How to Install Apps on a Chromebook

You went looking for an installer and found nothing to download. ChromeOS has no single installer file and no desktop of program shortcuts. Apps arrive from three separate sources, and which ones a given Chromebook offers depends on the model and, on managed devices, on policy.

Install web apps and extensions from the Chrome Web Store

Open the Chrome Web Store at chrome.google.com/webstore, search for the app or extension, open its page, and click Add to Chrome, then Add extension or Add app in the confirmation box. Extensions appear beside the address bar, and web apps appear in the launcher. Remove one from Settings, Extensions, or by right-clicking its icon.

Turn on the Google Play Store for Android apps

Open Settings, Apps, Google Play Store and click Turn on, then accept the terms. The Play Store icon appears in the shelf and installs Android apps the same way a phone does. Not every Chromebook supports Android apps; if the Google Play Store row is absent from Settings, Apps, the model does not have it.

Save a website to the shelf as an app

Open the site, click the three-dot menu, then Cast, save and share, then Install page as app. The wording varies between ChromeOS versions and may read Create shortcut or Install. The site then opens in its own window with a launcher icon, which suits sites that have no store listing.

Enable Linux for Linux apps

Open Settings, About ChromeOS, Linux, or Developers, Linux development environment, and click Turn on. ChromeOS downloads a container, which takes several minutes and about 10 GB of space. Afterwards, install packages from a terminal window or by double-clicking a .deb file in the Files app.

On a school or work Chromebook. Administrators commonly block the Play Store and extension installs. The symptom is a greyed-out option, a missing Play Store row, or a message saying the administrator has blocked the item, and chrome://policy shows which rules apply. Ask for the app to be approved rather than looking for a way around the block.

Windows and Mac programs do not run. A .exe or .dmg file downloads but cannot open on ChromeOS. Look for the web version of the program, an Android equivalent in the Play Store, or a Linux package.