Yandex Browser 26.8.0.1788 for Windows

Yandex Browser 26.8.0.1788 is a free web browser from Yandex, built on Chromium and the Blink engine. You can download Yandex Browser for Windows from the official site; versions also exist for macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.

Specifications

System requirements

According to the official installation page:

• Windows 11 or Windows 10, 64-bit, or Windows Server 2022, 2019 or 2016;
• processor with a frequency of 1 GHz or higher;
• 512 MB of RAM minimum;
• at least 600 MB of free disk space.

Support for 32-bit Windows was discontinued in August 2025, for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 in December 2024, and for Windows XP and Vista in April 2017. On those systems the current version will not install.

What it is like to use

Since it shares its engine with Google Chrome, Yandex Browser shows websites the same way, and most Chrome extensions work in it. Yandex adds its own interface, a start page with its services and integration with Yandex search and accounts. For people who already use Yandex mail, maps or cloud storage, that integration is the main reason to choose it; for others it is one more Chromium browser with a different design. The browser is widely used in Russian-speaking countries and in Turkey, which is reflected in its interface languages. If you prefer a neutral setup, you can change the search engine and start page in the settings after installation. Yandex publishes a security changelog for each version, which helps to see how quickly Chromium fixes arrive.

How to install it

1. Open the official Yandex Browser site and download the installer.
2. Run it; the setup downloads the rest of the browser.
3. Choose whether to import bookmarks and whether to make it the default browser.

Privacy and safety

Install only from Yandex's own site. Review the privacy settings after installation, and decide which data you are comfortable syncing with a Yandex account; a browser sees everything you do online.

Updating and removing

The browser updates itself in the background, and you can check the current version in the About section of the menu. If you decide to stop using it, remove it through Windows Settings, Apps; choose whether to delete your browsing data at the same time. Export bookmarks first if you plan to move them to another browser.

Price

Yandex Browser is free.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Chromium compatibility with most sites and extensions.
• Pro: convenient for Yandex service users.
• Pro: modest requirements.
• Con: no longer supports older Windows versions.
• Con: closely tied to Yandex services.

Alternatives

Our site also lists Opera, Chromium, Waterfox, Firefox ESR, Thorium Browser and Mullvad Browser.