14 DAY TRIAL // All of Google’s Chromebooks that will be launched this year will support Android apps, something that has been expected for a while now.
It has been in the works for quite some time, but it is now official - this year’s Chromebooks will come with a sort of Google Play. This means that the company’s laptops will support apps that were originally meant for Android devices, be they smartphones or tablets.
“Android apps will be coming to all new Chromebooks launching this year, but may not be available right ‘out of the box.’ That experience will depend on when the Chromebook launches and when Android Apps on Chrome OS is out of Beta. We do not have an update right now on timing, but stay tuned,” a Google spokesperson told CNET.
The fact that Android apps are going to be available on Chromebooks has been known for a while, although there’s been much testing conducted to see how this could be done in a safe manner. What has been a secret was when this could become official because there are plenty of guides online on how to do this “unofficially.”
Three down, more to go
Thankfully, now we have a little bit more information on when to expect this update. At this point, there are three Chromebooks that support Android apps - the Acer Chromebook R11, Asus Chromebook Flip, and the Chromebook Pixel from Google. The company estimates, however, that shortly, about half of the devices that have already been released over the past couple of years will be updated to full compatibility with Android apps.
The official method to get Android apps on your device is to update the laptop’s software, sign in to your account and go to the status area. There, in the Settings area, you will have to go to the “Google Play store” section and enable it. Once that is done, you will just have to get started on installing whatever Android apps you felt your Chromebook was missing.
The unofficial versions are largely unstable, so you would be better off just waiting for a bit longer to get access to the Play Store. You should also keep in mind that even if you do go googling for a way to get early access, it may not work on your device unless it is already on the list of Chromebooks that will work with Android apps.