Google will retire its Chrome Apps. Here’s what you need to know.
In January 2020, Google announced that the company would stop supporting Chrome Packaged Apps (Chrome Apps) on the ChromeOS (Chromebook) platform as of June 2022. The existing Chrome App experience will be replaced by a new type of app, known as a Progressive Web App or PWA.
What’s a PWA?
Progressive Web Apps are browser-based apps, meaning they are accessed by visiting a specific URL, rather than downloading and opening an app. Because they are opened within a web browser, Progressive Web Apps will offer enhanced capabilities that are not possible with Google’s existing Chrome Packaged Apps (Chrome Apps).
What PASCO apps will be affected?
Google had originally planned to cease support for Chrome Packaged Apps by June 2021. This has since changed to a phased approach that will enable Chromebook users to continue using and updating the Chrome App version of SPARKvue without interruption through June 2022. After this date, users will need to transition to the PWA version of SPARKvue to continue using it on ChromeOS platforms.
The Progressive Web App version of SPARKvue is currently under development and will be available to all users well before the June 2022 cutoff date.
Note: PASCO’s Spectrometry and MatchGraph! apps are not Chrome Packaged Apps, and will not be affected by these changes.
