Rumors in late 2024 claimed Google was planning to merge ChromeOS with Android. At the time, a report suggested the company would undertake a “multi-year project to fully transition ChromeOS into Android,” though it never officially announced this. That’s changing now, with a high-level Google executive confirming the move.
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Sameer Samat, the President of the Android Ecosystem at Google, asked TechRadar’s Lance Ulanoff why he was using a MacBook Pro, Apple Watch, and iPhone to understand the how, why, and, more importantly, the apps he uses to manage these devices. In response to the reporter’s query, the executive revealed that Google will merge ChromeOS and Android into one.
“I asked because we’re going to be combining ChromeOS and Android into a single platform, and I am very interested in how people are using their laptops these days and what they’re getting done,” Samat said. That’s as official as things can get.
There’s still a lot we don’t know. However, Samat’s question to Ulanoff makes it clear that Google is looking at ways to improve the cross-device experience in the merged ChromeOS-Android platform.
Earlier in 2024, Google had announced it was merging parts of the Android kernel into ChromeOS for faster AI integration. It seems the company will now build on this integration and completely merge ChromeOS into Android.
Chromebooks running Android?
If anything, we might eventually see Google shipping Chromebooks running this unified operating system, featuring even better compatibility with Android apps and deeper integration with Android phones. A leak even suggested Google was working on a Pixel Laptop, internally codenamed “Snowy,” with a premium look and feel.
With recent releases, Google has added several desktop-like features to Android. The first Quarterly Platform Release of Android 16 later this year will only make things better, adding a desktop mode for multi-window multitasking on external screens. The feature will also come to tablets, making them a better desktop alternative for most users.
Again, we could be years off before Google completes its ChromeOS merger with Android. So, don’t get your hopes up high of the company announcing anything on this front at its rumored mid-August Pixel 10 launch event.