Google introduced the Play Store running on Chromebooks last year. It lets you download and run Android apps on compatible Chrome OS devices, giving you access to millions more apps than the Chrome Web Store contains. Not every Android app will scale well to a laptop’s display but most popular titles run as expected.
This week, Google made a widely anticipated announcement that all Chromebooks launching in 2017 onwards will support Android apps out of the box. This will enable many more buyers to use the feature and make Chromebooks able to handle a wider workload. Android apps are only available on three devices today, the 2015 Google Chromebook Pixel, Acer Chromebook Flip and Acer Chromebook R11.
In addition, Google has confirmed that many older Chromebooks will receive software updates adding support for the Play Store. Devices on the list include popular models from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung. Older laptops are unlikely to ever see the feature though, locking them out of Chrome OS’ next major step.
“While we won’t be able to bring Android apps to every Chromebook ever made, we’re continuing to evaluate more devices based on a range of factors, like processor type, GPU, and drivers,” said Google.
Unsupported devices will continue to receive regular software updates as scheduled. Google promises five years of updates for each Chromebook from its initial launch date. It warns that not all features of new releases will be available on every model, as in the case of the Play Store.
There is a way to bypass this limitation and install the Play Store on any Chromebook. However, it isn’t officially supported and could stop working after a future update. It involves running multiple commands in the terminal and is only suitable for users comfortable with the environment.
Google’s announcement this week was followed by the launch of two new education-focused Chromebooks from Acer and Asus. Education has proved to be one of Chrome OS’ major strengths, to the extent that over half of all education PCs are now Chromebooks. The expansion of the Play Store to every new model will allow Google to continue expanding its presence in schools.
Teachers will now be able to access a wider range of software, including apps students are already using on their phones. The wealth of material in the Play Store can be brought into lessons in a secure, sandboxed environment. Schools can create libraries of pre-approved Android apps that students can install. Access to the rest of the Store is then automatically blocked.
“We believe in the power of technology to help students learn how they learn best and teachers teach the way they find most effective,” said Naveen Viswanathan, Product Manager of Google for Education. “We’ll continue to work with educators in 2017 to build tools that support the important work they do every day.”
The addition of the Play Store also makes Chromebooks a more feasible option for people who need to work productively on the go. The arrival of Android apps brings new functionality and additional offline options to Chrome OS, making it a more versatile computing platform.
