Earlier this month, Google started rolling out Chrome 79 on all platforms. The update brought a ton of new features, including better password protection, real-time phishing protection, expanded predictive phishing protection, and more. But along with the new features, Chrome 79 also introduced a bug that has been causing data loss for Android apps that use the WebView API.

As per a recent report from ArsTechnica, the data loss was a result of Google changing where Chrome 79 stores profile data without migrating the old data. This resulted in the affected apps resetting to a freshly installed state. In a statement regarding the bug, a spokesperson from Google wrote, "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."

Google has since started rolling out Chrome 79 (79.0.3945.93) for Android which brings the following features, along with stability and performance improvements:

  • WebView bug fix: Resolves an issue in WebView where some users' app data was not visible within those apps. The app data was not lost and will be made visible in apps with this update. See crbug.com/1033655
  • Password safety: When you sign in to a website, Chrome can now warn you if your password was previously exposed in a data breach
  • Support for virtual reality: The WebXR Device API enables immersive and inline VR experiences for the web
  • Reorder bookmarks: Drag bookmarks into place, or tap a bookmark's options menu and select Move up or Move down

The full list of changes introduced in Chrome 79 can be seen in the Git log. You can download the Chrome 79 hotfix update from the Play Store by following the link below. In case you were one of the several people affected by the aforementioned bug, you should get back all your old data following the update. However, do note that you may lose any new data collected by an affected app after the previous update.

Google Chrome: Fast & Secure Developer: Google LLC
Price: Free
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Source: Google Blog

Via: Ars Technica