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Google will update Chrome OS just as quickly as its web browser

Your Chromebook will get new releases every four weeks.

Nathan Ingraham/Engadget

Google isn't just reserving speedy updates for its Chrome browser. Google is moving Chrome OS to the same four-week update schedule, starting with the M96 release in the fourth quarter of 2021. You'll only have to wait about a month to get bug fixes and security patches for your Chromebook.

The company will skip the M95 release to bring Chrome OS and the Chrome browser in sync. You'll also see a slower, six-month update schedule for schools and enterprise customers that should arrive by the time M96 is ready.

The move is meant to accelerate feature releases while focusing on the "key pillars" of Chrome OS, including stability, security, simplicity and speed. To some extent, it's an acknowledgment that Chrome OS updates have become more iterative as the platform matured — the focus is now on small-but-fast tweaks rather than giant changes. Slower updates are now meant for classrooms and others more interested in solid code than the latest interface.