Google is finally killing off Chrome apps, which nobody really used anyhow

Extensions will still be supported, though

By Jay Peters
on January 15, 2020 8:46 pm

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Today, Google shared an updated timeline for when Chrome apps will stop working on all platforms. June 2022 is when they’ll be gone for good, but it depends on which platform you’re on (via 9to5Google). Previously, we knew that Chrome apps someday wouldn’t work on Windows, macOS, and Linux, but today, Google revealed that Chrome apps will eventually stop working on Chrome OS, too.

A Chrome app is a web-based app that you can install in Chrome that looks and functions kind of like an app you’d launch from your desktop. Take this one for the read-it-later app Pocket, for example — when you install it, it opens in a separate window that makes it seem as if Pocket is functioning as its own app.

You probably aren’t using Chrome apps anyway

You probably don’t need to worry about the death of Chrome apps messing up your browsing experience too much. At this point, most apps on the web are just regular web apps, which is why you’ll be able to keep using Pocket without issue in much the same way by navigating to https://getpocket.com/. In rarer cases, you might also be using Progressive Web Apps, which are basically websites that are cached to your device so they can have some offline functionality and be launched like an app. Some Chrome apps you have installed may already redirect to websites, like many of Google’s apps. And Chrome extensions are also different from Chrome apps, and those will keep working just fine.

There’s a pretty decent chance you’re not using any real Chrome apps at all, even if you use web apps all the time. When Google first announced all the way back in 2016 that it would end support for Chrome apps on Windows, macOS, and Linux, it said approximately one percent of users on those platforms were actively using packaged Chrome apps. That was nearly four years ago, and web developers have moved on.

If you do use Chrome apps, they will stop working much sooner on Windows, macOS, or Linux than they will on Chrome OS. Here’s Google’s timeline:

March 2020: Chrome Web Store will stop accepting new Chrome Apps. Developers will be able to update existing Chrome Apps through June 2022.

June 2020: End support for Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Customers who have Chrome Enterprise and Chrome Education Upgrade will have access to a policy to extend support through December 2020.

December 2020: End support for Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

June 2021: End support for NaCl, PNaCl, and PPAPI APIs.

June 2021: End support for Chrome Apps on Chrome OS. Customers who have Chrome Enterprise and Chrome Education Upgrade will have access to a policy to extend support through June 2022.

June 2022: End support for Chrome Apps on Chrome OS for all customers.

To break that down a bit:

At some point in June 2020, Chrome apps will stop working on Windows, macOS, and Linux, unless you have Chrome Enterprise or Chrome Education Upgrade, which lets you use Chrome apps for six more months.
If you’re on Chrome OS, Chrome apps will work until June 2021. Again, if you have Chrome Enterprise or Chrome Education Upgrade, Google says you can use Chrome apps for an additional year.

Originally, Chrome apps were supposed to stop working on Windows, macOS, and Linux in early 2018, but in December 2017, when Google removed the Chrome apps section from the Chrome Web Store, it pushed that early 2018 deadline to an unspecified date in the future. Now, more than three years later, we finally know when Chrome apps won’t work on those platforms — and when they won’t work on any platform at all.

Comments

This one is best sent to the crematorium and given to the nearby trees instead of the Google graveyard. No one will pay their respects.

By NothingUnknown on 01.15.20 9:12pm

This just makes total sense, especially since progressive web apps are basically programs that run just like regular, or local programs, but with all the security of a sandboxed environment, only through the web.

By sgodsell on 01.16.20 11:35pm

Oh man, I miss the old Hangouts Chrome App with its little circular bubbles for people you were chatting to…

By death_au on 01.15.20 9:18pm

Still have a few installed, notably the Play Music one which is necessary to upload music (but Google is deprecating Play Music in favour of YouTube Music anyways, and seems to be taking a similar tactic as with Inbox where they’ve claimed they’ll port over all the features from Play Music but as time ticks on they haven’t and seem decreasingly likely to).

By KeithZG on 01.15.20 9:48pm

You could actually just download an exe and upload your music library. It is significantly better than the chrome app.

By Demios on 01.15.20 10:47pm

I could have sworn Play Music Manager was only available for Windows, but apparently there’s Linux packages to download too! I should indeed do that, thanks (the Chrome app was always a bit flaky for uploading, particularly if the source files were FLAC, hopefully this will be better).

By KeithZG on 01.17.20 7:14pm

So talking about Pocket specifically, what about the extension? I use that to right-click save. is that part of the app?

By HearIsMatt on 01.15.20 10:03pm

No that’s part of the extension. That functionality will stay.

By bejank on 01.16.20 7:25am

No one uses them? That seems like a pretty ignorant narrative. I am a Chromebook power user and I have 19 Chrome Apps currently installed, and about half of them don’t have an acceptable replacement option at this time.

By mogarchy on 01.15.20 10:19pm

Congratulations on being in a group that is a negligible fraction of a percentage. That’s what no one means.

By Demios on 01.15.20 10:49pm

That’s not what no one means, but perhaps it does when you’re writing in the Verge’s cool, detached tone.

By Prime on 01.15.20 10:56pm

It… actually is precisely what "nobody" means… A person, or persons (nobodies), of little to no importance or value.

It’s the opposite of somebody. A person, or persons (somebodies), or importance or stature.

By BulletTooth_Tony on 01.15.20 11:18pm

I see, I see. But you left out the part where you asked him for his wallet after claiming he doesn’t exist. Gotta follow the whole playbook.

By ldrn on 01.16.20 4:36am

Where’s the wallet come in on a free product?

By BulletTooth_Tony on 01.16.20 11:00am

Congratulations on not understanding that words can be used in forms that aren’t literal?

By Demios on 01.18.20 3:28am

Nice presumption. The article clearly states the 1% was back in 2016. I never saw that EOL statement and use chrome apps. Not sure if I used them in 2016. Also not terribly sure I believe google on their measurement.

By TheVergeUn on 01.16.20 10:59am

Approximately since you wanna get literal. Could be right, could be wrong. Nice try at a gotcha though.

By Demios on 01.18.20 3:31am

I’m not even a Chromebook user, but I’ve enjoyed plenty of Chrome apps like Wunderlist and Google Keep over the years. Wish they were sticking around.

By Prime on 01.15.20 10:56pm

Isn’t Google Keep an extension? Rather than a Chrome App?

By ench on 01.16.20 12:15pm

Nope, it’s an app. If you look under your Extensions, at the bottom is a section for Chrome Apps, and Keep is definitely there. (Also why it gets a separate menu entry in desktop OSes, at least on Windows and Linux.)

By KeithZG on 01.17.20 7:15pm

I’ve never used it, I was just looking it up on the store and its listed under extensions for some reason

By ench on 01.17.20 9:27pm

Google did announce its death in 2016 so at least they gave plenty of time.

And it’s Google that doesn’t value you who likes to use Chrome apps still. They saw the 1% usage and still said it’s being killed.

By NothingUnknown on 01.16.20 1:43am

right, it’s like The Verge is the rebellious teenager version of Ars Technica. The Verge loves to add a negative emotional spin to gain those extra clicks. Ars headline doesn’t go down the path of trying to hit people’s emotions: "Google gives Chrome OS Apps a shutdown date"

By JanZ on 01.16.20 9:48am

I mean, people can have emotions about things.
It’s annoying that Google kills off so many products. Part of their whole approach and business model, yes, so not surprising at all. But still annoying.

By ::er on 01.16.20 1:11pm