+You can use the Google Play Store to install Android apps on several Google +Chromebooks. This document describes the Chromebooks, Chromeboxes, and +Chromebases that can install Android apps, both currently and in upcoming +releases of Chrome OS. +
+ ++The same Android apps that run on phones and tablets can run on Chromebooks +without compromising their speed, simplicity, or security. To develop the best +experience for Android apps across Chromebooks, you should test your app on a +suite of devices that consists of the following categories: +
+ +To learn more about Google Play Store support on Chromebooks, see the +following +Google Chrome blog post. +
+ +Note: You may elect to exclude your app from +being available to Chromebooks. For more information, visit +View & restrict your app's compatible devices. +
+ ++The following section lists the Chromebooks that work with Android apps and the +categories that each device satisfies. +
+ ++Android apps are not available on every Chromebook, but Google continues to +evaluate more devices based on a range of factors, such as processor type, GPU, +and drivers. The following table shows the platforms that currently support +Android apps: +
+ ++ Table 1. Chromebooks that currently support Android apps.
+| Manufacturer | +Model | +Architecture | +Touchscreen support | +Convertible | +
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer | +Chromebook R11 / C738T | +Intel x86 | +Yes | +Yes | +
| Asus | +Chromebook Flip | +ARM | +Yes | +Yes | +
| Chromebook Pixel (2015) | +Intel x86 | +Yes | +No | +
+The following list shows the platforms that will support Android apps in an +upcoming release of Chrome OS: +
+ ++Google Chromebooks now support the Google Play Store and Android apps. This +document describes some ways that you can optimize your Android apps for +Chromebooks. +
+ +
+To begin optimizing your Android app for Chromebooks, update your manifest file
+(AndroidManifest.xml) to account for some key hardware and software
+differences between Chromebooks and other devices running Android.
+
+As of Chrome OS version M53, all Android apps that don't explicitly require the
+android.hardware.touchscreen
+feature will also work on Chrome OS devices that support the
+android.hardware.faketouch feature. However, if you want your app
+to work on all Chromebooks in the best possible way, go to your manifest file
+and adjust the settings so that the android.hardware.touchscreen
+feature is not required, as shown in the following example. You should also
+review your mouse and keyboard interactions.
+
+<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" + ... > + <!-- Some Chromebooks don't support touch. Although not essential, + it's a good idea to explicitly include this declaration. --> + <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.touchscreen" + required="false" /> +</manifest> ++ +
+Different devices often have different sensors available in them. See the Sensors +Overview document for an overview of all sensors that the Android platform +supports. Although Android handheld devices may have GPS and accelerometers, +sensors are not guaranteed to be available in every Chromebook. However, there +are cases where the functionality of a sensor is provided in another way. For +example, Chromebooks may not have GPS sensors, but they still provide location +data based on Wi-Fi connections. If you want your app to run on Chromebooks, +regardless of sensor support, you should update your manifest file so that none +of the sensors are required. +
+ +Note: If you don't require a particular sensor +for your app but still use measurements from the sensor when it's available, +make sure you dynamically check for the sensor's availability before trying to +gather information from it in your app. +
+ ++Some software features are unsupported on Chromebooks. For example, apps that +provide custom IMEs, app widgets, live wallpapers, and app launchers aren't +supported and won't be available for installation on Chromebooks. For a complete +list of software features that aren't currently supported on Chromebooks, see incompatible +software features. +
+ ++The implementation of Android apps on Chrome OS includes basic multi-window +support. Instead of automatically drawing over the full screen, Android renders +apps on Chrome OS into layouts that are appropriate for this form factor. Google +provides support for the most common window layouts: + +
+In addition, end users are presented with window controls to toggle among all +available layouts. By choosing the correct orientation option, you can ensure +that the user has the correct layout upon launching the app. If an app is +available in portrait and landscape, it defaults to landscape if possible. After +this option is set, it is remembered on a per-app basis. Google recommends that +you test your app to ensure that it handles changes in window size +appropriately. +
+ ++All Chromebooks have a physical keyboard and a trackpad, and some Chromebooks +have a touchscreen as well. Some devices can even convert from a laptop to a +tablet. +
+ ++Many existing apps already support mouse and trackpad interactions with no extra +work required. However, it's always best to adjust your app's behavior +appropriately when users interact with it using a trackpad instead of a +touchscreen, and you should support and distinguish between both interfaces +properly. Given the support for physical keyboards, you can now provide hotkeys +to enable your app's users to be more productive. For example, if your app +supports printing, you can use Ctrl+P to open a print dialog. +
+ ++One of the strongest features of Chromebooks is that users can easily migrate +from one device to another. That is, if someone stops using one Chromebook and +starts using another, they simply have to sign in, and all of their apps appear. +
