O Google announced today in a post published on the official Chromium blog that he is starting his plan to end Chrome apps on Mac, Windows and Linux. Only Chrome OS will continue with applications “in the foreseeable future,” according to the company.
With the decision, says Google, new apps will be available only for the Chrome OS platform from the end of this year, although existing apps can still be updated; at some point in the second half of 2017, the Chrome Web Store will no longer make apps available for Mac, Windows and Linux. In early 2018, the final nail of the coffin will be hit and Chrome on these platforms will no longer support applications.
Not affected by the change are extensions and themes, which are much of the appeal of Google Chrome to the contrary, with the end of apps the other two categories will gain much more prominence in the Web Store, according to Google.
The Mountain View giant justifies that less than 1% of Chrome users on Mac, Windows and Linux currently use applications, and the change will be beneficial to simplify use and the browser interface following the philosophy that led them to file the browser’s App Launcher recently.
In addition, Google says that, with the advances of the open internet, the reason for existing apps for Chrome becomes unjustified. If before it was impossible to replicate certain experiences and resources within a browser window, such as offline operation, notifications and connection to devices, now all of this is a reality for developers; therefore, the company encourages them to move these features to the web instead of limiting them to dying applications.
Regarding developers who are unable to move all the functionality of their apps to the internet, Google asks them to help prioritize the creation of new APIs that “fill the holes left by Chrome apps”.
(via Engadget)
