Notify users to restart to apply pending updates

Applies to managed Chrome browsers on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

As a Chrome Enterprise administrator, you can set policies to tell users that they need to relaunch Chrome browser to apply pending updates.

Step 1: Review policies

You can set one or more of the following policies:

Policy	Description and settings
RelaunchNotification	Tells users to relaunch Chrome browser to get the latest update. Choose one of the options: Relaunch recommended—Users can close the notification and keep using the old version of Chrome browser until they choose to relaunch Chrome browser. Relaunch required—Users can close the notification but will see a recurring message that they need to relaunch Chrome browser within a certain amount of time. Use the RelaunchNotificationPeriod policy to set the relaunch time (details below). Unset: On the toolbar, the More icon changes to indicate that an update is available. Users can relaunch when they're ready.
RelaunchNotificationPeriod	Sets the time period, in milliseconds (ms), that a user is repeatedly notified to relaunch Chrome browser to apply an update. Unset: The default time period is 604,800,000 ms (7 days). Note: Relaunches are aimed to take place between 2am and 4am in the users time zone. If the relaunch isn’t set to take place between 2am and 4am in the users time zone, the relaunch countdown is automatically increased to ensure that it does.
RelaunchWindow	Sets the time window that you want to end the notification period (RelaunchNotificationPeriod) and begin relaunching Chrome browser and restarting ChromeOS devices. You’ll need to specify the relaunch window’s start time in 24-hour format (hh:mm) and duration (minutes). Unset: For ChromeOS devices the default time window is between 02:00 and 04:00 in the user’s timezone. Chrome browser never defers the end of the relaunch notification period.

Step 2: Set the policies

Admin console

Can apply for signed-in users on any device or enrolled browsers on Windows, Mac, or Linux. For details, see Understand when settings apply.

1. Sign in with an administrator account to the Google Admin console.

   If you aren’t using an administrator account, you can’t access the Admin console.

2. Go to  Menu  Devices > Chrome > Settings. The User & browser settings page opens by default.

   Requires having the Mobile Device Management administrator privilege.

   If you signed up for Chrome Enterprise Core, go to Menu  Chrome browser > Settings.

3. (Optional) To apply the setting only to some users and enrolled browsers, at the side, select an organizational unit (often used for departments) or configuration group (advanced). Show me how

   Group settings override organizational units. Learn more

4. Go to Chrome updates.
5. Click Relaunch notification.
6. Choose an option:
   • No relaunch notification—Chrome indicates to users that a relaunch is needed via subtle changes to its menu. No notification is shown.
   • Show notification recommending relaunch—Users see a recurring message that they should relaunch Chrome browser. Users can close the notification and keep using the old version of Chrome browser until they choose to relaunch Chrome browser.
   • Force relaunch after a period—Users can close the notification but will see a recurring message that they need to relaunch Chrome browser within a certain amount of time.
7. (Optional) Set the time period, between 1 and 168 hours, over which users are repeatedly notified to relaunch Chrome browser.
   Note: To use the system default, which is 168 hours (7 days), leave the field unset.
8. (Optional) If you selected Force relaunch after a period, set the relaunch window:
   1. Relaunch window start time—Time of day, in 24-hour format (hh:mm), that you want to end the notification period, and begin relaunching Chrome browser and restarting ChromeOS devices.
   2. Relaunch window duration (minutes)—The length of time, in minutes, of the relaunch window.
9. Click Save. Or, you might click Override for an organizational unit.

   To later restore the inherited value, click Inherit (or Unset for a group).

Windows

Applies to Windows users who sign in to a managed account on Chrome browser.

Using Group Policy

In the Group Policy Management Editor (Computer or User Configuration folder):

1. Go to PoliciesAdministrative Templates Google Google Chrome.
2. Turn on Notify a user that a browser relaunch or device restart is recommended or required.
   Tip: If you don’t see this policy, download the latest policy template.
   Leaving this policy Not Configured uses the Unset behavior described above.
3. Set an option:
   • Show a recurring prompt to the user indicating that a relaunch is required
   • Show a recurring prompt to the user indicating that a relaunch is recommended
4. (Optional) To set the notification period:
   1. Turn on Set the time period for update notifications.
      Leaving this policy Not Configured uses the Unset behavior described above.
   2. Click Set the time period for update notifications.
   3. Enter the number of milliseconds for the notification period and click Apply.
5. Deploy the update to your users.

Mac

Applies to Mac users who sign in to a managed account on Chrome browser.

In your Chrome policy configuration profile (.plist file):

1. Add or update the following keys:
   • Set the <RelaunchNotification> key to <integer>value</integer>, where value is 1 (relaunch recommended) or 2 (relaunch required).
   • Set the <RelaunchNotificationPeriod> key to <integer>value</integer>, where value is the number of milliseconds for the notification period.
   • Set the <key>start</key> and <key>duration_mins</key> in the <RelaunchWindow> key.
2. Deploy the change to your users.

The example shows how to:

• Repeatedly notify users to relaunch Chrome browser to get the latest update.
• Tell users they need to relaunch Chrome browser ;within the next 5 days (432,000,000 ms).
• Set the relaunch window to start at 11:30 PM and end at 3:30 AM the following morning.

<key>RelaunchNotification</key>
<dict>
   <integer>2</integer>
</dict>
<key>RelaunchNotificationPeriod</key>
<dict>
   <integer>432000000</integer>
</dict>
<key>RelaunchWindow</key>
<dict>
<key>entries</key>
<array>
<dict>
<key>start</key>
<dict>
<key>hour</key>
    <integer>23</integer>
<key>minute</key>
    <integer>30</integer>
</dict>
<key>duration_mins</key>
    <integer>240</integer></dict>
</array>
</dict>

Linux

Applies to Linux users who sign in to a managed account on Chrome browser.

Using your preferred JSON file editor:

1. Go to your /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed folder.
2. Create or update a JSON file.
3. Set RelaunchNotification to 1 (relaunch recommended) or 2 (relaunch required).
4. Set RelaunchNotificationPeriod to the number of milliseconds for the notification period.
5. Set RelaunchWindow to the start time and number of minutes for the relaunch window duration.
6. Deploy the update to your users.

The example shows how to:

• Repeatedly notify users to relaunch Chrome browser to get the latest update.
• Tell users they need to relaunch Chrome browser within the next 5 days (432,000,000 ms).
• Set the relaunch window to start at 11:30 PM and end at 3:30 AM the following morning.

{
  "RelaunchNotification": 2
}
{
   "RelaunchNotificationPeriod": 432000000
}
{
RelaunchWindow = {
 "entries": [
  {
   "start": {
    "hour": 23,
    "minute": 30
   },
   "duration_mins": 240
  }
 ]
}
}

Step 3: Verify policies on user devices

After you apply any Chrome policies, users need to relaunch Chrome browser for the settings to take effect. Then, check users’ devices to make sure the policy is correct.

1. On a managed device, go to chrome://policy.
2. Click Reload policies.
3. Check the Show policies with no value set box.
4. For RelaunchNotification, RelaunchNotificationPeriod, and RelaunchWindow, make sure Status is set to OK and the policy values match what you set in the policy.

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