How to Force Google Chrome Updates via Google Workspace Group Policy

The Danger of Outdated Browsers

Google Chrome is the primary gateway to corporate data for most modern employees. If a user ignores a Chrome update notification for several weeks, they remain vulnerable to critical zero-day exploits. While you can politely email your staff asking them to click the “Relaunch to Update” button, the only way to guarantee organizational security is to enforce updates automatically via Google Workspace.

Using the Google Admin Console, you can configure Chrome Browser policies to force the browser to automatically restart and install updates outside of business hours, ensuring your fleet remains fully patched without interrupting daily workflows.

Step 1: Access Chrome Management

1. Log into the Google Workspace Admin Console (admin.google.com) using your administrator credentials.
2. Navigate to Devices > Chrome > Settings > Device settings (if you are managing Chrome OS devices) or Users & browsers (if you are managing Chrome Browser on Windows/Mac).
3. In the left-hand organizational tree, select your root domain to apply the policy globally, or select a specific Organizational Unit (OU) if you want to test the policy first.

Step 2: Enable Auto-Updates

1. Scroll down to the Auto-update settings section.
2. Locate the Auto-update dropdown menu.
3. Change it from “Allow auto-updates” (which is passive) to Auto-update recommended or Force auto-updates.

Step 3: Configure the Restart Policy

Simply downloading the update isn’t enough; Chrome must restart to apply it. If a user never closes their browser, the update sits pending forever.

1. In the same settings menu, locate the Relaunch notification setting.
2. Change the dropdown to Force relaunch after a period.
3. A new time field will appear. By default, it gives users a generous window. You should reduce the Time period to something aggressive, such as 24 hours.

Step 4: Define the Relaunch Window (Crucial)

If you force a relaunch after 24 hours, Chrome might forcefully restart in the middle of a Zoom call or an important client presentation. To prevent this, you must define a specific maintenance window.

1. Scroll down to the Relaunch window setting.
2. Specify a start time and duration that occurs outside of normal business hours. For example, set the start time to 02:00 (2:00 AM) and the duration to 4 hours.
3. Click Save at the top right of the screen.

The Result

Once the policy propagates, Chrome will download new security patches in the background. When 2:00 AM rolls around, if a user has left their computer powered on and Chrome running, the browser will forcefully terminate itself, apply the patch, and restart. Because Chrome natively restores closed tabs, the user will return to work the next morning with a fully patched browser and all their work exactly where they left it.