Android Apps Can Be Ported To Desktop Platforms Using ARC Welder

A few months back Google had revealed its ARC or the App Runtime for Chrome that allows Android apps to run on Chrome OS. Back then only a handful developers such as Vine and Evernote were given the access to port their apps using the ARC. Recently Google has opened up the ARC for everyone with the launch of its ARC Welder app for Chrome OS. This Chrome app is available for download on the Chromebooks as well as Chrome browsers for PC, Mac and Linux. Once installed, the ARC Welder serves as a tool to test out and publish Android apps to Chrome OS using the App Runtime for Chrome which is currently in its beta form.


Google’s ARC Beta runs Android apps on Chrome OS, Windows, Mac, and Linux | Ars Technica who had managed to test out a hack in the original release in September had found out that there were some flaws in the system. The biggest problem at that time was that the applications ported to Chrome OS missed out on Google Play components that were essential for smooth running of an application. Apps which required Google Play services such as OAuth logins, Maps, in-app purchases, cloud-to-device messaging, Play Games support immediately crashed. Google has addressed these issues by including a couple of Google Play services such as Auth (OAuth2), GCM, Google+ sign-in, Maps, Location and Ads in the ARC Welder App.

The biggest advantage of this system made by Google will be that Android developers can take their applications not just to Chromebooks but also to the millions of people who are using the Google Chrome browser on desktops. To know more about the ARC Welder, you can visit the extension page on the #-Link-Snipped-#, its documentation on the #-Link-Snipped-# and its coverage on #-Link-Snipped-# and Developers Can Now Bring Their Android Apps to Chrome OS - OMG! Chrome!