A new version of Chrome Dev is available for Android users as version 55 which introduces improved Android Pay support to the app. This is not the only change though as it also adds in some tweaks to the Gamepad API that is part of the Chrome browser. If you’re running the Dev version of the Chrome for Android, the latest APK is starting to hit the Play Store through an update, however you can also grab the APK file from the button down below. It’s also worth noting that this is not a stable version of the Chrome browser so those who generally don’t care for unfinished software will want to wait for these changes to come to the normal version of the app.
In regards to the changes, the Gamepad API looks to have at least one new tweak to it although the Gamepad API is not a new part of Chrome and has been there for a little while. With Chrome 55 Dev, it appears that the Gamepad API now can detect more actions from the game controller that’s connected, which, although it may not be a monumental change or new feature, should make using the gamepad more of a smooth experience, and that’s always something to appreciate for those that utilize this functionality within Chrome.
Also part of this new version of Chrome Dev is improved support for Android Pay, which now allows users to take pictures of their compatible credit or debit cards to use for payments online with Android Pay as the payment method, which was added into Chrome 53. Although you do have to enable a flag within Chrome to get this to work (chrome://flags#scan-cards-in-web-payments), once that’s done if you’re using Chrome Dev on your mobile device and are looking to use Android Pay to purchase something online at checkout from a supported website, instead of having to enter in your card details manually you can simply tap the camera button that’s displayed on screen and use your device’s camera to snap the picture of your card and have the details entered in automatically. In addition to these changes added to the Dev version of Chrome, the Beta version of Chrome 54 got some changes yesterday enabling background play of audio.
Download Chrome 55 Dev APK (arm) (no dpi - 7.0+)Download Chrome 55 Dev APK (arm) (no dpi - 5.0+)