Chromedriver on ARM64

WebdriverIO sets up Chromedriver automatically on ARM64. On macOS (Apple silicon), Chrome for Testing publishes a native mac-arm64 Chromedriver for every version, so there's nothing to set up. On Windows 11 on Arm it also works with no configuration: Chrome for Testing publishes no win-arm64 Chromedriver, but its win64 (x64) Chromedriver runs under Windows' transparent x64 emulation and drives both an installed ARM64 Chrome and the x64 Chrome for Testing browser WebdriverIO downloads otherwise. On Linux ARM64, Chrome versions older than 153.0.8001.0 need a closer look, covered below.

Linux ARM64

Chrome for Testing builds linux-arm64 Chromedriver from Chrome 153.0.8001.0 onward, and WebdriverIO uses it directly. For an older Chrome or Chromium, such as one set as goog:chromeOptions.binary, it downloads the Chromedriver bundled in an Electron release which matches the required Chromium major version. This download comes from GitHub even when CHROMEDRIVER_CDNURL is set, because Chrome for Testing has no linux-arm64 Chromedriver below 153.0.8001.0 for a mirror to serve; offline, use your distribution's Chromium and driver as shown below.

Chrome for Testing has no linux-arm64 browser builds before 153.0.8001.0 either, so pin browserVersion below that only together with goog:chromeOptions.binary pointing at an ARM64 browser.

Electron apps

wdio:electronVersion downloads the Chromedriver bundled with a given Electron release, on every ARM64 platform. For an Electron app, the Electron service sets it from the app's Electron version. See Capabilities for details.

Troubleshooting

No Electron release ships a matching Chromedriver

A few Chromium majors, such as 145, never shipped in an Electron release. WebdriverIO then fails rather than installing a mismatched driver:

Chrome for Testing has no linux-arm64 Chromedriver before v153.0.8001.0, and no Electron release ships one for Chrome v145.0.7632.117. See https://webdriver.io/docs/arm64-chromedriver

To resolve it:

• Use Chrome/Chromium 153.0.8001.0 or later so Chrome for Testing serves the driver directly.
• On Debian, use its Chromium and driver, a matched arm64 pair:

  sudo apt-get install -y chromium chromium-driver

  wdio.conf.ts

  export const config: WebdriverIO.Config = {
      // ...
      capabilities: [{
          browserName: 'chrome',
          'goog:chromeOptions': { binary: '/usr/bin/chromium' },
          'wdio:chromedriverOptions': { binary: '/usr/bin/chromedriver' }
      }]
  }

• Bring your own Chromedriver with wdio:chromedriverOptions.binary, which disables the download entirely.

Related

• Driver Binaries: how WebdriverIO downloads and caches browser drivers, including the fallback when Chrome for Testing fails.
• Capabilities: the wdio:electronVersion option.