Since our first report on the new Google Chrome browser for iOS, usage rates of the mobile browser have continued to grow. Based on data from our Chrome for iOS Adoption Tracker, Google Chrome now accounts for 2.7%* of Web traffic on iOS, up from 1.5% on July 17.  Depending on the hour of the day, Chrome’s share of total iOS browser usage can be above 5%, and even peaking at 6.83% after midnight on September 7.

An updated version of the browser was released on September 4, providing bug fixes, mostly to do with compatibility and login issues on certain sites. While the browser is no longer listed in the top 25 most downloaded free applications in the App Store, the increase in usage has been moderate – essentially doubling from the time it was released until now.  As seen in the chart below, the current share for Chrome on iOS as of September 12, 2012 is at 2.7%:

So has Chrome made much of a splash on the iOS browser market in its brief lifetime? Not really. Considering the fact that Chrome for iOS spent nearly a month as the top free app for iOS devices, the Chitika Insights team expected it would make more of an impact on the market than it has thus far. Perhaps the novelty of this alternative browser is starting to wane and iOS users seem contempt with using the default browser as their primary surfing tool. One potential road block in the way of increased Chrome for iOS usage could have to do with “In-app” surfing. When a user clicks a link within an app, they are automatically referred to the site via Safari; one way Apple is able to keep users within their product offering.

We will continue to monitor Chrome for iOS adoption rate in the coming weeks to see if the rumored release of the iPhone 5 will make any impact on growth for the alternative web browser.

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