Web apps on ChromeOS

The web is an incredible platform. Its user-centered security model, inherent linkability providing built-in sharing, and independent specification makes the web a unique platform to develop software on. With ChromeOS, the power of this platform is front and center; web apps are a core feature throughout the operating system: they can be installed, they can be pinned to the shelf, and they can be found from the launcher. Built on an always up-to-date Chrome, you can confidently build evergreen web applications that are rich and reliable.

Chrome, at its heart

Google Chrome⁠⁠ powers ChromeOS, with the operating system keeping up-to-date with the latest releases of Chrome as they happen. This means that web apps have the latest in speed, safety, and security that Chrome has to offer. Because Chrome updates so frequently, there’s no waiting months or years for a new set of capabilities like with traditional operating systems. Everything you know and love about Chrome is here, waiting to help empower your great app.

Web apps aren’t the only feather in Chrome’s cap, though. Chrome extensions⁠⁠ are just as integral to the web experience on ChromeOS as they are on other platforms. Build a stand-alone extension, or build one to enhance your web app.

With Chrome at the heart of ChromeOS, your web apps and extensions run on an always improving fast, safe, secure, and capable platform.

Powerful desktop Progressive Web Apps

Built and enhanced with modern APIs to deliver desktop-app like capabilities, reliability, and installability, desktop Progressive Web Apps⁠⁠ (PWAs) are the best way to deliver your web app for ChromeOS. Building a PWA allows ChromeOS users to install your app and have it show up in the launcher, pin it to the shelf, even use it to open files directly from the Files app. Almost all ChromeOS devices support touch and many support styluses, giving you even more powerful capabilities to explore.

The PWA Checklist⁠⁠ is a good place to get started. In fact, the site you’re on right now is a PWA! It’s also fully open sourced⁠⁠ to share tools and best practices you can use when building a Progressive Web App.

Getting started

If you’re new to web development, web.dev⁠⁠ and the Mozilla developer network⁠⁠ (MDN) are great resources to get started, learn more, and look up documentation. The Chrome Developer Summit⁠⁠ has recordings of all of their talks online, too, so you can see what’s new and changing in the world of web development and Chrome. There are also a number of guided, hands-on tutorials, called codelabs, that you can do; start with Your First Progressive Web App⁠⁠ and Web Capabilities⁠⁠ to get a feel for what you can build on the web, and imagine what you’ll build next for ChromeOS.