The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has settled a case against a pair of developers who bought a nice, mild-mannered, browser-based Chrome game called “Running Fred” and turned it into the app equivalent of a spam-spewing facehugger. As a Windows user, I prefer Google's Chrome browser because it strikes me. Windows, being designed back when Fred Flintstone was computing. On the problematic computer, Chrome had been running for many days,.
So you have an Amazon Kindle Fire and wish to install the Google Chrome web browser on it? Well, that’s going to take just a bit of work. Amazon makes it a bit difficult to install other browsers on their tablets since they want you to be forced to use their pre-installed Silk browser. You won’t find any web browsers in the Amazon store.
Google doesn’t make it easy either. They only make their Android version of Chrome available via the Google Play store. Fortunately, there are third-party websites that allow you to download it separately. Just follow these steps and you’ll be off and running with Chrome on your Kindle Fire in no time.
- From the Fire, go to:
- HD8 & HD10 – “Home” > “Settings” > “Security” > “Apps From Unknown Sources” > “On“.
- HD6 – “Apps” > “Settings” > “Applications” > “Apps From Unknown Sources” > “On“.
- Kindle Fire 1 & 2 – “Settings” > “More” > “Device” > “Allow Installation of Applications” > “On“.
- Open the Silk browser on your Kindle and go to https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/chrome/.
- Select the download icon next to the version you wish to download. It should download right to the memory of your device.
- Open the notification area (top bar). It should show that the .APK file is downloading. Tap it once the download has finished.
- Select “Install“.
The Chrome browser should then install and be available to use on your Kindle Fire.
FAQ
Why is the “Install” button grayed out?
Amazon released an update that does this sometimes. You can usually get around it by pressing the square button next to the circle home button. Then go back to the install screen. Doing that will light up the Install button.
Some people say that using the “Back” button instead of square then returning to the install screen works to light up the Install button.
Will this work on any version of the Kindle Fire?
Yes. It will work on the original Fire, as well as the HD and HDX models. Though if you have an older device, you may want to download an older version of Chrome as newer versions may not be as stable.
Can I trust this apkmirror website?
The site is run by the folks who created AndroidPolice. They are generally trusted by the Android community.
Will Chrome update automatically when new versions come out?
No. You will have to manually check the apkmirror website for updates and install them yourself.
Chrome crashes when I try to sign in. Why can’t I sign into Google Chrome on my Fire?
Unfortunately, this will be a problem without a workaround. You won’t be able to sign into Chrome using your Google account so you can sync all your stuff. However, you can still use the Chrome browser without signing in.
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- 3 Set Firefox as a Browser
- 4 Run Google Chrome in a Terminal
Google's Web browser, Chrome, was introduced to great fanfare in 2008. By June of 2012, Web analytics firm Stat Counter recognized Chrome as the world's most popular browser, placing it ahead of Microsoft's Internet Explorer for the first time. Google's advertising for Chrome emphasizes its speed, simplicity and security, all good reasons to implement it as your company's default browser. It runs on computers and operating systems dating back several years.
Requirements for Windows
Google Chrome will run on computers equipped with a Pentium 4 processor or higher, which encompasses most machines manufactured since 2001. The computer must have approximately 100MB of free hard drive space and 128MB of RAM. The oldest version of Windows supported by Chrome is Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed. Chrome also runs on computers with Windows Vista or Windows 7 installed.
Requirements for Macintosh
Google Chrome runs on Apple Macintosh computers, providing an alternative to the Mac's native Safari browser. Both are built on the WebKit browser engine, so their underlying code has many similarities. Chrome will run only on Intel-powered Macs, which date from 2006 onward. The browser requires 100MB of hard disk space and 128MB of RAM, the same as for Windows systems. The Mac must use OS X version 10.5.6 or later, which dates from early 2009.
Requirements for Linux
The open-source Linux operating system is less common on the desktop than Windows and Macintosh, but it is widely used in IT departments, especially on servers. Chrome for Linux will run on computers with processors as old as the Pentium III, which dates from 1999, although the requirements for 100MB of hard disk space and 128MB of RAM extend to the Linux version as well. Chrome runs on most Linux distributions from 2010 and onward. Major examples include Ubuntu 10.04 and later, Debian 6 or later, OpenSUSE 11.3 or later, and version 14 or later of Fedora.
Business Features
Chrome offers enterprises a variety of business-oriented features. For example, companies wishing to deploy a standardized version of Chrome across the entire enterprise can create a customized MSI file, which installs the browser and a default set of extensions or apps on every computer. Workgroups or departments can have differing sets of extensions and apps as needed. Chrome also offers a variety of security features designed to guard against malware and phishing.
References (3)
About the Author
Fred Decker is a trained chef and certified food-safety trainer. Decker wrote for the Saint John, New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, and has been published in Canada's Hospitality and Foodservice magazine. He's held positions selling computers, insurance and mutual funds, and was educated at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.
![Fred Fred](/uploads/1/2/6/2/126261242/828525596.jpg)
Photo Credits
- Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images News/Getty Images
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Decker, Fred. 'Google Chrome Software Requirements.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/google-chrome-software-requirements-48820.html. Accessed 12 January 2020.
Decker, Fred. (n.d.). Google Chrome Software Requirements. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/google-chrome-software-requirements-48820.html
Decker, Fred. 'Google Chrome Software Requirements' accessed January 12, 2020. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/google-chrome-software-requirements-48820.html
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