Google will end support for Chrome apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux

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.

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Google Chrome will start blocking all Flash content next month

Flash was an integral part of the internet in years past, but it has also been a drag on performance and the source of a great many security vulnerabilities. Today, HTML5 is a better way to get the same sort of interactive content running on the web, and it works on mobile devices. The next phase in Adobe Flash’s agonizingly slow demise starts next month when Google Chrome begins blocking all Flash content.

This will come as part of the Chrome 53 update, which should be available in early September. Chrome 53 will block all the small, non-visible Flash elements on web pages. These are usually tacking platforms and page analytics, but they can slow down page loads just like larger Flash content. This is not Google’s first attempt to de-emphasize Flash on the web. Last year in Chrome 52, Google made most Flash content “click-to-play.”

So, what’s different now? In Chrome 52, the Flash block only applied to Flash objects that were above a certain size, but now that’s being extended to smaller Flash objects. The previous restriction was in place because at the time, there was no reliable way to detect viewability. Now, Chrome’s intersection observer API allows that. You will have the option to enable Flash objects on a page if they are necessary for the experience. If non-visible Flash objects are blocked, an icon in the address bar will alert you.

Google says that all Chrome users will see a benefit from this move. All the Flash objects loading in the background can make page loading sluggish. If you’re on a laptop, Flash also gobbles up power and reduces your battery life. Flash’s innate inefficiency is why it never took off on mobile devices.

While Flash content will be blocked in general, Google is making a temporary exception for some popular sites that still rely heavily upon Flash. Those include Facebook, Twitch, and Yahoo, among others. You’ll be prompted to enable Flash on these sites when loading them, but Google plans to phase out the Flash whitelist over time. When Chrome 55 rolls out in December, HTML5 will become the default experience. It’s not clear how exactly that will affect the whitelist.

The writing is on the wall for Flash; it’s not just Google waging a war on the archaic plug-in. Firefox 48 was announced last week with some Flash content being click-to-play and all Flash being blocked by default in 2017. Even Microsoft is cutting Flash off at the knees. In the Windows 10 anniversary update, Edge uses click-to-play for non-essential Flash elements. Another year or two and we’ll be all done with this.

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Android apps are now available on Chrome OS beta channel, still limited to three devices

Android apps arrived on Chromebooks with Chrome OS 53 in June, but as we noted during our initial hands-on, the developer channel was still quite buggy and not recommended for use as a daily driver. While the Play Store is still limited to three Chromebooks, version 53 has entered the beta channel with some much needed stability.

After Chrome OS has updated, the Play Store will immediately launch and ask users to agree to terms and conditions. Users will be asked to sign into the Google Account they’d like to use the Play Store with. Most apps, including those from third-party developers, perform just fine, but all are still prone to occasional crashes and lag.

I noticed a few bugs, but the browser part of Chrome OS feels more stable. Android apps and the Play Store are still only available on the Acer R11, Asus Flip, and 2015 Chromebook Pixel. To be on the safe side, I would still caution those who use their Chromebook for daily work to avoid Android apps until the final stable version, expected later this year.

Other changes coming as part of Chrome OS 53 include a new Material overview mode that places windows in cards and provides better labeling. Additionally, the search functionality is more visible, as is the ability to use the arrow keys to navigate around windows. Other changes include a new, more detailed storage manager in Settings.

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