Published at: Feb 18, 2022
Web browsers that automatically update themselves have to be one of the best things to happen to the internet. Updating your web browser used to be a very manual process - requiring you to go and check for yourself if there was a new version available, then download it, uninstall the old version and install the new one. None but the most "geeky" users did this regularly; and this meant that a lot of people were using old, out of date, insecure, and behind-the-times web browsers.
Yes! Google's Chrome Browser was the first web browser to offer automatic updates, and it was a game-changer! Up until then, users had to manually check for updates and install them if there were any available. Chrome started a new trend of browsers that update themselves, and the internet became safer because of it.
Chrome will automatically check for updates every few hours, but you can force Chrome to check for updates if you prefer.
Yes! The Mozilla Firefox Browser regularly checks for updates to itself and the default setting is to download and install the updates as they are found.
Firefox will automatically check for updates every few hours, but you can force Firefox to check for updates if you prefer.
Yes, the Microsoft Edge Browser will automatically check for updates to itself and install them if any are found. The original version of Edge used to include updates as a part of maintaining Windows itself, but now Edge will take care of its own updates without worrying about whether the underlying operating system us up to date or now.
Edge will automatically check for updates every few hours, but you can force Edge to check for updates if you prefer.
It depends - updates to Safari are managed via macOS's System Updates - whether they are downloaded and installed automatically depends on your Operating System settings.
Normally, macOS will prompt you that updates are available and let you choose when they are installed. If there is a new version of Safari, then when you update you will get the latest version of Safari.
It depends - but probably! Updates to web browsers on Phones and Tablets are usually handled by the underlying operating system on them - Android or iOS. The default setting for Androids and iPhones is to automatically look for updates and install them to all apps - which includes web browsers like Chrome and Firefox.
So as long as you haven't disabled automatic updates on your Android or iPhone, they should be automatically updated.
No. Internet Explorer has never automatically updated; and Internet Explorer is considered End of Life - and it absolutely should not be used. It is dangerously out of date and will never be fixed or updated.
If you are still using Internet Explorer you should switch to a new browser - Edge is Microsoft's new web browser which removed the need to still use Internet Explorer.
Clear instructions to update your web browser.
What does it actually mean to update your browser?
Do you need to do anything, or is it automatic?
Wondering why you even need to bother updating?
What's the worst that could happen?