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Google began calculation support for the Play Store to Chromebooks last spring, but the rollout has been very, very slow. At first, only a few ARM-powered Chromebooks had support, then Google's ain Pixel two was added. Now, many recent Chromebooks have gotten the Play Store, at least in the developer channel. Google is going a step farther today, announcing that all Chromebooks that debut in 2022 and across will include back up for running Android apps.

Chromebooks are designed to rely almost exclusively on web apps and various online tools. Almost everything is accessed via Chrome, which exists within a stripped down Linux environs. This is great in a lot of ways — it keeps the machine lightweight, secure, and fast; plus all your information is backed upwardly online. If you lose that item device or need to use another Chromebook for a brusque time, y'all tin can simply log in and take all your stuff ready to go.

This approach to computing is commonly user-friendly, just it's limiting. Something equally unproblematic as editing documents offline or playing a game tin can get a challenge. Adding back up for Android apps instantly gives Chromebooks a plethora of software to choose from. Granted, not all of it is optimized for a reckoner interface, but much of it works surprisingly well. The cardinal is finding apps that have been optimized for Chromebooks or just don't rely on touchscreen-but interaction. Some useful apps that run well include the free Microsoft Office suite and VLC media thespian. If you've already used Android with your account, you'll accept admission to a ton of content as all your past purchases volition be available on the Chromebook.

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Several new Chromebooks were announced at CES this year, including two models from Acer and a few from Samsung. All those machines will send with the Play Store pre-installed and ready to go. That means it will be part of the stable channel of Chrome Os. You lot still need to be on beta or dev to get Android apps on many existing Chromebooks. You tin bank check the Chromium Project page for details on which devices have support.

Google guarantees Chrome Bone updates for five years from a device'south launch, but that doesn't necessarily mean all the Android apps that come out during that time with piece of work. Google is likewise rumored to be working on a dissimilar project called Andromeda that will merge parts of Chrome Os into Android for a more compelling large-screen experience. This is notwithstanding unofficial, so information technology might never come up to be. Chromebooks are a hit, though, and then Google will continue with rolling out Android apps in 2022.