ChromeOS Android Runtime Introduction

ChromeOS devices released after 2016 have the ability to run native Android Applications and are given full access to the Google Play Store. While ChromeOS could run offline applications before introducing Android support, it was limited to a few applications - Google adding Android support exponentially increased the amount of offline applications that can be run on ChromeOS. This chapter will provide an overview of Android support on ChromeOS.

ChromeOS Optimized Applications

ChromeOS can run most of the applications on the Google Play Store, but there are some limitations that need to be taken into consideration.

• Android applications are generally written to be used on a mobile phone so some may not resize to feel like a native application for ChromeOS and will run in a windowed mode that resembles a mobile phone screen.
• Android applications were designed to work with a touch screen. While many ChromeOS devices such as Chromeblets and Convertibles include touchscreens, this is not always included on Chromebooks/Chromebases and are never present on Chromeboxes. Android applications written to rely on a touchscreen may not function on devices without a touchscreen.
• Android applications are generally designed to work on ARM-based processors and an overwhelming number of applications will work properly on devices with x86_64/amd64 based processors, there are a few exceptions.

As ChromeOS adoption has continued to increase in several markets, developers of Android applications have started to take notes by optimizing their applications to work on the larger screens of ChromeOS devices and to embrace some of the extra functionality offered by ChromeOS devices such as keyboards and touchpads.