Here’s what I’ll miss about Chrome OS once it turns into Android

I by no means thought the day would come, however Chrome OS has an expiration date. It’s not proper across the nook — it’ll most likely take a few years, however someday, all Chromebooks will run Android over Chrome OS in order that Google can higher compete with Apple.

Whereas I can perceive why Google streamlining its working techniques might be a great factor in the long term, dropping Chrome OS will include some rising, or quite, shrinking pains. It should drive Google to decide on between Android and Chrome OS for the way forward for a number of helpful options, and I’m nervous that a few of my favorites will disappear. Right here’s what I believe I’ll miss when Chrome OS turns into Android.

Proper now, common updates are one among my favourite causes to advocate Chromebooks. You don’t often have to fret about what number of years of assist your gentle, quick laptop computer is promised as a result of it is going to get a brand-new model of Chrome OS each 4 weeks. Are the frequent updates all the time main ones? No, in fact not, however the regularity retains the Chrome OS crew on high of most safety points which may pop up from one month to the following.

Google can do that throughout its total fleet of Chromebooks as a result of all of them run the identical base model of Chrome OS. There’s no One UI or Hiya UX in Chromebooks — only one primary platform that begins up shortly and runs effectively. Now, Chrome OS even helps Gemini throughout each reasonably priced Chromebooks and premium Chromebook Plus fashions, which is greater than the inconsistent AI rollout on Android gadgets can say.

The issue with Google shifting from Chrome OS to Android is that, effectively, Android updates don’t work in fairly the identical approach. Relatively than pushing one replace to each gadget, every OEM has to take the time to optimize Google’s newest product to work with its personal Android pores and skin. That optimization delays the replace schedule, typically to the purpose the place a cellphone will fall behind by a model or two. And, when that occurs, it nearly by no means actually catches up.

So, if Google ditches Chrome OS for Android, one thing has to provide. Manufacturers like Samsung will both need to get quicker at their updates in the event that they wish to supply one unified taste of Android, or they’ll have to stay with a near-stock platform that lets Google do a lot of the heavy lifting. I’d want the latter — I nonetheless need a Chromebook that feels extra like a laptop computer, however I gained’t be shocked if the slower, extra particular Android replace schedule wins out.

I don’t need Android’s method to cell shopping to win out, both. Chrome for telephones feels extremely left behind in comparison with Google’s desktop product. Because it stands, Chrome on Android is a reasonably simple affair — freed from litter but missing a number of the creature comforts you get on the desktop. You’ll be able to’t have a number of profiles, change your theme past gentle and darkish, and, most significantly, you may’t use Chrome extensions on cell. If Google places those self same limitations on a Chromebook, it simply gained’t be adequate.

After all, I don’t care about altering my Chrome theme to something aside from darkish mode on my Pixel 9 Professional, however that’s not the principle challenge. If the aim of ditching Chrome OS for Android is to raised compete with the iPad, then Google should embrace what Apple does. Proper now, the cell model of Safari has no drawback adopting just a few choose browser extensions throughout iPadOS and iOS, giving it a critical leg up when it comes to flexibility. They’re not fairly to the extent of desktop-grade extensions (there simply aren’t sufficient), however I’ll take just a few extensions over no extensions. Fortunately, Google appears to be testing extensions on Chrome for Android.

Google might additionally study from just a few of Apple’s different methods. Safari’s new Distraction Management works like a built-in advert blocker, knocking out static parts like banner advertisements and sign-up packing containers, whereas its Privateness Report makes browser safety digestible. These minor tweaks make Safari extra pleasurable, whereas Chrome principally appears content material to cowl the fundamentals from someday to the following.

After which, we now have file administration. Like every thing else, there’s a giant distinction between organizing your recordsdata on an Android phone and on a Chromebook. See, one is supposed to be completed with a mouse and keyboard, whereas the opposite depends on you tapping and swiping your approach via your recordsdata. I want the previous, because it’s only a bit too simple to faucet once you meant to swipe, or vice versa.

In the event you haven’t observed, I’m a bit apprehensive that Google will strive operating its gentle, quick laptops on the identical touch-based software program higher fitted to telephones and tablets. It’ll oversimplify the duties that typically work greatest with a mouse and keyboard, all within the identify of competing with Apple. Typically, that could be high quality, like after I’m losing time on YouTube or enjoying a recreation that originated on Android, however different instances, a simplified interface will make it more durable to trace down particular recordsdata.

Proper now, organizing recordsdata on a Chromebook feels prefer it ought to — it’s very desktop-coded. All the pieces lives inside a folder such as you’d discover on a Home windows or Mac laptop computer, and you’ll shortly type by every thing from title to file sort for simple entry. Whenever you discover what you want, you may then pin it to your Chromebook’s taskbar, holding it only a faucet away. Need to do this on an Android cellphone? There’s no house for extra icons on the backside of your show.

That is, nevertheless, one place the place the tablet-based model of Android would possibly maintain the important thing shifting ahead. Whereas I don’t like attempting to find recordsdata on a cellphone, I don’t thoughts it a lot on the elevated actual property of a pill. It’s simpler to see what I would like, and I can open two folders directly if I’ve narrowed down the situation of what I would like.

If something, I believe Google’s path ahead is combining its a number of file managers into one total expertise. I might love to have the ability to open one app, search via every thing from my Google Drive to my Google Pictures, then shut it and name it a day. Proper now, my Lenovo Chromebook Duet has separate apps for every thing, and Information solely covers most of what I would like.

Whereas I think about that Google already has concepts for dealing with every thing I’ve talked about above, it’s the opposite, smaller options of Chrome OS that I’m apprehensive gained’t make the lower. Drawing apps like Canvas and Cursive — one for artwork, the opposite for journaling — would possibly get merged into one regardless of their totally different strengths, or they may find yourself within the Google graveyard like so many earlier than them.

Shifting to an Android-first mentality would possibly spell doom for Chromebook gamers, too. I imply, Google already killed off its Stadia gaming platform earlier than the Chromebook Plus lineup had an opportunity to make it nice, so why count on it to provide direct-download Steam video games an opportunity? In addition to, just a few of the higher Chromebook Plus fashions are at the moment highly effective sufficient to obtain and run Steam titles, so Google might axe that assist earlier than it makes it out of beta testing.

However who is aware of? Possibly Google has already found out the best way to stability Chrome OS’s strengths with Android’s. Possibly having one working system that runs in two very other ways will work out good, however I’d take the concept with a grain — or most likely a shaker — of salt. Fortunately, we nonetheless have a while earlier than Google replaces Chrome OS with Android, and I intend to take pleasure in my laptop-centric software program in its present state for so long as I can.