Google announced on Friday, August 19, 2016 that company will stop supporting Chrome apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux in 2008. While Chrome extensions and themes will not be affected, while Chrome apps will continue to live on in Chrome OS. Google launched Chrome apps three years ago. The reason behind it – people are not using these apps as per expectations.
According to Google-
“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.”
Google has already removed the notification center from Chrome in December 2015 and Chrome app launcher from its browser on Windows, Mac and Linux in July 2016.
Google VP of product development Rahul Roy Chowdhury said-
“As the capabilities of the web continue to grow, we’re excited to see what developers build next. Alongside other browser vendors, we remain committed to investment in the web and enabling users and developers to benefit from its openness and reach.”
Google says that developers should just migrate their current Chrome apps to the web. Company added Web has matured enough to support experiences that used to require dedicated offline apps, such as sending notifications or connecting to hardware. The company is keeping native apps on Chrome OS, which play a “critical role,” because there is some advantage to them, but that’s simply by virtue that Chrome OS can only run Chrome apps.
About the deprecation timeline, company confirms-
Late 2016:- Chrome apps will not be available to Windows, Mac, and Linux users which are newly published (i.e. when developers submit apps to the Chrome Web Store, they will only show up for Chrome OS).All other existing Chrome apps will remain available as they are today and developers can continue to update them.
Second half of 2017: The Chrome Web Store will no longer show Chrome apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Early 2018: Google will stop the feature to load the Chrome apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Stay tuned with us for more news and updates.
