Google removing support for Chrome Apps in Mac browser by 2018

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AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Mac Software
Google is continuing a migration away from Chrome apps, and has revealed a plan to cut packaged and hosted apps from its standalone Web browser in the next two years.




The company has declared that starting in late 2016, newly-published Chrome apps will only be available to users on Chrome OS. Existing Chrome apps will remain accessible on all platforms, and developers can continue to update them.

However, by the end of 2017, the Chrome Web Store will no longer show Chrome apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux. By early 2018, people on these platforms will no longer be able to load the apps at all.

All types of Chrome apps will remain supported and maintained on Chrome OS for the foreseeable future. Additional enhancements to the Chrome apps platform will apply only to Chrome OS devices.

Google claims that only one percent of Mac and Linux users actively utilize Chrome packaged apps. Developers are encouraged to migrate the apps to the Web, and invited to participate in a process to select APIs for migration.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    Good and %1 Mac users sounds way too generous. 
    tallest skil
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  • Reply 2 of 20
    volcanvolcan Posts: 1,799member
    cali said:
    Good and %1 Mac users sounds way too generous. 
    Well according to Wikipedia even less use Chrome OS, 0.38%. Not sure what Google's strategy is here. Perhaps Chrome apps are just a major fail.
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  • Reply 3 of 20
    jkichlinejkichline Posts: 1,369member
    As if I needed another reason not to develop on Google platforms...
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  • Reply 4 of 20
    [Deleted User][deleted user] Posts: 0
    The user and all related content has been deleted.
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  • Reply 5 of 20
    adrayvenadrayven Posts: 460member
    volcan said:
    cali said:
    Good and %1 Mac users sounds way too generous. 
    Well according to Wikipedia even less use Chrome OS, 0.38%. Not sure what Google's strategy is here. Perhaps Chrome apps are just a major fail.
    Which confuses me to no end.. how can they claim 'massive adaption' in schools with Chrome Books that use Chrome OS, and be at such a low number? Somethings fishy with the stats. I've yet to see a Chromebook in the wild myself. I see them sitting lonely in Best Buy on a table with absolutely no one looking at them.
    TomE
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  • Reply 6 of 20
    APPLEsiderapplesider Posts: 6member
    Sorry Google I already delete Chrome from my MAC". I know you guys already stop support for chrome apps for mac . i know its too early ...Sorry
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  • Reply 7 of 20
    MacPromacpro Posts: 19,873member
    Don't forget to use AppCleaner to make sure you get all the roots Google added to your Macs when Google Chrome was installed and run.


    suddenly newtonpscooter63tallest skillatifbp
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  • Reply 8 of 20
    slprescottslprescott Posts: 765member
    While this article is about Chrome apps, it's worth noting that the Chrome browser is #1 in terms of usage (approx. 45% share) according to this chart on Wikipedia:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers#/media/File:Usage_share_of_web_browsers_(Source_StatCounter).svg


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  • Reply 9 of 20
    holyoneholyone Posts: 398member
    AppleInsider said:
    Google is continuing a migration away from Chrome apps, and has revealed a plan to cut packaged and hosted apps from its standalone Web browser in the next two years.




    The company has declared that starting in late 2016, newly-published Chrome apps will only be available to users on Chrome OS. Existing Chrome apps will remain accessible on all platforms, and developers can continue to update them.

    However, by the end of 2017, the Chrome Web Store will no longer show Chrome apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux. By early 2018, people on these platforms will no longer be able to load the apps at all.

    All types of Chrome apps will remain supported and maintained on Chrome OS for the foreseeable future. Additional enhancements to the Chrome apps platform will apply only to Chrome OS devices.

    Google claims that only one percent of Mac and Linux users actively utilize Chrome packaged apps. Developers are encouraged to migrate the apps to the Web, and invited to participate in a process to select APIs for migration.
    Thanks Goog now sod off BTW :OS crome sounds way better than Crome OS doesn't it ? Crome OS kinda explans what kind of OS? Crome whilst OS crome has the same ring as OSX and though it's macOS now the word crome doesn't have the same sexiness.
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  • Reply 10 of 20
    hittrj01hittrj01 Posts: 753member
    digitalclips said:
    Don't forget to use AppCleaner to make sure you get all the roots Google added to your Macs when Google Chrome was installed and run.


