docs: Migrated "Android Runtime on Chrome" pages to DAC am: 9cd48bb4 am: 7cb08cfc

page.title=Chrome OS Device Support for Apps

@jd:body

<div id="qv-wrapper">

    <div id="qv">

      <h2>On this page</h2>

      <ol>

        <li><a href="#overview">Overview</a></li>

        <li><a href="#support">Supported Platforms</a></li>

      </ol>

    </div>

  </div>

<p>

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.

</p>

<h2 id="overview">Overview</h2>

<p>

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:

</p>

<ul>

  <li>

    ARM architecture.

  </li>

  <li>

    Intel x86 architecture.

  </li>

  <li>

    Touch.

  </li>

  <li>

    Non-touch (uses fake-touch).

  </li>

  <li>

    Convertible.

  </li>

</ul>

<p>To learn more about Google Play Store support on Chromebooks, see the

following <a class="external-link"

href="https://chrome.googleblog.com/2016/05/the-google-play-store-coming-to.html">

Google Chrome blog post</a>.

</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note: </strong>You may elect to exclude your app from

being available to Chromebooks. For more information, visit <a

class="external-link"

href="https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/1286017?hl=en">

View &amp; restrict your app's compatible devices</a>.

</p>

<p>

The following section lists the Chromebooks that work with Android apps and the

categories that each device satisfies.

</p>

<h2 id="support">Supported Platforms</h2>

<p>

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:

</p>

<p class="table-caption" id="Objects-and-interfaces">

  <strong>Table 1.</strong> Chromebooks that currently support Android apps.</p>

<table>

  <tr>

    <th scope="col">Manufacturer</th>

    <th scope="col">Model</th>

    <th scope="col">Architecture</th>

    <th scope="col">Touchscreen support</th>

    <th scope="col">Convertible</th>

  </tr>

  <tr>

    <td>Acer</td>

    <td>Chromebook R11 / C738T</td>

    <td>Intel x86</td>

    <td>Yes</td>

    <td>Yes</td>

  </tr>

  <tr>

    <td>Asus</td>

    <td>Chromebook Flip</td>

    <td>ARM</td>

    <td>Yes</td>

    <td>Yes</td>

  </tr>

  <tr>

    <td>Google</td>

    <td>Chromebook Pixel (2015)</td>

    <td>Intel x86</td>

    <td>Yes</td>

    <td>No</td>

  </tr>

</table>

<p>

The following list shows the platforms that will support Android apps in an

upcoming release of Chrome OS:

