Google’s new ‘Add to Chromebook’ badge makes installing web apps easier

Google is creating a new “Add to Chromebook” badge designed to make it easier for ChromeOS users to find and install progressive web apps (PWAs) and Android apps. The badge takes you directly to the web app you want to install or to the Google Play Store (if it’s an Android app), 9to5Google reports.

In a video of the Google I/O session Regarding ChromeOS, the presenter says that many people looking for apps start with a Google search and end up on developer sites – a great place to display an Add to Chromebook badge and drive ChromeOS users to the app. There isn’t much of a barrier when it comes to finding and installing Android apps on a Chromebook, as most people go straight to the Play Store to install them.

However, web apps often end up as just another Chrome website tab as it is unclear how to install the web application for Chromebook (you need to click on the icon in the top right corner of Chrome). The big advantage of PWAs is that they can be almost as comprehensive as a full app and can run offline, but they load faster. If you install them directly on the home screen of a computer or smartphone, they will be almost indistinguishable from a regular app. The new “Add to Chromebook” badge makes people much more likely to find and install these apps.

Google notes that there are more than 100 million monthly web app users on Chrome browsers (all platforms, including ChromeOS), so there are plenty of opportunities for developers to get their apps onto computers.