    I love AppCleaner, but it still unfortunately doesn't grab everything. For example, Chrome apps are still in the user application folder, and there are still a lot of things in the Library directory that have to be manually cleared out. AppCleaner gets a lot, just not everything.
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 11 of 20
    phone-ui-guyphone-ui-guy Posts: 1,019member
    cali said:
    Good and %1 Mac users sounds way too generous. 
    It is probably supposed to be 1% of Mac users using Chrome and not total Mac users.
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  • Reply 12 of 20
    ajmasajmas Posts: 604member
    Given the nature of these apps, they could probably be migrated to Electron? Electron is a solution for writing desktop applications using NodeJS and HTML5 technologies. One example of an application written this way is Visual Studio Code (source code).
     0Likes 0Dislikes 0Informatives
  • Reply 13 of 20
    cjcoopscjcoops Posts: 112member
    I removed Google Earth (haven't used it for years anyway...) and also Chrome after reading this article on Macworld about Google's hidden software updater on a Mac...

    http://www.macworld.com/article/3109937/web-apps/get-rid-of-google-earth-update-helper-pop-ups-by-uninstalling-googles-hidden-software-updater.html


    Oh, and when I removed Chrome, using Appcleaner (after deleting the folders as per the link above) there was 3Gb of associated cr@p with chrome... wtf? I very, very rarely used it. (Have the latest Opera instead as a backup).
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  • Reply 14 of 20
    curtis hannahcurtis hannah Posts: 1,834member
    Sounds like killing chrome os, and the pointless chrome apps.
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  • Reply 15 of 20
    maciekskontaktmaciekskontakt Posts: 1,169member
    cali said:
    Good and %1 Mac users sounds way too generous. 
    I suggest statistics on use in the USA between private users. What's used by corporate world is irrelevant as you do not install apps by company policies (that possiblitiy is blocked frequently). So market share of relevant Mac users is way more than you quoted. You have blurry picture because of poor number interprettation. It is all about context for numbers.
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  • Reply 16 of 20
    maciekskontaktmaciekskontakt Posts: 1,169member
    slprescott said:
    While this article is about Chrome apps, it's worth noting that the Chrome browser is #1 in terms of usage (approx. 45% share) according to this chart on Wikipedia:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers#/media/File:Usage_share_of_web_browsers_(Source_StatCounter).svg


    Again it depends on context. Chrome is probably not No. 1 in corporate use as corporations (US Finance) may be still madating use and development for Internet Explorer. That is changing with support of some frameworks and move to mobile devices. Nevertheless finance, insurance and few otrherws are not really mobile as heavily regulated with some fears. In fact I work in the middle of finance related to Wall Street and thi is first time Chrome is declared main comapny browser, but restricted so do not think you could easily install your preferred apps or extensions anyway. Most of folks here either rely on absolute numbers and do not take market segements into account and that impacts trends heavily. Without that context absolute numbers mean nothing.
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  • Reply 17 of 20
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member
    Bye then!
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  • Reply 18 of 20
    gofastergofaster Posts: 21member
    If I use Chrome Apps I use them in the Chrome browser. I don't use them in Safari.
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  • Reply 19 of 20
    MacPromacpro Posts: 19,873member
    hittrj01 said:
    Don't forget to use AppCleaner to make sure you get all the roots Google added to your Macs when Google Chrome was installed and run.


    I love AppCleaner, but it still unfortunately doesn't grab everything. For example, Chrome apps are still in the user application folder, and there are still a lot of things in the Library directory that have to be manually cleared out. AppCleaner gets a lot, just not everything.
    Good to know.  That screen shot was just for Chrome to be clear, I have no apps.
    edited August 2016
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  • Reply 20 of 20
    dewmedewme Posts: 6,012member
    ajmas said:
    Given the nature of these apps, they could probably be migrated to Electron? Electron is a solution for writing desktop applications using NodeJS and HTML5 technologies. One example of an application written this way is Visual Studio Code (source code).
    Agreed. I like VS Code and use it extensively on both macOS and Windows. I'd love to see an iOS version too, which should not be a big stretch for Microsoft to develop. 

    I won't miss Chrome apps one bit and I know I'm not alone. The window of relevance for that approach has slammed shut, not in small part due to NodeJS, which is effectively a Google powered execution engine. The real question is why Google will continue to support Chrome apps at all given the flexibility and reach of NodeJS. 
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