</p>

<ul>

  <li><strong>Acer: </strong>Chromebook 11 C740, Chromebook 11 CB3-111 / C730 /

  C730E / CB3-131, Chromebook 14 CB3-431, Chromebook 14 for Work, Chromebook

  15 CB5-571 / C910, Chromebook 15 CB3-531, Chromebox CXI2, Chromebase 24

  </li>

  <li><strong>Asus: </strong>Chromebook C200, Chromebook C201,

  Chromebook C202SA, Chromebook C300SA, Chromebook C300, Chromebox CN62,

  Chromebit CS10</li>

  <li><strong>AOpen: </strong>Chromebox Commercial,

  Chromebase Commercial 22"</li>

  <li><strong>Bobicus: </strong>Chromebook 11</li>

  <li><strong>CDI: </strong>eduGear Chromebook K Series,

  eduGear Chromebook M Series, eduGear Chromebook R Series</li>

  <li><strong>CTL: </strong>Chromebook J2 / J4, N6 Education Chromebook,

  J5 Convertible Chromebook</li>

  <li><strong>Dell: </strong>Chromebook 11 3120, Chromebook 13 7310</li>

  <li><strong>Edxis: </strong>Chromebook, Education Chromebook</li>

  <li><strong>Haier: </strong>Chromebook 11, Chromebook 11e, Chromebook 11 G2

  </li>

  <li><strong>Hexa: </strong>Chromebook Pi</li>

  <li><strong>HiSense: </strong>Chromebook 11</li>

  <li><strong>Lava: </strong>Xolo Chromebook</li>

  <li><strong>HP: </strong>Chromebook 11 G3 / G4 / G4 EE, Chromebook 14 G4,

  Chromebook 13</li>

  <li><strong>Lenovo: </strong>100S Chromebook, N20 / N20P Chromebook,

  N21 Chromebook, ThinkCentre Chromebox, ThinkPad 11e Chromebook,

  N22 Chromebook, Thinkpad 13 Chromebook, Thinkpad 11e Chromebook Gen 3</li>

  <li><strong>Medion: </strong>Akoya S2013, Chromebook S2015</li>

  <li><strong>M&amp;A: </strong>Chromebook</li>

  <li><strong>NComputing: </strong>Chromebook CX100</li>

  <li><strong>Nexian: </strong>Chromebook 11.6"</li>

  <li><strong>PCMerge: </strong>Chromebook PCM-116E</li>

  <li><strong>Poin2: </strong>Chromebook 11</li>

  <li><strong>Samsung: </strong>Chromebook 2 11" - XE500C12, Chromebook 3</li>

  <li><strong>Sector 5: </strong>E1 Rugged Chromebook</li>

  <li><strong>Senkatel: </strong>C1101 Chromebook</li>

  <li><strong>Toshiba: </strong>Chromebook 2, Chromebook 2 (2015)</li>

  <li><strong>True IDC: </strong>Chromebook 11</li>

  <li><strong>Viglen: </strong>Chromebook 11</li>

</ul>

page.title=Optimizing Apps for Chromebooks

@jd:body

<div id="qv-wrapper">

    <div id="qv">

      <h2>On this page</h2>

      <ol>

        <li><a href="#update-manifest">Update Your App's Manifest File</a></li>

        <li><a href="#leverage">Leverage Support for Multi-Window Mode</li>

        <li><a href="#keyboard">Support the Keyboard, Trackpad, and Mouse</a></li>

        <li><a href="#backup">Use Backup and Restore Effectively</a></li>

        <li><a href="#update-ndk">Update the NDK Libraries</a></li>

        <li><a href="#support-new-features">Plan Support for New Android Features</a></li>

        <li><a href="#testing">Test Your App</a></li>

        <li><a href="#setup">Set Up ADB</a></li>

        <li><a href="#learning-materials">Additional Learning Materials</a></li>

      </ol>

    </div>

  </div>

<p>

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.

</p>

<h2 id="update-manifest">Update Your App's Manifest File</h2>

<p>

To begin optimizing your Android app for Chromebooks, update your manifest file

(<code>AndroidManifest.xml</code>) to account for some key hardware and software

differences between Chromebooks and other devices running Android.

</p>

<p>

As of Chrome OS version M53, all Android apps that don't explicitly require the

<a

href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-feature-element.html#touchscreen-hw-features"><code>android.hardware.touchscreen</code></a>

feature will also work on Chrome OS devices that support the

<code>android.hardware.faketouch</code> 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 <code>android.hardware.touchscreen</code>

feature is not required, as shown in the following example. You should also

review your mouse and keyboard interactions.

</p>

<pre>

<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>

</pre>

<p>

Different devices often have different sensors available in them. See the <a

href="https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/sensors/sensors_overview.html">Sensors

Overview</a> 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.

</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note</strong>: 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.

</p>

<p>

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 <a

href="{@docRoot}topic/arc/manifest.html#incompat-software-features">incompatible

software features</a>.

</p>

<h2 id="leverage">Leverage Support for Multi-Window Mode</h2>

<p>

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:

<ul>

  <li>

    <strong>Portrait</strong> &ndash; Similar to Nexus 5.

  </li>

  <li>

    <strong>Landscape</strong> &ndash; Similar to Nexus 7.

  </li>

  <li>

    <strong>Maximized</strong> &ndash; Uses all available screen pixels.

  </li>

</ul>

<p>

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.

</p>

<h2 id="keyboard">Support the Keyboard, Trackpad, and Mouse</h2>

<p>

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.

</p>

<p>

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 <strong>Ctrl+P</strong> to open a print dialog.

</p>

<h2 id="backup">Use Backup and Restore Effectively</h2>

<p>

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.

</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Tip: </strong> Although it's not mandatory, backing up

your app's data to the cloud is a good idea.

</p>

<p>

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.

</p>

<h2 id="update-ndk">Update the NDK Libraries</h2>

<p>

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.

</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note: </strong>To view more details on updating NDK

libraries properly, see the <a

href="https://developer.android.com/about/versions/marshmallow/android-6.0-changes.html#behavior-runtime">

Runtime</a> section of the Android 6.0 Changes document.

</p>

<h2 id="support-new-features">Plan Support for New Android Features</h2>

<p>

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.

</p>

<h2 id="testing">Test Your App</h2>

<p>

To <a href="{@docRoot}topic/arc/sideload.html">load</a> your app onto your

Chromebook for testing, you must enter <em>Developer</em> mode on your Chrome OS

device and enable <em>unknown sources</em>. See the <a class="external-link"

href="https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/poking-around-your-chrome-os-device#TOC-Putting-your-Chrome-OS-Device-into-Developer-Mode">

Putting your Chrome OS Device into Developer Mode</a> 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 <strong>Enable

Unknown Sources</strong> under the <em>security in app</em> settings.

