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54m ago

Google Confirms Merge of Android and Chrome OS Into Unified Platform

Testing of Android’s desktop mode with windowed apps, coupled with Linux terminal support, signals the next phase of the Chrome OS–Android unification.

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© Raymond Wong / Gizmodo
Google appears to be testing Android’s desktop mode, including windowing tools and Linux terminal support.
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Overview

  • Sameer Samat confirmed that Chrome OS will cease to exist as a standalone system and that future Chromebooks and tablets will run on an Android-based platform.
  • Google has begun testing Android’s desktop mode, featuring resizable windows and integrated Linux terminal support for productivity tasks.
  • The effort builds on groundwork laid since early 2024, including merging key Android kernel components into Chrome OS and Android 16’s desktop enhancements.
  • A unified codebase is intended to streamline engineering, accelerate feature rollouts and reduce fragmentation across phones, tablets and laptops.
  • No consumer rollout date has been announced and Google warns that the full transition to the unified OS may take several years.