Google released Android Jelly Bean almost six years ago. The platform has come a very long way since then. It’s now the oldest version of Android that’s still getting Chrome updates but that is set to change soon. A new commit spotted by developers over at XDA reveals that Chrome may soon end support for Jelly Bean.
That wouldn’t really be surprising given that it’s an outdated software that’s not running on a lot of devices anymore. Android Jelly Bean spans from Android version 4.1 to 4.3, still powers 3.2 percent of devices on this platform.
The commit’s description mentions “Update UI for unsupported Android OS and make Jelly Bean unsupported,” which leaves no doubt in the mind that Chrome will be ending support for Jelly Bean in the near future.
The commit doesn’t mention a timeline for a change so there’s no saying how soon this can happen. However, once the change is made, the oldest version of Android supported by Chrome will no longer be Jelly Bean. Its place will be taken up by Android KitKat.
Those who own devices running on Jelly Bean should keep in mind that this change is coming soon. There are other browsers who support older versions but Chrome will not be one of them as far as Jelly Bean is concerned.
Filed in . Read more about Chrome and Jelly Bean (Android).