Important Update: Chrome Apps Windows, Mac and Linux OS support end-of life in sight

Chrome apps, the cloud based programs that use the Chrome web browser as a sort of operating system (OS) to run on other computers are running less and less reliably in other desktop operating systems – Windows and Mac most notably. 

Until recently Chrome Apps were available to all PC users regardless of their operating system, as long as they had the Chrome Web Browser, through the Google Web Store. A Chrome App opens as a separate program with its own user interface and interactions whereas extension works within the Chrome web browser.

About a year ago Google had announced that due to low usage it was discontinuing its support of the Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac and Linux OS.   

*You can read the full announcement from Google here.

This has been a phased in process – the apps were removed from the webstore for Windows, Mac and Linux users in late 2017 and then recently Chrome apps stopped running on PCS’s.

But in the AT world Google Apps were used a lot: Clicker Apps, Co:writer; WordQ are some of the common examples. 

Chrome Apps aren’t going away completely, but will work fine on Chromebooks, they won’t be able to use that same app on Windows or Mac PC like they used to. Chrome Apps are now for the Chromebook only which of course are a very popular and growing computing platform in Canadian schools.   

Also Extensions for the Chrome web browser aren’t going anywhere, too.  Chrome’s browser add-ons architecture of extension have proven to be widely popular and will continue being supported by Google on Windows, Mac and Linux. Snap&Read, Co:Writer and/or Kurzweil extensions will continue to work on any computer that runs the Chrome web browser including PC’s and Macs.

Chrome App opens as a separate program with its own user interface and interactions. (Clicker Docs Chrome App above)

Kurzweil Read-the-Web extension above