Chrome 45 stable has been released for Windows, Mac and Linux platforms and is available to download with changes, bug fixes and new features. If you’re using Chrome 44 version, click on the menu, select ‘about Google Chrome’ to check for updates and restart the browser to install the update.
What’s new in Google Chrome 45
Menu Changes:
When you open this version of Chrome and check the menu, you can see some changes to it, it is more compact now, Chromium team has restructured the menu.
READ: Google Simplifies Chrome Menu, It is Much Smaller Now
Chrome pauses unnecessary flash content by default
This version has a setting for ‘Plugins’ in ‘Content Settings’ set to ‘Detect and run important plugin content(recommended), in previous 44 and earlier versions, it was set to ‘Run all Plugin content’.
This change improves performance and saves your battery also as Chrome automatically deactivates non-necessary flash plugin content on the sidebars of websites (that could be ads) without interrupting the flash content ‘central to the webpage’.
Update: This change not yet rolled onto Stable version.
READ: Google Chrome will only run Important Flash Plugin Content from September 1st onwards
NPAPI Support
Google permanently removed the override and the NPAPI plugins support from Chrome 45.
Open Source Chromium has hotwording disabled by default
Though this is not related to Chrome 45, but to Chromium 45. After the privacy concerns raised by users, Chromium team made this change: Chromium builds from version 45 will have ‘Ok Google’ hotwording disabled by default, Chrome versions unaffected.
READ: Fix Chrome is Showing ‘Voice search has been turned off. Details’ Error
And Chrome new tab now shows 8 thumbnails by default, instead of 6.
Avatar or user menu
Last but not the least, the workaround we’ve provided to disable avatar menu is still working in this version. Don’t blame us if it stops working with future updates, because Google already said in a comment, that flag won’t work for long.
Starting September 3, Google will disable inline installation of extensions that are linked to deceptive sites and ads in Chrome browser.
Answers in Omnibox suggestions: Without visiting Google.com, omnibox shows answers for queries you type in dropdown in suggestions.
READ: Chrome displays Answers to Some Queries directly in the Omnibox
UPDATE September 04, 2015: Google Chrome 45 gets Smarter at Restoring Previous Tabs, Uses less Memory and Power
Are you sure you’re not spreading misinformation?
How do you have a changelist if Google themselves still didn’t announce a changelist?
Also, I’ve installed v45 and my setting was NOT changed to “Detect and run important plugin content”.
These are the changes we observed since developer version, so I’ve compiled them for stable. What you said is right, plugins setting hasn’t changed as they’re changed in Beta and development versions. Updated the post, thanks.