A development version of Chrome for Android now supports extensions

Google Chrome on Android, while widely used, has long lacked the robust functionality of its desktop counterpart: particularly in the realm of extension support. However, a significant development is underway, with Google actively working on a “desktop” version of Chrome for Android that introduces this crucial feature. This version is primarily designed for Chromebooks and PCs running Android, aligning with Google’s plans to transition Chrome OS to an Android foundation.

According to Android Authority, these special builds of Chrome are not for phones or tablets and have now gained the ability to install extensions. This massive upgrade, made possible by a recent code change, allows users to manually install extensions by dragging and dropping .crx files into the chrome://extensions page.

Early testing of these builds by Mishaal Rahman has yielded promising results. Extensions such as Dark Reader, Keepa, and uBlock Origin have been successfully installed and activated, showing off the potential for an Android version of Chrome that can 100% run extensions.

However, it’s early and there are still limitations. The absence of extension options pages and a dedicated extensions button in the toolbar takes away the experience of full functionality, and the current manual installation process looks to be somewhat cumbersome. But those types of hiccups are expected in these development phases for sure.

There’s no doubt that extension support in Chrome for Android is a massive step towards bridging the gap between desktop and mobile browsing. Sure, this current implementation is super-basic, but it lays the groundwork for a more powerful and desktop-class Chrome experience on Android-based devices. Surely this is all part of the larger movement to bring much more Android to Chromebooks, and with each step, I grow a bit more excited about what this potential future will look like. Stay tuned.