</p>

<p>

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 <a

href="{@docRoot}topic/arc/sideload.html#load-app">Load Your App</a> section of

the Loading Apps on Chromebooks page.

</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note: </strong>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 <a

href="{@docRoot}topic/arc/device-support.html">Chrome OS Device Support for

Apps</a> page.</p>

<h2 id="setup">Set Up ADB</h2>

<p>

Before attempting to set up an ADB connection, you must start your Chrome OS in

<a class="external-link"

href="https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/poking-around-your-chrome-os-device">

Developer Mode</a> so that you have the ability to install Android apps on the

Chromebook.

</p>

<p class="caution"><strong>Caution: </strong>After switching your Chrome OS

device to Developer mode, it restarts and clears all existing data on the

device.

</p>

<p>

To set up ADB, complete the following steps:

</p>

<ol>

  <li>

    Press <strong>Ctrl+D</strong> to start your device.

  </li>

  <li>

    Finish the setup process.

  </li>

  <li>

    Log into your test account.

  </li>

  <li>

    Accept the Google Play Store terms and service conditions.

  </li>

</ol>

<h3>Configure the firewall</h3>

<p>

To configure the Chrome OS firewall to allow incoming ADB connections, complete

the following steps:

</p>

<ol>

  <li>

    Press <strong>Ctrl+Alt+T</strong> to start the Chrome OS terminal.

  </li>

  <li>

    Type <strong>shell</strong> to get to the bash command shell:

<pre class="no-pretty-print">

crosh> shell

chronos@localhost / $

</pre>

  </li>

  <li>

    Type the following commands to set up developer features and enable

    disk-write access for the firewall settings changes:

<pre class="no-pretty-print">

chronos@localhost / $ sudo /usr/libexec/debugd/helpers/dev_features_rootfs_verification

chronos@localhost / $ sudo reboot

</pre>

    The <em>sudo reboot</em> command restarts your Chromebook.

<p class="note"><strong>Note</strong>: You can press the <strong>Tab</strong>

key to enable autocompletion of file names.</p>

  </li>

  <li>

    After your device restarts, log in to your test account and type the

    following command to enable the <em>secure shell</em> and configure the

    firewall properly:

<pre class="no-pretty-print">

chronos@localhost / $ sudo /usr/libexec/debugd/helpers/dev_features_ssh

</pre>

    You can now exit out of the shell.

  </li>

</ol>

<p class="note"><strong>Note</strong>: You must complete this procedure only

once on your Chromebook.</p>

<h3>Check the IP address of your Chromebook</h3>

<p>

To verify the IP address of your Chromebook, complete the following steps:

</p>

<ol>

  <li>

    Click the clock icon in the bottom-right area of the screen.

  </li>

  <li>

    Click <strong>Settings</strong>.

  </li>

  <li>

    The <em>Internet Connection</em> section in the Settings area lists all of

    the available networks. Select the one that you want to use for ADB.

  </li>

  <li>

    Take note of the IP address that appears.

  </li>

</ol>

<h3>Enable ADB debugging</h3>

<p>

To enable ADB debugging, complete the following steps:

</p>

<ol>

  <li>

    Click the clock icon in the bottom-right area of the screen.

  </li>

  <li>

    Click <strong>Settings</strong>.

  </li>

  <li>

    In the <em>Android Apps</em> section, click the <strong>Settings</strong>

    link in the line that reads <em>Manage your Android apps in Settings</em>.

    This brings up the Android apps settings.

  </li>

  <li>

    Click <strong>About device</strong>.

  </li>

  <li>

    Click <strong>Build number</strong> seven times to move into Developer mode.

  </li>

  <li>

    Click the arrow in the top-left area of the window to go back to the main

    Settings screen.

  </li>

  <li>

    Click the new <strong>Developer options</strong> item, activate <strong>ADB

    debugging</strong>, and then click <strong>OK</strong> to allow ADB

    debugging.

  </li>

  <li>

    Return to your development machine and use ADB to connect to your

    Chromebook's using its IP address and port 22.

  </li>

  <li>

    On your Chromebook, click <strong>Allow</strong> when prompted whether you

    want to allow the debugger. Your ADB session is established.

  </li>

</ol>

<h4>Troubleshooting ADB debugging</h4>

<p>

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:

</p>

<ol>

  <li>

    Deactivate <strong>ADB debugging</strong> in <em>Developer options</em>.

  </li>

  <li>

    In a terminal window, run <code>adb kill-server</code>.

  </li>

  <li>

    Re-activate the <strong>ADB debugging</strong> option.

