Google has just announced plans to gradually phase out support
for Chrome apps on every platform except for Chrome OS. Starting later this
year, new Chrome apps will be available only to Chrome OS users and won't be
accessible on Windows, Mac, and Linux. (Existing apps will remain available and
can still be updated.) Then, sometime in the second half of 2017, the Chrome
Web Store will no longer display Chrome apps at all on those operating systems.
And come early 2018, you'll no longer be able to load Chrome apps on Windows,
Mac, or Linux at all. Extensions and themes are not at all affected by this
change; in fact, they'll soon be given a much larger focus in the Chrome Web
Store.
That
might sound like a big
deal, but Google says that a very tiny percentage of people are actively using
Chrome apps. "There are two types of Chrome apps: packaged apps and hosted
apps. Today, approximately 1 percent of users on Windows, Mac, and Linux
actively use Chrome packaged apps, and most hosted apps are already implemented
as regular web apps."
The
company's justification for this step is that with the advancements of the open
web, there's no longer any real place or need for Chrome apps. "For a
while there were certain experiences the web couldn’t provide, such as working
offline, sending notifications, and connecting to hardware." According to
Google, most of those functionality holes have been patched, and more
improvements are coming. So the message is clear: move your stuff to the web.
"Developers who can’t fully move their apps to the web can help us
prioritize new APIs to help fill the gaps left by Chrome apps." The tone
is a little different when it comes to Chrome OS, where Google believes they
play a "critical role.
Contact to Spokes Technologies for Software development and Website Development
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