Summary: A Desktop Android version of Chrome, meant for Chromebooks, has started supporting browser extensions. While not intended for release on the Play Store, it can be manually installed on most Android phones and tablets as well.
A big drawback of the Android version of the Chrome browser is the lack of extensions. Google is finally addressing this shortcoming, bringing Chrome extensions to the Android version as well. With a caveat, however. Google is developing this not for phones, but rather Chromebooks that will run on an Android base soon.
That being said, it is also possible to get it working on an Android phone through some workarounds, though performance might not be smooth. The main winners of this change will be large-screen tablets that can fully use the new Android-based Chrome OS.
Chrome’s New Desktop Android Version
Chrome has always had a dedicated desktop browser and a dedicated Android browser with completely different codebases and features. With Android being developed to replace Chrome OS for desktops, there is now a third variant of Chrome. This “Desktop Android” version of Chrome is built on the Android code base but is intended for use on Chromebooks and PCs. It’s steadily adding features that you would expect on those platforms.
Including browser extensions, the powerful extensibility tool that makes Google Chrome the market leader for PC browsers. Keep in mind that these are early days, and a proper integration complete with an associated UI is still in the works.
Can this Work on Android Phones?
Officially, the answer is no. The regular Android version of Chrome does not plan to add extension support. Still, it is possible to manually install these developmental builds of Chrome on your Android device, since it is the same OS. The UI is based on the PC version, but you can actually install and use many popular Chrome extensions on Android this way.
Of course, not every extension would work, but that’s still impressive for an early build. As Google streamlines the UI and integrates the feature properly, the performance will improve further.
Will This Feature Come to All Android Devices?
Google has so far shown reluctance to allow browser extensions on mobile. You can use many third-party browsers as an alternative, but Chrome itself does not support extensions on Android phones.
But now that they are actively building Android as a unified OS for both PCs and mobile devices, this situation might change. Large-screen tablets can especially benefit from a more powerful version of Chrome, helping them compete against iPads.
As of now, however, there are no stated plans to officially support Chrome extensions on Android phones.
