Google Chrome 157 Adds On-Device Language Detection on Android
Google released Chrome 157 for desktop and Android on November 3, 2026. The Android build can now run the Language Detector API, which reads text handed to it from JavaScript and returns the language it is written in.
2 sources 59m ago
Reporting from 2 sources: ASCII.jp, GIGAZINE.
Why it matters
Chrome 157 puts a language classifier on Android devices that previously had to send text to a server, and the same release carries 213 security fixes, so the browser's feature and security maintenance land together.
Key Facts
- Chrome 157 fixed 213 vulnerabilities, including Critical-rated CVE-2026-121156 in Dawn and CVE-2026-121229 in ANGLE.
- The Chrome 157 desktop builds are 157.0.8103.38 and .39 for Windows and macOS, and 157.0.8103.38 for Linux.
- Chrome 157 brings the Language Detector API to Android Chrome, running on a machine learning model installed on the device.
- Google scheduled Chrome 158 for release on November 17, 2026.
Detection runs on a machine learning model installed on the device, so text is processed without being sent to a server, and detection still works offline when the needed model is already present. The CSS side gets the new corner property, which folds border-radius and corner-shape into one declaration, plus corner-top and corner-bottom variants and writing-direction forms such as corner-block-start. The text-overflow property now accepts an arbitrary string in place of the standard ellipsis, and text-decoration-inset adjusts how far underlines, overlines and strikethroughs run. The stable release also carries 213 security fixes, and Chrome 158 is set for November 17, 2026.
Alongside the language and CSS work, Chrome 157 carries a long list of smaller platform changes. The position-visibility CSS property now accepts anchor-valid and anchor-visible, with the older plural forms kept as deprecated aliases. The Sanitizer API gains a javascriptURLs option so developers can control how JavaScript URLs are sanitized, and Service Worker now supports ProgressEvent. A few more:
- Web Bluetooth: BluetoothRemoteGATTServer now inherits from EventTarget, so addEventListener, removeEventListener and dispatchEvent are available.
- Background Fetch API: CORS restrictions now apply, matching the regular Fetch API and closing off bypasses of CORS or local network access rules.
- Dynamic HTML insertion: APIs accept HTML strings with position-specifying methods, plus sequential insertion through WritableStream.
- HTML-in-canvas: HTML can be laid out and rendered inside a canvas, with DOM and canvas updates kept in sync.
- WebGPU: adds atomic-vec2u-min-max for 64-bit atomic min and max operations on WGSL's atomic.
- Long Animation Frames API: styleDuration and forcedStyleDuration expose time spent on style calculation and layout.
- Capability Elements: camera, microphone and location prompts can show icon-only buttons without text. The feature was still under review at the time of writing.
Two origin trials ship with the release: Connection Allowlists - Embedded Enforcement and Overscroll Areas. The 213 fixes include Critical-rated issues such as a buffer overflow in Dawn (CVE-2026-121156) and memory corruption in ANGLE (CVE-2026-121229), plus High-rated flaws including incorrect authentication in BackgroundFetch (CVE-2026-121107) and an out-of-bounds read in ANGLE (CVE-2026-121197). Desktop builds are 157.0.8103.38/.39 for Windows and macOS, and 157.0.8103.38 for Linux. Android is 157.0.8103.38, due on Google Play within a few days, while desktop rolls out gradually over the coming days to weeks or can be pulled manually from Chrome's settings.
Written with AI by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited. See our editorial policy.
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