A Chrome update is crashing on some Android tablets before the browser fully opens, leaving users stuck with a “You can have up to 5 windows” message—sometimes even when only one window is active. The bug is tied to Chrome version 148.0.7778.178 and is hitting
For some Android tablet owners, the problem starts the moment they tap Chrome.
The browser doesn’t open normally. Instead. it flashes a message that reads. “You can have up to 5 windows. ” then crashes straight back to the home screen. In posts that have spread over the past few days on Reddit. multiple people describe the same shock: they can’t even get into the app. despite only having a single Chrome window active.
The reports point to a specific Chrome build. The issue appears tied to Chrome version 148.0.7778.178, and Samsung tablets are showing up again and again among those affected. Users list devices including the Galaxy Tab S9 FE. Galaxy Tab S6 Lite. and Tab A11+. with additional claims from Lenovo and Xiaomi tablet owners reporting similar behavior.
For people trying to get the browser back, the usual fixes have been an exercise in frustration. Reddit users say they’ve already tried clearing the app cache, deleting data, and restarting their devices—often with no improvement.
Google has now acknowledged the situation publicly. In a Reddit thread. a Chrome support manager replied to affected users and asked them to send key details: the version of Android they’re on. their tablet model. the Chrome build number. and whether they had any active Chrome windows running. The company has also marked the problem as a P1 bug. signaling it’s treating the crash as a high-priority issue.
The strongest clue so far is tied to Chrome’s newer multi-window behavior on Android tablets. Chrome has been moving toward more desktop-like handling on tablets, including support for separate windows for incognito. Developer chatter and user reports suggest the browser may be miscalculating closed windows on some lower-memory devices. If Chrome thinks the five-window limit has been reached. it can kill itself before it fully starts—leaving users with a window-limit message that doesn’t match what they were actually doing.
If you’re impacted. there’s one temporary option some users say brings Chrome back: uninstalling Chrome updates from the Play Store. People report that this reverts the browser to the factory version and allows it to start again. The trade-off is not minor. If you downgrade the app. it could erase any unsynced tabs or local browsing data. which means the workaround may cost you recent in-progress browsing.
Google is still investigating, and a patch is expected. But for now, the message is clear from the volume of complaints: if your Android tablet suddenly won’t open Chrome after the latest update, you’re not alone.
Chrome bug Android tablets Chrome crashes version 148.0.7778.178 Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Galaxy Tab S6 Lite multi-window limit P1 bug Play Store updates