Skip to main content

Google idenfities dozens of Chromebooks that will support Android apps

Chromebooks vs. laptops
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Almost a full year ago, Google announced that many of its Chromebooks would be getting support for Android apps. That support was supposed to come to as many as 50 devices late last year, but at this point only around six devices have made the cut.

Now, however, there’s some good news — Google is planning to bring Android app support to as many as 80 Chromebooks, including the popular Samsung Chromebook Plus, Chromebook Pro, and Chromebook 3. Of course, just because these devices are “planned” to get Android app support, that doesn’t mean the support will come anytime soon. More devices are also listed in the beta channel, including the Acer Chromebook R13, meaning that support may officially come at some point soon.

Unfortunately, the app support hasn’t been as widespread as some might have hoped. That’s to say, there aren’t all that many apps available for Chromebooks just yet, and the apps that are available are a little buggy and seem like basic blown-up versions of the original Android apps. Still, that’s likely to change in the near future as support improves.

You can check out a full list of Chromebooks that are getting Android app support here at the Chromium blog.

It makes sense that Google would want to bring Android apps to Chromebooks. While Chromebooks have seen serious popularity in some sectors, notably education, Google likely wants to expand that popularity to more markets, and what better way to do it than to tap into the massive ecosystem called the Google Play Store.

Google has also long been rumored to merge Chrome OS — the operating system that runs on Chromebooks — and Android. Some companies, including Microsoft and Samsung, have both launched ways for mobile users to use their phones to power a desktop experience, and it’s likely that Google wants to follow suit.

Editors' Recommendations

Christian de Looper
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
The Windows 11 Android app dream is dead
A photo of the TikTok app running on a Windows 11 laptop

Microsoft first brought over the option to run Android apps natively in Windows 11 in 2021, but the dream is coming to an end after just a few years. Today, the company quietly updated its documentation for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA) to indicate that it will be ending support for the feature on March 5, 2025. Amazon has also published updated guidance for the same issue about its Amazon App Store on Windows 11, which powers the WSA.

What's causing this change is unknown, as Microsoft did not dive into specific details. Left to speculate, we can assume it's due to either lack of use or licensing issues, but until we hear more, it's left ambiguous.

Read more
The 1Password Android app just got a huge upgrade
The 1Password Android app, side-by-side, showing the light and dark mode.

The 1Password password manager app for Android has just gotten a huge new update, which unlocks the use of passkeys through its app. Held by many as the future of secure authentication, passkeys are the next evolution of the password, and from today, you'll be able to use 1Password to create, manage, and unlock your accounts that use passkey authentication.

1Password is one of the world's most popular password managers, with over 700,000 passwords saved. But it clearly sees that the future is elsewhere, as it has been leading the charge on taking passkeys into the mainstream.

Read more
Google just announced 8 big Android updates. Here’s what’s new
A photo of many Android figurines on a white wall.

At Moblie World Congress (MWC ) 2024, Google is bringing a healthy bunch of new features to Android. In line with the AI push all across the industry, some notable AI-driven enhancements are on the table. There are also a handful of core Android features that sound practically amazing.
The first in line is Gemini. The generative AI chatbot recently got a standalone app for Android, and now it’s headed for the Google Messages app. Users can chat with Gemini directly in the messaging app and use its generative capabilities for a host of things, like drafting replies, refining a message, and more.

Another feature that was showcased a while ago is finally ready for prime time. Android Auto is gaining support for message summarization for standalone texts and group chats, and it can also suggest replies. With a single tap, users will also be able to drop a message, start a call, and share an estimated arrival time. The idea is to deploy AI for crucial tasks so that it can minimize distractions while driving.
Lookout, an accessibility-centric feature for users with vision challenges, is also getting meaningful AI love. On Android phones, Lookout will now read AI-generated captions and descriptions for media content. For now, the AI boost to Lookout and Messages is limited to the English language.

Read more