Over 100 Chromebook models to receive Android 11 upgrade for a better app experience

Chromebooks have been running apps using the Android 9 (ARC++ or Android Runtime Container) framework for years now, and after skipping Android 10, Google has now listed 117 specific Chromebooks which will receive an upgrade to Android 11. The newest update will allow for apps to run more smoothly and scale properly – two problems that Chrome OS has had since the introduction of apps to the operating system. All of this is possible thanks to Google’s work on ARCVM – their app virtualization container. Oh, and apps will also get the ability to toggle on dark mode so your eyes will thank you for that.

If you’d like to see a full list of all of the devices that were mentioned, you can head over to the Chromium Repository where they were discovered. Additionally, Android Police has cross-referenced the device board names with their corresponding consumer-facing name and has compiled a full list of them in order of manufacturer. If you’re interested in seeing if your device made the cut, take a quick look. A few of the listed devices haven’t even been released yet, so the repository lists their code name, but they don’t exactly correspond with a currently known or released device. We’ve been tracking Trogdor and Dedede, for example, and they make an appearance for upgrade eligibility.

tast-tests: Add remaining ARCVM eligible devices to the list

Otherwise, arc.BuildProperties.vm test won’t pass on those boards.

BUG=b:182925154
TEST=try

Chromium Repository

Of the 117 devices, a large portion of them are Acer (a whopping 41 of them!), which will come as no surprise to many of you as Acer has been known for their dedication to Google’s platform for a long time. They also produce a larger number of Chromebook models than other manufacturers. AOpen’s Chromebase and Chromebox Mini are on the list, as well as 12 Asus devices, 3 CTLs (including their Tab Tx1), 4 Dells, 18 HPs, 18 Lenovos, 8 Samsungs (including the Chromebook Plus and Pro – good times), a Viewsonic Chromebox, and the first Chromebook I’ve ever had – the good ol’ Toshiba Chromebook 2 from 2015. Lastly, Google’s very own Pixel, Pixel Slate, Pixelbook, and the Pixelbook Go are eligible for Android 11, naturally.

In order to check if your Chromebook has an update available, you can either wait for it to occur naturally, as Chrome OS devices update on their own, or you can visit the Settings app and click ‘About Chrome OS’ on the bottom of the left sidebar. Once there, just click ‘Check for update’ in the main window. Beginning with Chrome OS 90, many of you should start to see Android 11 become available.

After an update, you can check to see your current Android version by visiting Settings > Apps > Google Play Store > Manage Android Preferences > System > About device. If you haven’t received the new version yet, don’t worry – keep checking. If you’re not on the list for an upgrade, I wouldn’t be too concerned as Google’s done a great job at adding some devices in there that we never even expected to see get apps to begin with (Toshiba Chromebook 2), so anything is possible with enough time.