Google has now made it possible to instal Android apps on Chromebooks without Developer Mode following a recent statement. For developers as well as the Chrome OS enthusiast group, this is genuinely fantastic and groundbreaking. Finally, you can use your Chromebook to instal Android APKs that are not offered on the Play Store without compromising your security. So without further ado, let’s start learning about sideloading Android apps into Chromebooks.
Note:Interested in finding out how to instal Android apps on Android TV? To learn more, refer to our linked guide.
Sideload Android Apps on Chromebook without Developer Mode in 2021
Make sure your Chromebook is updated to Chrome OS 86 or above before we start. From Settings -> About Chrome OS, you can upgrade your Chrome OS build. In addition, keep in mind that you are not need to switch to a different update channel or developer mode. The Stable channel is now where Chromebooks can sideload Android applications.
Set Up ADB on Chromebook
1. Go to Settings and select Linux (Beta) from the option on the left. If you don’t know how to set up Linux on a Chromebook, use our guide to learn how to accomplish so.
2. After configuring Linux, go back to Settings and enable the ADB Debugging toggle under Linux -> Develop Android Apps. Restart your Chromebook at this time, and an ADB prompt will appear. Once you click Allow, you’re done.
Note:You must reboot your Chromebook if the ADB toggle does not turn on. Our computer experienced a similar issue, which was cured by power washing the Chromebook.
3. Next, run the command listed below to instal the ADB platform utilities after opening Terminal from the app drawer.
sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb -y
4. Execute the command listed below to link the Android system with Linux on Chrome OS after the installation. Keep in mind that for this to function, your Chromebook needs to be linked to a WiFi network.
adb connect 100.115.92.2:5555
5. A dialogue to Allow USB Debugging will appear right away.
Activate the Always allow checkbox before clicking the Ok button. You have now successfully constructed the base.
6. Go to Settings -> Apps on the left pane -> Google Play Store -> Manage Android Preferences -> System -> About Device if you receive the error message “Can’t connect to 100.115.92.2:5555 connection rejected.” Continuously click the Build number 7-8 times. The Developer Options will be enabled.
7. Return to the System page and launch Developer Options at this point. Enable ADB Debugging here.
adb start-server
Install Android APK on Chromebook
8.Run the following command and then try the adb connect command again if the Terminal displays Permission Denied or Command Not Found errors.
1. Now that the groundwork has been done, go ahead and get the Android APK that isn’t on the Play Store and transfer it to Linux files. I downloaded the Firefox APK, for instance, to instal it on my Chromebook without using Developer Mode.
To make it easier to type the downloaded APK in the Terminal, rename it to something shorter.
adb install firefox.apk
2. Start the computer and
adb -s emulator-5554 install firefox.apk
To sideload the Android app on Chrome OS, enter the command below. You will need to substitute another app name for “firefox” in your situation.
Install Any Android App on Your Chromebook
3. Run the command using the syntax listed below if you receive an error stating that there are many devices or emulators. The firefox part has to be changed here.
4. Locate the Android app you just installed by opening the app drawer. Remember that the Android app is not executing in a Linux container and is instead using the ART (Android Run Time) framework. As a result, the performance is excellent and comparable to that of other Play Store-downloaded apps. Enjoy!