2008 Launched in October 2008, Android Marketplace was the first iteration of the store to allow Android users to download and install apps and games on their phones. In 2012, Google resurfaced and completely overhauled it to become the Google Play Store. Since then, these apps have been installed in cars, watches, refrigerators and yes, even in Chromebooks. Although this is the case, we still call them “Android apps” – why? Yes, I know that in each of these cases they are still being installed in the Android framework, But I think they have increased this naming figure and it could continue to mature if we change their vision of moving forward. Let me explain.
For years, Google has been trying to get developers into gear in the hopes that they will start building their apps for the big screens. In particular, they want to optimize for the Chromebook and have also given them a roadmap to do so when they launched their ChromeOS.dev resources.
Full-screen experiences that use background processes, mouse and keyboard support and more, they have received very little fruit in return for their labor. Why is it that our 1.85 million apps on the Google Play Store are being limited to our phones and tablets when there is so much potential? You could argue that it’s just that they were made for him alone, but I don’t agree. I think they can do so on a maturity basis and be increasingly useful outside of their original intended ecosystem. I’ve talked to many app developers and they think the problem is twofold.
First, they state that their user base for Chromebooks is not large enough to dedicate a team to optimizing their applications for Google’s laptops. (Admittedly, in many cases they’re not just tracking these statistics because they’re just not familiar with the Chromebook). Second, they’ve told me they don’t think Google has given them enough encouragement For phones and tablets to take the apps they created years ago and make them fully functional again for the Chromebook.
If this is true, I can see why there has been a slight improvement in the apps that feel like they are on a laptop. Yes, most apps on Chromebooks “work”, and all apps with tablet mode that can be turned into Labscape Orientation will fill the Chromebooks display, But this is a very cry from a true laptop experience – Icons, text and other visual elements are placed in a weird and weird way for fingers instead of mice, issues present more and I can still only play five Google Play games that I know with Game Controller – it’s frustrating.
I think developers need to take this more seriously, but maybe it’s cyclical – Maybe if we stop calling them “Android apps” – and therefore continue to stigmatize them – then really these “Google Play app” experiences show an interest in our Chromebooks being optimized, developers need to take action Can see. Maybe if we see more developers taking advantage of the opportunity to optimize their apps for Chromebooks, users will start asking or requesting them to do so more often. Are we stuck in a never ending loop? I encourage you to reach out to your favorite developers using the Play Store listing contact email address to let them know you want to use their apps on their Chromebook!
If you’re a developer and you’re reading this, you might be interested to know that the gods who take advantage of creating big screen experiences are seeing explosive growth in their userbase. For example, Gameloft – the maker of the Asphalt 8 racing game saw 9x more revenue by optimizing izing for Chrome OS – it’s amazing. Additionally, the creator of the popular war robots game Pixonic has increased their engagement on Chrome OS by 25% by applying a few optimizations. Games like Roblox have long embraced Chromebooks and continue to do so. There really is a whole news section that Google keeps up to date on Chromese.dev where they blog about these success stories, so it’s clear that as soon as Chrome OS sees a huge growth they intend to take Google Play Apps with a ride. Year on year.
It’s true that progressive web apps (PWA) are catching on and we’re all excited about it, but I believe Google Play apps will find a place on our devices for years to come – at least somehow. For example, when Android R finally comes to Chrome OS, Google may try to control the situation to some extent. By running Google Play apps in a separate virtual machine, similar to Krostini, using a thing called ARCVM, they can gain a little more control over how they look and run on Chromebooks, thus providing a more streamlined and consistent experience. We’ll have to wait and see what happens to it, but we’ll keep you up to date as we learn more.
All of this confuses them by saying that they continue to box apps on our phones and tablets when they are capable of being much more capable, but what do you think? Is it just a matter of syntax that “Android apps” start to be called “Google Play apps” and are therefore considered more so? Is it important for you to change their vision or do you stick with web applications? Do you think that they can and should co-exist as Chrome OS develops and matures?
I think I’m neat, but I think it’s an important conversation and I would love to hear your thoughts on this matter. I’m tired of recommending only apps and games for Chromebook owners so it’s a shame they don’t have full or partial mouse, keyboard or gamepad support. I’m just tired of opening the app that it’s stuck in portrait mode with black blocks on its left and right, only to hear someone see Bash Chrome OS and say it’s just a big Android tablet. I’m fed up with scatter display elements and ugly render issues. If you’re an app developer, tell me – is Google doing enough to encourage you to optimize for Chrome OS or still have some big roadblocks? I’m really interested to hear the side of your story!
Start tim optimizing your app for Chrome OS
