What you need to know
- Users on Reddit report a strange error message from Chrome on their Android tablets, which renders the browser useless, as it won’t open.
- Reports highlight a “You can have up to 5 windows” message that constantly appears without reason.
- Google has acknowledged this issue (on its IssueTracker, too) and is actively seeking more information from affected users.
Google Chrome is having a rather strange issue this week, and it seems to be affecting several Android-based tablets.
Many users have taken to the Chrome subreddit to highlight an error that the browser is delivering (via PiunikaWeb). The original poster, Exploded Space Toast, says Chrome will no longer open on their Android tablet. Instead, the browser continuously displays a “You can have up to 5 windows” error message. This issue had reportedly surfaced on a Galaxy Tab A11 Plus.
The user ran through the usual at-home fixes: clearing cache and data. They tried a system restart to no avail and made sure they were running the latest Android software patch. Several responses in this thread report similar issues. Comments have highlighted problems on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, S9 FE, Lenovo Tab M11, and the Xiaomi Pad 6.
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The publication notes that reports of Chrome’s problems on Android tablets emerged on Google’s IssueTracker, too.
The reports on Reddit were acknowledged by a Google Chrome team member, asking for more information. Users have cooperated, offering their device model, Android OS, and more. PiunikaWeb notes that while these issues are (sort of) spread out amongst tablets, the bulk of the reports concern Samsung Galaxy tablets.
There is no fix at this time, rendering Chrome useless on many tablets with this window error message. However, with Google scouring reports for information, it’s aware and actively seeking to fix it.
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(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
The people at PiunikaWeb discovered a temporary fix that might offer affected users some relief. The post states that “going into the Google Play Store and uninstalling Chrome updates to restore the factory version” might help the browser work as intended. It’s worth noting that everything you had saved in the browser will be gone, as doing so wipes it.
It’s been slow going for Android tablets recently, but I/O 2026 held some exciting news. Google revealed during its keynote that it’s working on optimizing Instagram for Android tablets and large-screen foldables. The company acknowledges that this has been highly requested.
Android Central’s Take
This is a strange issue coming from Chrome for tablets. It seems to have come out of nowhere for everyone experiencing the bug. I looked through the thread a little more, and some wonder if a recent patch is the culprit, but nothing’s confirmed. The only thing we can hope for is that a solution comes through quickly. Right now, users are probably forced to find alternative browsers until then.
