 87, and an experimental, limited support for this feature was already included in the Chrome 92 update for the desktop.

The arrival of the stable version of Chrome 96 also means the end of syncing user data and settings with Chrome 48. Chrome 48 is the last version for Windows XP and Vista and some old versions of macOS. The support for this outdated version of Chrome will therefore expire from now on.