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Chrome the Most Popular Browser, with a Battle for No. 2

By Charlie Fripp
Chrome Most Popular Browser Featured2

Undoubtedly, Google Chrome is the most used Internet browser globally. You don’t need to look at statistics to know that it’s the primary choice for billions of users on mobile devices or computers. But according to recent statistics, the second most-used browser is an unlikely candidate, even though there is a significant difference in market share.

Tip: still pining for the days of Internet Explorer? Learn how to view websites with IE mode in Google Chrome.

Battle of the Browsers

Chrome is single-handedly the king of browsers, taking up a massive 64 percent of the global market share in March. According to statistical data from StatCounter, that’s the lowest user percentage Chrome has had in the last 12 months. The lowest historically was in February 2022, dipping to 62.7 percent across mobile phones and computers.

Computer Browser
Image source: Pexels

As for the others duking it out at the bottom of the desktop browser pile, there is a battle brewing that most people aren’t ready for. Mozilla’s Firefox, Apple’s Safari and Microsoft’s Edge went head to head in February 2022, with each making up about 10 percent of the user base. However, there was a definitive split in March when Firefox lost some market share, and Safari followed suit a month later.

That put Microsoft Edge in second place as of May 2022 – but something’s happening. Seemingly out of nowhere, Apple’s Safari is gaining traction, increasing market share every month. In February 2023, there was only a 0.7 percent difference. At the end of March, Safari gained enough to close the gap to a mere 0.2 percent – setting the scene to overtake Edge for the first time.

Statcounter Browser Ww Monthly 202201 202303
Image source: StatCounter

That’s for desktop browsers, but the statistics are much clearer for mobile devices. Given the astounding amount of Android phones, it’s no surprise that Chrome is again the most-used mobile browser.

Apple users tend to stick with Apple apps, so equally, Safari is the second most-used mobile browser, with 19.5% at the end of March. Microsoft’s Edge made up 4.6%, Firefox 2.9% and Opera 2.3%.

Good to know: are you one of those who stick with Safari? Learn how to make mobile Safari save your passwords on iOS.

Image credit: Pexels

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Charlie Fripp Avatar
Charlie Fripp
Charlie Fripp is a technology writer with a strong focus on consumer gadgets, video games, and cyber security. He holds an undergraduate degree in professional journalism and has worked as a journalist for over 15 years. In his spare time, he enjoys playing various musical instruments and gardening.

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