Ars Technica found that some Reddit users noticed a checkbox that allows for Chromebooks to run Android apps under settings, but it disappeared nearly instantly, preventing anyone from clicking it (Ars replicated this on its own Chromebook).
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Given that ARC in Chromebooks is basically a question of when and not if, we should know a lot more about the feature in Google’s upcoming annual I/O developer conference which will be held in Mountain View, California next month. It is also reported that some Chrome OS users are already being shown the new option.
TheWiseYoda, by the way, is using a Samsung Chromebook running Chrome OS 51.0.2699.0 dev channel.
The possible integration between Google’s two main projects was spotted yesterday by a Reddit user who noticed a quick flash of text in his Chromebook’s settings panel. The Chrome Store doesn’t accept Google Play credits, and it has no prepaid gift cards sold in stores.
There are still a lot more apps available for Android than there are for Chrome though. and soon you may be able to run majority on a Chromebook.
Checking this option started a Google Play Store window, which at the time of writing was not working, never going beyond a landing page.
Even though these are just rumors for now and nothing can be said for certain, the fact that Chrome OS is not doing as well as it should have does justify such a move.
According to Engadget, there aren’t yet so many Android apps in Chrome Web Store.
This checkbox for “Enable Android Apps” flashes for a split second when you load the settings.
Right now, if you want to run apps on your Chromebook you’re limited to the Chrome web store.
There is also improved notification tools that let users reply to messages without having to leave the notification shade, and a new bundled notifications feature to allow users to group notifications from the same app together – for example individual messages from a messaging app.
It’s called the ARC project, and it enables Chrome OS to run apps written for other platforms including Android and Windows; they only need a little tweaking first. Considering the fact that the Android and Chromebooks are manufactured by Google, this sort of compatibility should have been present from the beginning, but the company though something else.
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Of course, we have yet to see how Google’s entire Play Store would work when brought over to Chrome OS.
