Chrome 150 has recently begun rolling out to Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, and iOS devices, but Google engineers are already investigating two serious issues that have been escalated to P0, the highest priority level in Chromium’s bug tracker reserved for release-blocking problems.
The first issue is the one most likely to affect everyday users. According to Google’s internal tracking, feedback from Chrome 150 Stable users on Android reporting missing downloads has increased noticeably since July 4, with daily reports rising from the usual 10–15 to around 20–25. That spike was enough for engineers to flag the issue as a release blocker while Chrome 150 continues rolling out, the latest version bringing 27 security fixes.
Affected users say downloads complete normally, reach 100%, and Chrome confirms they’re finished, but the downloaded file is nowhere to be found afterward. Many reports specifically mention APK files disappearing immediately after the download completes, although some users have reported the same behavior with game files and other downloads.
One user explained that an APK vanished from both Chrome’s download list and the Files app as soon as it finished downloading. Curiously, tapping “Download again” and then selecting Open caused the supposedly missing file to reappear and install normally. Others simply say their completed downloads disappear without any explanation.
Google hasn’t confirmed what’s causing the problem yet. Engineers initially couldn’t reproduce the issue during their own testing, suggesting it may only affect certain devices or download scenarios. Much of the investigation has focused on Chrome’s recently expanded Safe Browsing protections, particularly a feature designed to detect potentially malicious APK files. Since many user reports involve APK downloads, developers are trying to determine whether those new security checks are mistakenly blocking legitimate files after they finish downloading.
For now, Google says it is continuing to collect user feedback while investigating whether internal metrics can reveal exactly how many downloads are being affected.
A second P0 issue affects Chromium 150 itself rather than a specific Chrome feature. This bug causes video playback controls to stop responding on websites that use certain CSS containment techniques. Videos still load and display normally, but users may find that play, pause, seek, fullscreen, and volume controls simply refuse to respond to clicks.
Because this is a Chromium regression, it affects not only Chrome but also other Chromium-based browsers including Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Android WebView. Firefox and Safari do not appear to be affected. Engineers quickly identified the rendering change responsible for the regression and have already verified a mitigation in Canary builds, meaning a fix is likely to arrive in a future update.
If you’ve recently updated to Chrome 150 and noticed downloads disappearing after completion or videos with unresponsive playback controls on certain websites, you’re probably not alone. While neither issue appears to affect every user, Google’s decision to classify both as release blockers shows the company considers them important enough to warrant immediate attention as Chrome 150 continues its rollout.
Hillary Keverenge
2696 Posts
Tech has been my playground for over a decade. While the Android journey began early, it truly took flight with the revolutionary Lollipop update. Since then, it's been a parade of Android devices (with a sprinkle of iOS), culminating in a mostly happy marriage with Google's smart home ecosystem. Expect insightful articles and explorations of the ever-evolving world of Android and Google products coupled with occasional rants on the Nest smart home ecosystem.