Excited to download content from Android apps such as Google Play Movies, Spotify and other apps to an external storage card on your Chromebook? If you have Chrome OS 72, it works, but there’s a trick involved. Here’s how to do it.
Chrome OS 72
Sideloading Android apps on Chromebooks (very) tentatively planned for Chrome OS 74 or 75
It’s not an official commitment to a particular release, but Google is considering a way to sideload Android apps from outside of the Google Play Store on a Chromebook in the next few months. It’s going to depend on security and other priorities, however.
Stable version Chrome OS 72 arrives: Here’s what you need to know
While the official Google changelog list of features in Chrome OS 72 Stable Channel has some welcome additions, there’s plenty more goodness included behind these scenes.
Chrome OS 72 Dev Channel brings HiDPI toggle for Linux apps in Project Crostini
Using a Linux app on your Chromebook and you just can’t read or use text and app controls because they’re super small? The reason may be due to display scaling and a new option is available in Chrome OS 72 to address it.
Chrome OS 72 Dev Channel adds tablet site option to view mobile versions of web pages
The mobile-friendly web page option for Chrome tablets is available in the Chrome OS 72 Dev Channel. Here’s how to enable and use it, although if you have a large-screened slate, you might not ever need it.
Chrome OS 72 bringing Google Assistant to more Chromebooks: Here’s how it looks
Now that Google Assistant is a native feature on Chrome OS, meaning you can use it without having the Play Store enabled, it makes sense for most, if not all, Chromebooks to get it. This video demo shows you what to look forward to when it arrives.
Broader USB device support for Project Crostini takes a big step forward
Additional code was added to expand USB support for Linux on Chrome OS. Behind the scenes, the virtual machine will manage details of USB devices and their state, meaning you should soon be able to connect to a range of USB devices in Crostini.
Rotatable clamshell mode coming to Chromebooks, Chrome tablets for improved tent mode
Got a 2-in-1 Chromebook or Chrome tablet like the Pixel Slate? You might have noticed that the relatively new automatic Desktop and Tablet modes cause an upside down screen in tent usage. Here are details on the upcoming fix for this issue.
Linux on Chromebooks getting access to Android Play Files via Project Crostini
After adding access in Project Crostini to share Chrome OS folders with Linux, the next function in the works is to bring shared Play Files to Linux from the Android implementation on Chromebooks.
Chrome OS 72 Dev Channel update includes USB support for Crostini and Android 9
USB support for Project Crostini is finally here, enabling read & write access to a memory card from the Linux Terminal app. Here’s how to enable and use it. Oh, and Android 9 comes along for the ride on Chromebooks.
Chrome OS 72 Dev Channel preps Crostini USB support, easier Linux package installs and more
There’s a slew of changes in the newest Chrome OS Dev Channel including several for Project Crostini USB and file sharing support. Oddly, Chrome OS is losing its double-tap to zoom function when in tablet mode.