Google certainly hit upon a magic
bullet in terms of support and versatility when they developed their Chrome
internet browser. That would certainly explain why its worldwide browser market
share (for desktops) as of May earlier this year was 68% (and it got as high as
73% back in 2018). Five years after its launch, Chrome was beefed up by Google
with “Chrome Apps,” web applications similar to those on mobile devices that
are opened by the Chrome browser in separate windows, allowing for features
like offline work and cloud connection. It was an interesting concept, but
Chrome users were so disinterested that Google decided to axe Chrome Apps,
someday.
If that came off as ambiguous
then it is because, according to The
Verge, Google has indeed held off on ending official support for Chrome
Apps on major desktop operating systems after it originally announced back in January
that they will become inactive by mid-year. That meant the Chrome Apps for
stuff like Pocket, Kindle, and even YouTube and Spotify were supposed to stop
working come June. When the few Chrome users who actually bother by them
noticed that Apps remained active, Google kept quiet until an August 10
announcement.
Rather than be taken offline last
June 2020, Chrome Apps have been given a new lease on life at least until June
of next year. And that counts only for support from Google’s end. Even when
that is gone, should the organizations collaborating with Google on their
corresponding Chrome App (YouTube and Spotify come to mind) would keep up
supporting them, then that adds yet another year until about June 2022. That
should allow enough time for developers to transition the functions of Chrome
Apps to simple extensions working within the Chrome browser, as an alternative
to just disappearing completely.
Just how ignored have been the
Chrome Apps feature by users of the Chrome browser? According to Google, by
2016 the feature suite was being utilized by just 1 percent of all Chrome users
across the major platforms of Windows, Mac and Linux. That was the time when
they decided to begin winding down in support of them. With their announcement Monday
this week, Google has now indicated the zero hour for when Chrome Apps will
lose all technical support, just short of a decade after they were originally
introduced.
Image: 9 to 5 Google
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