You'll soon be able to use your Android phone apps on your Chromebook
The feature could begin rolling out to users as soon as later this week.
- An upcoming Chrome OS feature let users you launch apps from your phone.
- It will be a part of Chrome OS' Phone Hub feature.
- Google may launch the feature alongside the Pixel 6 series phones on October 19.
Google is working on a new feature that will allow you to launch apps from your phone on the best Chromebooks, according to reputed tipster Mishaal Rahman.
Coming soon: Launching apps from your phone on Chromebooks. When you receive a notification on your phone that's forwarded to your Chromebook, you can click on it on the PC to launch it in a window. pic.twitter.com/j9UEYuR7TW
- Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) October 18, 2021
As can be seen in the screenshot above, the feature will let you "temporarily use apps right from your phone" when a notification on your phone is forwarded to your Chromebook. While it isn't clear exactly how the feature will work, users will apparently be able to click on the notification to launch the app in a new window.
Even though the option to enable the feature appears to have made its way to some users already, it doesn't work as intended right now. The feature is going to be part of Chrome OS' Phone Hub feature and could possibly be announced at Google's Pixel 6 launch event on October 19.
As hinted by a recent commit added to the Chromium Gerrit, Google is also working on making it possible for users to take phone calls on their Chromebooks.
The ability to take phone calls is expected to be tied to another upcoming feature that will let users mirror their phone screen to their Chromebook. Both the features are expected to be limited to Google's Pixel phones when they first launch.
Microsoft's Your Phone app, which was introduced in 2018, already lets users take phone calls and mirror their phone's screen on their Windows 10 PCs. However, the app is only compatible with Microsoft's Surface Duo series and the best Samsung phones.
Phone Hub was added to Chrome OS in March this year, along with a bunch of other features. Currently, the feature lets you check the battery status or mobile signal, enable hotspot, sync notifications, and locate your phone.