Google is preparing a new online ‘App Mall’ to help you discover your next favorite app or game for your Chromebook.
One of the interesting benefits of a Chromebook or ChromeOS tablet is that you have access to three different types of apps. There are, of course, web apps that run in the built-in Chrome browser, many of which can be installed as PWAs. Then you have access to the Google Play Store, which brings the world of Android apps. A higher-end Chromebook can install games via Steam. And finally, you can also install a Linux development environment, offering desktop programs such as Android Studio.
The downside is that you generally can’t find all these apps in one place. Sometimes you can find an Android app from the web or a web app from the Play Store, but that’s not often the case. Meanwhile, you’re unlikely to find many Linux applications to use unless you’re already familiar with the system.
To help with at least some of these issues, it appears that Google is preparing to launch a dedicated “Mall” to help Chromebook owners find new apps. During early testing, the ChromeOS “App Mall” will be locked behind a tag in chrome://flags.
ChromeOS App Mall
Allows the application to detect and install other applications.
#cross-mall
Fortunately, though, we may not need to change any tags to gain access to the new App Mall. Under the hood, the “app” will just be a shortcut to the soon-to-be-launched website: discover.apps.chrome. For now, the website simply returns a 404 error.
It remains to be seen what kinds of software you’ll be able to find in the new ChromeOS App Mall, but it’s a safe bet that at least Android and web apps and games will be included. You can already discover some apps of this type through the built-in “Explore” app, shown below. Hopefully, this new web-based experience will offer a more robust way to discover more of what Chromebooks can do.
What do you wish you could find in the App Mall for Chromebooks? Android and web apps? Linux programs and Steam games? All of the above? Let us know in the comments below.
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