  </li>

  <li>

    In a terminal window, attempt to run <code>adb connect</code>.

  </li>

  <li>

    Click <strong>Allow</strong> when prompted whether you want to allow

    debugging. Your ADB session is established.

  </li>

</ol>

<h2 id="learning-materials">Additional Learning Materials</h2>

<p>

To learn more about optimizing your Android apps for Chromebooks, consult the

following resources:

</p>

<ul>

  <li>

    Review the

    <a class="external-link" href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2016/05/bring-your-android-app-to-chromebooks.html">

    Bring your Android App to Chromebooks</a> I/O session.

  </li>

  <li>

    Post a question on the <a class="external-link"

    href="https://plus.sandbox.google.com/+AndroidDevelopers">Android developer

    community</a> with hashtag <em>#AndroidAppsOnChromeOS</em>.

  </li>

</ul>

page.title=Loading Apps on Chromebooks

@jd:body

<div id="qv-wrapper">

    <div id="qv">

      <h2>On this page</h2>

      <ol>

        <li><a href="#enter-dev">Enter Developer Mode</a></li>

        <li><a href="#enable-unknown">Enable Unknown Sources</a></li>

        <li><a href="#load-app">Load Your App</a></li>

      </ol>

    </div>

  </div>

<p>

This document describes how to enter <em>Developer</em> mode and enable

<em>unknown resources</em> so that you can load Android apps on your Google

Chromebook.

</p>

<h2 id="enter-dev">Enter Developer Mode</h2>

<p>

To load Android apps, you must enable unknown sources. Enabling unknown sources

is available only when your device is in Developer mode.

</p>

<p class="caution"><strong>Caution: </strong>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.

</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note: </strong>On most devices, both the

<em>recovery</em> button and the <em>dev-switch</em> button are virtualized. If

these instructions don't work for you, see the <a class="external-link"

href="https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices">

specific instructions for your device</a>.

</p>

<p>

To enter Developer mode, complete these steps:

</p>

<ol>

  <li>

    Invoke <em>Recovery</em> mode by pressing and holding the

    <strong>Esc</strong> and <strong>Refresh (F3)</strong> keys, then pressing

    the <strong>Power</strong> button.

  </li>

  <li>

    When the <em>Recovery</em> screen appears, press <strong>Ctrl+D</strong>.

    There's no prompt for this action, so you must simply complete it.

    Afterwards, you are prompted to confirm and reboot into Developer mode.

  </li>

</ol>

<p>

If you see one of the following screens when you turn on your device, you've

successfully entered Developer mode:

</p>

<img src="{@docRoot}images/topic/arc/sideload_figure_1.jpg" />

<p class="img-caption"><strong>Figure 1. </strong>Developer mode confirmation

screens.</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note</strong>: To skip the OS loading screen, either

wait 30 seconds or press <strong>Ctrl+D</strong>, and your Chromebook continues

starting.

</p>

<h2 id="enable-unknown">Enable Unknown Sources</h2>

<p>

To enable unknown sources, navigate to <strong>Chrome Settings > App Settings >

Security</strong>, then enable <strong>Unknown sources</strong> by moving the

slider to the right.

</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong>You can enable unknown sources only when

your device is in <a

href="{@docRoot}topic/arc/sideload.html#enter-dev">Developer mode</a>.

</p>

<h2 id="load-app">Load Your App</h2>

<p>

After enabling unknown sources, you can load apps by copying an app's APK file

to the <em>Downloads</em> folder and opening it with Android's File Manager app.

</p>

<p>

You can copy the APK file to your Chromebook using one of the following methods:

</p>

<ul>

  <li>

    <strong>Using a cloud app</strong> &ndash; Upload your APK file to Google

    Drive or send it to yourself via email. Open it with the Android app

    equivalent (Drive and Gmail, respectively).

  </li>

  <li>

    <strong>Using an external storage device</strong> &ndash; Transfer the APK

    file to the Downloads folder of your Chromebook using a thumb drive, SD

    card, or an external hard drive. Afterwards, open the Android File Manager

    app by navigating to  <strong>Chrome Settings > App Settings > Device &amp;

    USB > Explore</strong>.

  </li>

  <li>

    <strong>Using ADB</strong> &ndash; After <a

    href="{@docRoot}topic/arc/index.html#setup"> setting up ADB</a> on your

    Chromebook, enter the following command into a terminal window on your

    development workstation:

<pre class="no-pretty-print">

adb install <var>app-name</var>.apk

</pre>

    <p>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 <a

    href="{@docRoot}studio/command-line/adb.html#move">Installing an

    Application</a>.</p>

  </li>

</ul>