Google Chrome Canary

Google Chrome has several channels available for download: stable, beta, dev (developer) and canary. In backwards order (the assembly line is canary, dev, beta, stable), this means that the web browser goes through four cycles before getting published as a final, stable, all-public-access version.

Users who are eager to test the upcoming Chrome version and get a glimpse of new features and improvements (although still buggy) may opt for the beta channel. The beta edition gives a preview of the latest tools while still being unpolished. Early feedback is welcomed, even if you're not a developer.

Because Chrome is based on the Chromium engine and because Chromium is open-source, developers are invited to test the dev and/or canary channels, report bugs and, ultimately make Chrome bigger and better before its stable release.

Out of the four, Google Chrome Canary is first to receive new features and tools, dedicated to both developers and early adopters. It's also the most unstable channel, likely to not only crash but also break down completely. However, it's important to know that some of its features might not make it to the stable release if tests show they're faulty or simply unsatisfying.

Evidently, Canary is not recommended for regular use. In fact, Google makes it clear that Chrome Canary cannot be set as the default web browser, due to this reason. But, unlike beta or dev, the canary channel can be installed and used with the stable edition side by side.

Canary receives updates daily from a bot that automatically compiles and sends the latest structure of the source tree. This process isn't overlooked by a human, which is enough reason to explain why it's the most unstable Chrome channel.