So, where do you get those APK files? Well, normally you’d get them from Google Play or another Android app store. You’ll be asked to provide a device orientation (portrait or landscape) and type (phone or tablet). Once you’ve selected that folder, ARC Welder asks you to “Add your APK” - in other words, give it the Android app file so it can be converted to a Chrome app and run on your computer. It will also ask you to select a directory (folder) on your Mac or PC where it can write files to the computer’s filesystem. Did I mention that ARC Welder is a developer tool? It is… ARC Welder, attempting (unsuccessfully) to convert and run the Geocaching app.įor Macs or PCs running Chrome Browser, ARC Welder displays a dialog helpfully reminding you that you’re using ARC Welder on a non-Chrome OS device. In Chrome OS, you’re now free to take APK files (Android apps) and ARC Welder converts them into Chrome apps for “testing”. Finally, click Launch App to fire up ARC Welder. Click Add App, and ARC Welder is downloaded and installed as part of the Chrome environment on your Mac. Click the Add to Chrome button, at which time a dialog appears asking whether you wish to Add Arc Welder. With Chrome Browser or Chrome OS installed, click this link to view ARC Welder in the Chrome Web Store. The acronym ARC stands for App Runtime for Chrome, and it provides a way for developers or Android-curious folks to run one Android app at a time in either the Chrome OS or Chrome Web Browser. No, this doesn’t mean that you’re going to be putting on a welding mask and firing up a generator to power your arc welder. To run Android apps on your former-Mac-turned-Chromebook or in the Chrome Web Browser on Mac or PC, you need to turn to ARC Welder. Running Android Apps on a Chromebook or the Chrome Web Browser on Mac or PC However, you may not want to for some very good reasons that I’ll divulge further on in this post.

Whatever the reason, you can run Android apps on your MacBook-turned-Chromebook or on the Mac itself. Some people may want to be able to play Android games on their Macs or PCs, just because they’re plugged in and have “infinite” battery life. Perhaps you’re interested in seeing what the other side has to offer, or maybe you’re a developer who wants to dabble in both iOS and Android. Why on Earth would someone what to run Android apps when they probably have an iPhone or iPad? Well, there are still a lot of people who haven’t embraced iOS, and Android just happens to be the most popular mobile operating system on the planet. Today I’m going to take the cross-platform fun one step further, by showing you how to run Android apps on your Chromebook or right on your macOS loaded Mac. A while back I showed readers of the Rocket Yard how to take an old MacBook and repurpose it as a Chromebook - a computer that runs Google Chrome as a web-based operating system.

Google chrome app store mac