And, in a major new feature, Google is now introducing the Chrome App Launcher for Windows machines, which will live in your taskbar and allow you to launch Chrome apps almost like any other. Google has today made some big changes to its Chrome browser for Mac with support for desktop apps and the addition of the Chrome App Launcher. Now, when you install a new Chrome app, the Chrome App Launcher will automatically add itself to your OS X dock so you don't need to open the browser window to get at your web apps. X: Chrome's new app launcher, which has been available on Windows for awhile, is now available on the Mac in Chrome's Dev and Beta channels. With it, you can launch Chrome apps right from.
The latest developer channel release of Google Chrome for Mac houses a number of flags that change the way ‘Hosted Apps’ are handled.
We saw in December how Google plans to make Hosted Apps a consistent part of the Chrome OS and Windows experience using new ‘window frames’ housing navigation controls and URL information.
Running these web-based applications, glorified bookmarks that are now listed under ‘Websites’ on the Chrome Web Store, alongside offline savvy Chrome Apps on OS X is harder than on other desktop operating systems (Mac builds of Chrome don’t use the Aura UI framework).
But Chrome is tackling the experiential differential. Three changes in the latest Chrome Dev Channel release make using Hosted Apps on OS X easier, two in the form of flags, and one by default:
Before we take a closer look at each change in turn, remember that (as with all experimental features) what’s listed below is subject to change and is not guaranteed to filter down to stable channels.
Hosted App Shims
Chrome Apps can be launched from pretty much anywhere on OS X. They appear in the Chrome App Launcher, Spotlight, Launchpad and Finder, and lodge a separate entry in the Dock like a regular native Mac app.
When set to run in their own window, Hosted Apps (like Gmail, Google Docs, Google Maps, etc.) currently behave differently. Their launchers appear in the Chrome App Launcher only and are not listed as separate or pinnable entries in the Dock.
The new “mac app shim” flag in the latest Chrome Dev builds fixes these issues in one swoop. It gifts newly installed url apps — note the ‘newly installed’ bit; it doesn’t yet affect those already installed — their own independent app shortcut, icon and OS presence.
That means you can switch between open apps in the Dock and launch them from Spotlight, Launchpad, Alfred, and so on.
Navigation Controls
Navigating Hosted Apps set to run in their own window is easier in the latest dev build. Basic navigation controls are now listed in the menu bar. These are History > back, forward and View > Reload.
Background Mode Notification
In current builds you can quit Chrome and all Hosted Apps at the same time. But say you’re midway through working in Pixlr Editor or a Word Online document – that wouldn’t be ideal.
With the ‘Display a notification when quitting Chrome if hosted apps are currently running’ flag enabled in the latest Chrome for Mac Dev builds you get a warning prompt when attempting to close the browser with apps in the background .
Macos app keeps jumping. This warning prompt is already in use for Chrome Apps. Macos soundcontrol not working with other apps.
Chrome App Integration on OS X Is Nothing New
Google began trialling Finder integration for Chrome Apps on OS X last year and more recently added the ability to open Google Drive files from the website directly in local apps, with all changes made being synced back to the cloud.
Mac google calendar desktop app. Hosted Apps — or “websites” as Google now calls them — remain glorified bookmarks, even with this new set of system integration. But don’t count them out entirely.
Google’s working on new initiatives, like Service Workers, to offer powerful new features to “websites”. While largely targeted to mobile use cases (i.e., a website can run offline and update in the background, like an app can), expect to reap benefits on the desktop side, too.
Back in March, we reported that Chrome’s app launcher for Windows, Mac, and Linux would gradually disappear. Well, the time has come: Chrome’s app launcher is no more with Chrome 52.
Chrome’s app launcher had mixed reviews. On one hand, it was simply redundant. Why not just open up Chrome and go to your bookmarks? The launcher didn’t really save anyone any clicks.
Yet on the other hand, we saw a lot of users lamenting the planned phase-out. For those who needed constant access to Google apps, having a dedicated menu where everything Google was aggregated for you was the perfect solution – not to mention the ability to automatically launch these apps as separate windows.
Well, Google did some investigating and found out that for the majority of Windows, Mac, and Linux users, Chrome’s app launcher wasn’t all that useful. In fact, these users preferred to launch apps within their browser. So back in March, Google decided to gradually remove support over the next several months.
And as promised, Google has now removed the app launcher with the release of Chrome 52. Don’t worry if you are using Chrome OS – the app launcher is being discontinued only on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
How To Add Chrome Apps To Launcher Mac Download
Another change Chrome 52 brings is more material design, specifically for Mac. Just like the one on Chrome OS, the new update will bring a flatter look in tabs, buttons, and menus on Mac. Unfortunately, at this time, we don’t know when the new look will be available for Windows.
Other than that, Chrome 52 includes regular security fixes – 48 of them to be exact – which can be found on the Google Chrome blog.
How To Add Chrome Apps To Launcher Macos
Will you miss Chrome’s app launcher? Let us know in the comments below!
Comments are closed.
|
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |