Last week was a hack appeared on the Web to allow to run Android apps on a PC or a Chromebook with Chrome. We've put together a tutorial to explain how to get Android apps on a PC or a Chromebook.
Applications abound on Windows, OS X or Linux. But the Android Play Store is full of little nuggets we would love to see turn on a computer. It is possible for about a week due to the work Vladikoff developer who managed to bring the ARC virtual machine (equivalent to ART for Chrome OS) for the Chrome browser. With it, Android applications can be launched from Chrome on Windows, OS X, Linux and even Chrome OS. Google had opened the door a few days before wearing 4 applications for Chrome OS. For the impatient, the method described below will overstep the limits imposed by Google, namely compatibility with 4 applications at the moment and only for Chromebooks.
First, regardless of your operating system, you must ensure that you have the version 37 or newer Chrome browser. For Chromebook, only the last step is necessary.
1: Download the extension Archon Custom Runtime on this page. According to our tests, Windows 8.1 64-bit, version 1.0 while working on OS X Mavericks 64-bit, we had to download version 1.1 for x86 32-bit Chrome. If your applications do not work later (in step 3), so try different versions of Archon available. For ARM Chromebooks base, it will download the ARM version of the extension, currently in version 1.1.
2: Unzip the file you just downloaded, open Chrome, go to Tools -> Extensions, enable developer mode top right, click Load unpacked extension and select the newly unzipped folder. A new extension called Archon Custom Runtime in the list with an error message in red. I do not consider this is normal and it will not change the operation of Android applications.
3: Then perform the same operation for each Android application you want to "install" in Chrome: download the app, unpack the archive, import it into Chrome from the panel extensions and then run it from the same panel (or from the application list in the top left of Chrome).
Download compatible applications
We have seen how to install the ARC VM and Android apps in Chrome and now need to successfully get Android apps, modified to run on Chrome. There are two solutions: either you manually edit the APK to make it compatible, or you enjoy the goodness of Internet users who have already completed the transaction and have the application ready for use online. On Reddit, there are many topics that provide ready-made applications. A Google Doc tries to identify Android apps already modified by users to work with Chrome, with direct download links. In this table, only applications using the Archon runtime are compatible with Chrome on Windows, OS X and Linux. Applications using the Google runtime will only work on the Chromebook.
Caution: if some applications work well, others do not like at all to run under Chrome. Thus, one can expect some bugs or downright pure and simple impossibility to launch the application. If an application is not listed, you can change yourself the APK to turn it into Google Chrome extension.
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