What was the name of Google’s web browser first released in 2008?

Google’s web browser first released in 2008 was Google Chrome.

Chrome debuted on September 2, 2008, initially as a beta release for Microsoft Windows. Google later released versions for macOS, Linux, and mobile platforms. The browser was built around the open-source Chromium project and used Google’s V8 JavaScript engine, which helped it compete in an increasingly interactive web.

Google presented Chrome as a faster, simpler, and more stable browser. One notable design choice was treating each tab as a separate process, helping one malfunctioning page avoid bringing down the entire browser. Chrome’s address bar, called the omnibox, combined web addresses and search functions in one field.

Chrome is sometimes confused with Chromium. Chromium is the open-source browser project, while Google Chrome is Google’s branded browser distribution that includes additional Google features and components. Chrome later became a major gateway to Google Search and other Google services.