+ +Tip: Although it's not mandatory, backing up +your app's data to the cloud is a good idea. +
+ ++Chromebooks can also be shared among a large number of people, such as in +schools. Since local storage is not infinite, entire accounts—together +with their storage—can be removed from the device at any point. For +educational settings, it's a good idea to keep this scenario in mind. +
+ ++If your app uses the Android NDK libraries, and its target SDK version is 23 or +higher, ensure that text relocations are removed from both the ARM and x86 +versions of your NDK libraries, as they're not compatible in Android 6.0 (API +level 23) and higher. By leaving text relocations in your NDK libraries, you may +also cause incompatibility errors with Chromebooks, especially when running on +a device that uses an x86 architecture. +
+ +Note: To view more details on updating NDK +libraries properly, see the +Runtime section of the Android 6.0 Changes document. +
+ ++Android apps on Chromebooks initially ship with APIs for Android 6.0 (API level +23). By following the best practices outlined above, your app is likely to be +compatible with the multi-window improvements introduced in Android 7.0 (API +level 24). It's good to plan support for the APIs and behaviors available as of +Android 7.0, which feature several improvements. For example, multi-window +support is better integrated, and you're able to resize activities arbitrarily, +making them feel more natural. You can also access APIs for drag-and-drop +operations across apps and mouse cursor control. +
+ ++To load your app onto your +Chromebook for testing, you must enter Developer mode on your Chrome OS +device and enable unknown sources. See the +Putting your Chrome OS Device into Developer Mode document for detailed +instructions about moving your device into Developer mode. After your device is +in Developer mode, you can go to your Chrome settings and select Enable +Unknown Sources under the security in app settings. +
+ ++After enabling Developer mode, you can load an Android app onto your Chrome OS +device using one of several methods. For more details, see the Load Your App section of +the Loading Apps on Chromebooks page. +
+ +Note: To ensure that your Android app works +well on a variety of Chromebook devices and available form factors, Google +recommends that you test your app on an ARM-based Chromebook, an x86-based +Chromebook, a device with a touchscreen and one without one, and on a +convertible device (one that can change between a laptop and a tablet). To view +the full list of supported devices, see the Chrome OS Device Support for +Apps page.
+ ++Before attempting to set up an ADB connection, you must start your Chrome OS in + +Developer Mode so that you have the ability to install Android apps on the +Chromebook. +
+ +Caution: After switching your Chrome OS +device to Developer mode, it restarts and clears all existing data on the +device. +
+ ++To set up ADB, complete the following steps: +
+ ++To configure the Chrome OS firewall to allow incoming ADB connections, complete +the following steps: +
+ ++crosh> shell +chronos@localhost / $ ++
+chronos@localhost / $ sudo /usr/libexec/debugd/helpers/dev_features_rootfs_verification +chronos@localhost / $ sudo reboot ++ The sudo reboot command restarts your Chromebook. +
Note: You can press the Tab +key to enable autocompletion of file names.
++chronos@localhost / $ sudo /usr/libexec/debugd/helpers/dev_features_ssh ++ You can now exit out of the shell. +
Note: You must complete this procedure only +once on your Chromebook.
+ ++To verify the IP address of your Chromebook, complete the following steps: +
+ ++To enable ADB debugging, complete the following steps: +
+ ++Sometimes the ADB device shows that it's offline when everything is connected +properly. In this case, complete the following steps to troubleshoot the issue: +
+ +adb kill-server.
+ adb connect.
+ +To learn more about optimizing your Android apps for Chromebooks, consult the +following resources: +
+ ++This document describes how to enter Developer mode and enable +unknown resources so that you can load Android apps on your Google +Chromebook. +
+ ++To load Android apps, you must enable unknown sources. Enabling unknown sources +is available only when your device is in Developer mode. +
+ +Caution: Modifications that you make to the +system are not supported by Google and may void your warranty. Additionally, +modifications may cause hardware, software, or security issues. +
+ +Note: On most devices, both the +recovery button and the dev-switch button are virtualized. If +these instructions don't work for you, see the +specific instructions for your device. +
+ ++To enter Developer mode, complete these steps: +
+ ++If you see one of the following screens when you turn on your device, you've +successfully entered Developer mode: +
+ +
+
+Figure 1. Developer mode confirmation +screens.
+ +Note: To skip the OS loading screen, either +wait 30 seconds or press Ctrl+D, and your Chromebook continues +starting. +
+ ++To enable unknown sources, navigate to Chrome Settings > App Settings > +Security, then enable Unknown sources by moving the +slider to the right. +
+ +Note:You can enable unknown sources only when +your device is in Developer mode. +
+ ++After enabling unknown sources, you can load apps by copying an app's APK file +to the Downloads folder and opening it with Android's File Manager app. + +
+ ++You can copy the APK file to your Chromebook using one of the following methods: +
+ ++adb install app-name.apk ++
This command pushes the app to your connected Chromebook and installs the + app. For more information about copying and installing apps from a + development computer, see Installing an + Application.
+