Despite a roadblock with iOS that prevents users from changing their default browser, Google Chrome has seen a nice increase in usage in a little over a year.
After stagnating for months, usage of Google’s Chrome browser for iOS in North America is on the rise. According to data from its ad network, Chitika says Chrome for iOS has climbed to 3 percent of iOS web traffic on the network as of the end of September. As a reference, Chrome accounted for 1.5 percent of such traffic on iOS when it debuted in June of 2012.
While three percent is a relatively small number, Google should be happy with the growth, mainly because Chrome — nor any other third-party browser, for that matter — can’t be set as the default in iOS. That’s Safari’s role: Clicking links in any app from Apple or other iOS developer will open up Apple’s own browser.