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I have tryed to export android apk files into Chrome OS using this google manual with ARC Welder application. My applications seems to be ok on emulator. But Google Chrome on Windows can not download these applications as Chrome Apps. It says they are incompatible with Windows Google Chrome.

In android manifest I have set these code for compatibility with Android 4.4. Does it need any additional steps to make application compatible also with Windows Google Chrome browser to work as an app (not only Chrome OS devices)?

<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="19" android:targetSdkVersion="19" />

Compatibility

Community
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mira
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  • I don't think it's possible. As far as I can tell, Google wants to restrict those apps to Chrome OS for purely marketing reasons. They specifically say in the docs _"lets you run your favorite Android apps on Chrome OS"_ – Xan Apr 13 '15 at 09:35
  • So if I export Android application to Chrome OS, it will work only on Chrome OS devices, but it will not work as Google Chrome browser extension on Windows ? – mira Apr 13 '15 at 09:42
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    App, not extension. Correct. See my answer for a better explanation. – Xan Apr 13 '15 at 09:43
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    I reported this as a Chromium bug, so we shall see what response that gets. https://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=476967 feel free to comment on it if I got something wrong in describing the problem. – user7610 Apr 14 '15 at 20:21
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    @user7610 So, the answer from Google is a big **NOPE**. – Xan Apr 26 '15 at 23:53

3 Answers3

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I don't think it's possible (officially).

As far as I can tell, Google wants to restrict those apps to Chrome OS. They specifically say in the docs:

The App Runtime for Chrome (Beta), or ARC, lets you run your favorite Android apps on Chrome OS.

Technically, ARC uses Native Client (NaCl), which is not portable between platforms. Since there are Chromebooks that run x86 instead of ARM, that does not apply.

Since testing is possible on other platforms, the technology is capable of producing other NaCl binaries, but the exported result is restricted.

Hypothetically, this must be mostly due to marketing reasons - providing an attractive and exclusive feature to the Chrome OS platform. One can argue, however, it's for compatibility reasons too.

Xan
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  • Not sure if I understand . Once more: exported application is something difference then Google Chrome extension ? I think if something work on Chrome OS in should work as extension on Google Chrome as extension on Windows. If I want prepare application for Chrome I will have two apps - one for Chrome OS and second for Google Chrome ? – mira Apr 13 '15 at 10:05
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    [App](https://developer.chrome.com/apps/about_apps), not extension. It's different from typical apps/extensions, because it uses [NaCl](https://developer.chrome.com/native-client). NaCl is [not portable between platforms](https://developer.chrome.com/native-client/devguide/distributing#non-portable-native-client), so the result really can only be used on Chrome OS. And Google _artificially_ limits export to Chrome OS only. – Xan Apr 13 '15 at 10:10
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    Come to think of it, NaCl architecture limitation probably does not apply. But again. Google only says that apps will run on Chrome OS, on the very top of their documentation. You can test/develop on any OS, but publishing will only allow Chrome OS, at least for now. – Xan Apr 13 '15 at 10:13
  • One can install the *Android Runtime for Chrome (Beta)* app on all platforms, not just Chrome OS. Head to https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/app-runtime-for-chrome-be/mfaihdlpglflfgpfjcifdjdjcckigekc and click the button. – user7610 Apr 14 '15 at 11:52
  • @user7610 Your point being? CWS will still restrict deployment of ARC-welded apps. This is downloadable so that ARC Welder itself can work, and I agree that the apps _could_ work on other platforms. However, this is the question specifically about publishing apps that are obtained with ARC Welder. – Xan Apr 14 '15 at 11:53
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Chrome Web Store currently allows installation of ARC apps only to Chrome OS devices.

I think not allowing the installs on non-Chrome OS devices is an oversight on part of Google that will be amended soon. Until few weeks ago, Chrome OS was the only supported platform for ARC apps and Chrome Web Store has not been yet updated. As far as I know, ARC has not yet been even released as a product.

As a temporary measure you might consider announcing your app on Reddit. r/chromeapks is a community of people who play with ARC and are perfectly willing to "sideload" ("Load unpacked extension") Chrome Apps. This assumes your app is interesting for the kind of people who frequent that subreddit. Wikipedia has more about this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_App_Runtime_for_Chrome#Community_efforts

user7610
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  • _"will be amended soon"_ - what makes you think that? – Xan Apr 14 '15 at 12:16
  • The reasons you suggested for it not being amended soon seem not good enough to me. ARC is essentially an Android simulator, like Apple has for iOS. It is built on top of NaCL/Pepper. NaCL/Pepper is is pretty much the same on both Chrome OS and WIndows/Linux/MacOS devices running Chrome (it's a compatibility layer, after all), therefore there are not any "compatibility reasons" to speak of. Next, keeping ARC Chrome OS exclusive for marketing reasons does not seem plausible either. Google sells ads. How would Chrome OS exclusive features help sell more ads? Therefore I'm staying optimistic. – user7610 Apr 14 '15 at 16:41
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The reason is that the development machine that you used had chrome build version higher than the chrome version on the machine that you tried to download on. Try altering the chrome build number in manifest of the zip file that you downloaded from arc welder

Dipendra
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  • This is the problem I faced myself. Do not downvote if you didn't test it. – Dipendra Apr 20 '15 at 12:49
  • Sorry, but this does not work. My actual Chrome is version 42 and manifest is configured to version 41. App is still incompatible. Perhaps this can work in some cases but not this one. – mira Apr 21 '15 at 08:04