14 DAY TRIAL // Google's François Beaufort recently informed the Chrome OS community about the fact that it's now possible to run progressive Web Apps like native apps in Chrome OS on their Chromebooks.
Live in the Chrome Canary experimental channel for Chrome OS, the new feature promises to let you run progressive Web Apps just like you would run native Chrome OS apps on your Chromebook. The apps will work offline in their own custom window.
François Beaufort says that Chromebook owners will be able to easily launch these progressive Web Apps from the shelf in Chrome OS, once the feature is implemented in the stable channel. Also, it will integrate into Chrome OS' overview menu, as well as the Chrome browser's menu making the installation a breeze.
"We can now install and run Progressive Web Apps like native apps in Chrome OS Canary channel. These apps work offline, have their own custom window, launch icon added to the shelf, and integrate well in the overview menu," said François Beaufort in a Google+ post.
Here's how to run Progressive Web Apps on your Chromebook
If you want to run Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) on your Chromebook right now, you'll have to first switch to the Chrome OS Canary experimental channel by enabling the Developer Mode and running the "live_in_a_coal_mine" command in the crosh shell terminal emulator.
Once you enabled Chrome Canary, you'll be able to install your first Progressive Web Apps by clicking the new "Install" item in Chrome's browser menu. You can try it Spotify (http://open.spotify.com/), Twitter (https://mobile.twitter.com), Guitar Tuner (https://guitar-tuner.appspot.com/) and Pokedex (https://www.pokedex.org/).
François Beaufort also said that if the main requirements (fast, engaging, reliable) of Progressive Web Apps aren't met, then you will see a plain "Create shortcut" entry in Chrome's browser menu instead of the "Install" one. More details about Progressive Web Apps can be found here.
