Chrome sync is about to stop working if your browser is very out of date

Google has announced that Chrome sync — which synchronizes your bookmarks, extensions, and other browsing data between your browser and Google account — will soon stop working if you let Chrome get too out of date. The good news is that the bar is pretty low: Chrome simply needs to have been updated within the last four years in order to keep syncing.

The company didn’t confirm a specific version number for the support cutoff, only that sync “will stop working on versions of Chrome that are more than four years old.” The change will take effect some time in early 2025. If your browser version is too old, you should expect to see one of two error messages: “Update Chrome to start sync” or “Update Chrome to keep using the Chrome data in your Google Account.”

Google has already begun to downplay the importance of Chrome sync by syncing passwords, addresses, and payment details automatically when you sign into Chrome, without requiring you to separately enable the sync functionality. Browser history, bookmarks, and extensions will still only be shared with sync turned on.