Chromebooks May Soon Get "Over a Million" Android Apps
Apps for Google's Chromebooks are currently limited to the Chrome Web Store, but that may change dramatically very soon. Some users have found hints that Android's Google Play Store may be coming to Chrome OS.
Ars Technica found that some Reddit users noticed a checkbox that allows for Chromebooks to run Android apps under settings, but it disappeared almost instantly, preventing anyone from clicking it (Ars replicated this on its own Chromebook). Additionally, one user studied the source code and found an opt-in dialog that would let users "Choose from over a million apps and games on Google Play to install and use" on their Chromebooks.
One of the biggest draws to Chromebooks is simplicity: just about everything you do on a Chromebook takes place inside the browser. Adding the Play Store would add a ton of utility, including a number of great games and apps, but could also make Chrome OS significantly more complex. It could also be the beginning of Google's plans to fold Chrome OS into Android, which was reported last year.
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Ars points out that IT administrators will be able to limit Android apps running on Chromebooks because it requires opting in, so if and when this launches, don't expect to see Android apps on your school or work laptop immediately, as they could bring a slew of new vulnerabilities to Chrome OS.
Google hasn't commented officially on Google Play coming to Chromebooks, but Google's I/O developer conference starts in less than a month, on May 18 (see our sister site, Tom's Guide, for a preview of what we expect), and that may be where Google makes an announcement.
[via Ars Technica, image via Reddit user InauspiciousPagan]
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