Googlebook OS is finally getting one of my favorite ChromeOS features

When the first wave of Googlebooks arrived a few weeks ago, the pitch was simple: combine the best parts of Android and ChromeOS into one modern, cohesive desktop platform. Having spent the last few weeks testing these new laptops, though, it is clear that Googlebook OS launched with a few glaring omissions. Between the initially unreliable device pairing, a lack of multi-profile support in Chrome, and an overly-simplified virtual desks experience, the initial software rollout has felt a bit unfinished.

Thankfully, Google is actively chipping away at that list of missing features. Just after we spotted Phone Unlock making its way to the platform, a new report from Android Authority reveals that another essential ChromeOS staple is officially in the pipeline.

Digging into an APK teardown of the second Android 17 QPR3 beta, the team uncovered new code strings for an “App restore on reboot” feature built specifically for Googlebooks. If you have used a Chromebook at any point over the last couple of years, you already know this feature as Welcome Recap.

How app restoration will work on Googlebooks

On ChromeOS, booting up your laptop greets you with a clean overview of the local weather, your upcoming calendar events, and a prompt to restore all the apps and windows you had open before powering down. While there is no word yet on whether the weather and calendar widgets are making the jump to Googlebook OS, the core workspace restoration functionality is clearly on the way.

Code strings pulled from the beta show the exact options you will find in the settings menu:

<string name="app_restore_on_reboot_title">App restore on reboot</string>
<string name="app_restore_on_reboot_always">Always restore apps</string>
<string name="app_restore_on_reboot_ask_every_time">Ask every time</string>
<string name="app_restore_on_reboot_never">Never restore apps</string>

Why Googlebook OS desperately needs this

This might look like a minor quality-of-life tweak on paper, but in daily use, it makes a massive difference. Right now, rebooting a Googlebook for a quick system update completely wipes out your active session. Having to manually reset your workspace with the generic virtual desks currently available makes the hardware feel less like a serious productivity laptop and more like an oversized Android tablet.

Because these strings were uncovered in an APK teardown of the Android 17 QPR3 beta, there is no firm release date just yet, and features found in early code can always shift before launch. Still, bringing over proper session restoration is a huge step toward making Googlebook OS feel as effortless as ChromeOS already is, and I am hopeful we see this land in the stable channel sooner than later.