What you need to know
- Reddit users are reporting a strange Chrome error message on their Android tablets, rendering the browser unusable as it won’t open.
- Reports highlight a “You can have up to 5 windows” message constantly appearing for no reason.
- Google has acknowledged this issue (also in its IssueTracker) and is actively seeking more information from affected users.
Google Chrome is having a rather strange issue this week and it appears to be affecting several Android-based tablets.
Many users have resorted to Chrome subreddit to highlight an error that the browser is delivering (via PiunikaWeb). The original poster, Exploded Space Toast, says that Chrome will no longer open on your Android tablet. Instead, the browser continually displays the error message “You can have up to 5 windows.” This problem had reportedly arisen in a Galaxy Tab A11 Plus.
The user performed the usual solutions at home: clearing the cache and data. They tried rebooting the system without success and made sure they were running the latest Android software patch. Several answers in this thread report similar problems. Reviews have highlighted issues on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, S9 FE, Lenovo Tab M11 and Xiaomi Pad 6.
The publication notes that reports about Chrome problems on Android tablets emerged on Google’s page. Issue trackingalso.
A member of the Google Chrome team acknowledged the reports on Reddit and requested more information. Users have cooperated, offering their device model, Android operating system, and more. PiunikaWeb notes that while these issues are (more or less) spread across tablets, the bulk of reports concern Samsung Galaxy tablets.
There is no fix at the moment, making Chrome useless on many tablets with this error message in the window. However, since Google looks for information in reports, it is aware and actively looking to fix it.
More information required
The people at PiunikaWeb discovered a temporary solution that could offer affected users some relief. The post claims that “going into the Google Play Store and uninstalling Chrome updates to restore the factory version” could help the browser work as intended. It is worth noting that everything you had saved in the browser will disappear, as doing so will delete it.
It’s been slow for Android tablets recently, but I/O 2026 had some exciting news. Google revealed during its keynote that it is working to optimize Instagram for Android tablets and large-screen foldable devices. The company recognizes that this has been highly requested.
Android Central’s opinion
This is a strange issue coming from Chrome for tablets. It seems to have come out of nowhere for everyone experiencing the error. I checked the thread a bit more and some are wondering if a recent patch is the culprit, but nothing is confirmed. The only thing we can hope for is that a solution will be reached quickly. At this point, users will probably be forced to look for alternative browsers until then.
