Brave 1.97.56: Chromium 155 security for home browsers

If Brave is the browser you actually use at home, Chrome’s security train is not enough by itself. You need Brave’s own Release build. On October 7, 2026, Brave shipped Release Channel 1.97.56, which upgrades Chromium to 155.0.8059.40.

That Chromium line matches the security package Google put into Chrome Stable 155.0.8059.39/.40 on October 6. We covered that Chrome jump in our Chrome 155.0.8059.39 note. Updating Chrome does not update Brave. Updating Brave does not update Chrome. Same idea as Edge: each Chromium browser ships its own installer and its own version check.

What Brave published

Brave’s Release Notes for v1.97.56 (October 7, 2026) and the matching Release Channel 1.97.56 community post list the Chromium bump as:

Upgraded Chromium to 155.0.8059.40 (changelog points at Chromium 155.0.8059.40)

The same notes also list everyday Brave fixes (macOS update-pending crash, Windows taskbar pin notification, Private/Tor screenshot sensitivity on Windows, Brave Account self-service deletion, and a few wallet items). For a home security checklist, the Chromium line is the reason to install today. The rest is nice to have.

Brave 1.97.56 is a Release channel desktop update. It is not the Chrome Early Stable 156 experiment Google started the same day for a small percentage of Chrome users. Stay on Brave Release unless you intentionally installed Brave Beta or Nightly.

Why Chromium 155 matters in Brave

Google’s Chrome 155 Stable note for October 6 described a very large security package (247 fixes, including four Critical use-after-free bugs). Brave’s Release notes do not re-list every Chromium CVE. They do state the Chromium version they pulled: 155.0.8059.40.

If brave://version still shows a Chromium 154.x line (for example after Brave 1.96.x builds that tracked Chromium 154), you are behind the new train. Brave’s October 2 Release 1.96.61 was still on Chromium 154.0.8037.98. 1.97.56 is the Release jump onto 155.

How to update and verify on a home PC or Mac

Open Brave on the computer you browse on.
Check for updates:
- Windows / Linux: Menu (three lines) → About Brave.
- Mac: Brave menu → About Brave.
Stay on that page until Brave finishes downloading and offers a relaunch, or until it already shows 1.97.56.
Relaunch when prompted. Do not click Later and leave old windows open for hours.
If the version still looks old, fully quit Brave (every window), then open it again.
Type brave://version in the address bar. Confirm:
- Brave version 1.97.56 (or a newer Release build if Brave already moved past it)
- Chromium 155.0.8059.40 (or a later 155.0.8059.x if Brave ships another bump)
Repeat on any other home PC that still has Brave installed, including the laptop that sleeps with Brave still open.

If About Brave says an update is coming but does not offer 1.97.56 yet, give Release a day, then check again. Staged rollouts are normal.

Android and iOS Brave are separate

This Release note is the desktop Release Channel package. Phone browsers update through the Play Store or App Store on their own schedule. A desktop Brave update does not patch Brave on your phone. If you browse in Brave on Android or iOS, open the store listing and update there separately, then open the app once so the new build actually launches.

Do this / don’t do that

Force About Brave, relaunch, and confirm brave://version shows 1.97.56 with Chromium 155.0.8059.40.
Treat the Chromium 155 bump as “install today,” not “install when I remember on Sunday.”
Keep Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Brave on their own update habits if you use more than one browser at home.

Don’t

Do not stop at Brave 1.96.x because you “already updated last week.” That train was still Chromium 154.
Do not leave old Brave windows running after an update prompt.
Do not skip the Chromium line on brave://version. The Brave version and the Chromium version are both worth reading.
Do not invent exploit details for Chromium bugs Brave did not restate. Patching is the job.

Bottom line

Brave 1.97.56 hit the desktop Release channel on October 7, 2026 and upgrades Chromium to 155.0.8059.40 (Brave latest notes, community Release post). That is Brave’s way of carrying the Chrome 155 security train into the browser you actually launch. On your own computer: update, fully quit and relaunch, confirm brave://version. That is the whole job.

Image: Brave homepage Open Graph art (brave.com).