Google Chrome 79 update resumes after fixing data loss bug on Android

Google has resumed the roll-out of Chrome 79 update for Android users. The company had to halt the roll-out after reports of a critical bug that affected data in select apps based on Android's WebView feature.

Google also turned down the reports that the older version had wiped data. "The M79 update to Chrome and WebView on Android devices was suspended after detecting an issue in WebView where some users' app data was not visible within those apps. This app data was not lost and will be made visible in apps when we deliver an update this week. We apologize for any inconvenience," a Google spokesperson told AndroidPolice.

Users will need to install the latest v79.0.3945.79 of Chrome browser for the glitch-free experience. App developers, however, don't need to do anything extra.

Earlier, Google had to pause the Chrome 79 update after several Android users and developers complained about losing in-app data. "This is a catastrophe, our users' data are being deleted as they receive the update," wrote one user on Chromium bug page.

According to reports, the update didn't migrate the storage properly after the Chrome 79 roll-out. The bug mainly affected apps that relied on Google's WebView for rendering web pages inside the application.

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"Android WebView is a system component powered by Chrome that allows Android apps to display web content. This component is pre-installed on your device and should be kept up to date to ensure you have the latest security updates and other bug fixes," Google explains.

Since Google was rolling out the update in phased manner, Chrome 79 reached to 15% of devices when the bug was spotted.