As you prepare your Android app to run on Chromebooks, consider the device features that your app uses. Chromebooks don't support all the hardware and software features that are available on other devices running Android. If your app requires specific features that aren't supported on Chromebooks, it won't be available for installation on Chromebooks.
You declare your app's requirements for hardware features and certain software features in the manifest file. This document describes the app manifest feature declarations that aren't compatible with Chromebooks.
Incompatible manifest entries
The manifest entries listed in this section aren't compatible with Chromebooks. If
your app uses any of these entries, consider removing them or including the
required="false" attribute value with them so that your app can be installed on
Chromebooks.
For more information about declaring feature use without requiring that the feature be
available on the device, see the guide for the <uses-feature> manifest element. For
a complete list of app manifest features and descriptions see the
Features reference .
Note: Android Studio 2.3 and later has built-in lint checks to automatically validate the manifest file. In Android Studio, select File > Settings > Editor > Inspections > Android > Lint > Correctness > ChromeOS.
Hardware features
Support for hardware features varies on Chromebooks. Some features aren't supported on any Chromebooks, while others are supported on only some Chromebooks.
Special features
For better hardware support on Chromebooks, android.hardware.type.pc disables input emulation for mouse
and touchpad. You must indicate required="false"
for this entry, or your app can only run on Chromebooks.
Unsupported hardware features
The following list includes the hardware features that aren't supported on Chromebooks:
-
android.hardware.camera: back-facing camera -
android.hardware.camera.autofocus: camera that uses autofocus -
android.hardware.camera.capability.manual_post_processing: camera that uses theMANUAL_POST_PROCESSINGfeature, including functionality for overriding auto white balance -
android.hardware.camera.capability.manual_sensor: camera that uses theMANUAL_SENSORfeature, including auto-exposure locking support -
android.hardware.camera.capability.raw: camera that uses theRAWfeature, including the ability to save DNG (raw) files and provide DNG-related metadata -
android.hardware.camera.flash: camera that uses flash -
android.hardware.camera.level.full: camera that usesFULL-level image-capturing support -
android.hardware.consumerir: infrared (IR) -
android.hardware.location.gps: Global Positioning System (GPS) -
android.hardware.nfc: Near-Field Communication (NFC) -
android.hardware.nfc.hce: NFC card emulation, which is deprecated -
android.hardware.sensor.barometer: barometer (air pressure) -
android.hardware.telephony: telephony, including radio with data communication services -
android.hardware.telephony.cdma: telephony Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network support -
android.hardware.telephony.gsm: telephony Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network support -
android.hardware.type.automotive: Android Automotive OS device -
android.hardware.type.television: television, which is deprecated -
android.hardware.usb.accessory: USB accessory mode -
android.hardware.usb.host: USB host mode
Partially supported hardware features
The following list includes hardware features that might be available on some Chromebooks:
-
android.hardware.sensor.accelerometer: accelerometer (device orientation) -
android.hardware.sensor.compass: compass -
android.hardware.sensor.gyroscope: gyroscope (device rotation and twist) -
android.hardware.sensor.light: light -
android.hardware.sensor.proximity: proximity (to user) -
android.hardware.sensor.stepcounter: step counter -
android.hardware.sensor.stepdetector: step detector
Touchscreen hardware support
As of ChromeOS version M53, all Android apps that don't explicitly require the
android.hardware.touchscreen feature also work on ChromeOS
devices that support the
android.hardware.faketouch feature.
Devices that have fake touch interfaces provide a user input system that emulates basic touch events. For example, the user can interact with a mouse or remote control to move an on-screen cursor, scroll through a list, and drag elements from one part of the screen to another.
If you don't want your app to be installed on devices that have fake touch interfaces but not touchscreens, you can complete one of the following actions:
- Exclude specific devices in the Google Play Console.
- Filter devices with no touchscreen hardware by explicitly declaring
android.hardware.touchscreenas being required in order to install your app.
Software features
The following list includes the software features that aren't supported on Chromebooks:
-
android.software.app_widgets: app widgets on the Home screen -
android.software.device_admin: device policy administration -
android.software.home_screen: replaces device's Home screen -
android.software.input_methods: custom input methods (instances ofInputMethodService) -
android.software.leanback: UI designed for large-screen viewing -
android.software.live_wallpaper: animated wallpapers -
android.software.live_tv: streaming live TV programs -
android.software.managed_users: secondary users and managed profiles -
android.software.sip: Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) service, which supports video conferencing and instant messaging -
android.software.sip.voip: Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service based on SIP, which supports two-way video conferencing
Permissions that imply feature requirements
Some permissions that you request in your manifest files can create implied requests for hardware and software features. By requesting these permissions, you prevent your app from being installed on Chromebooks.
For details about how to prevent permission requests from making your app unavailable on Chromebooks, see the Incompatible manifest entries section of this page.
The following table shows the permissions that imply feature requirements that make an app incompatible with Chromebooks:
Table 1. Device permissions that imply hardware features which are incompatible with Chromebooks.
| Category | This permission | Implies this feature requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | CAMERA |
android.hardware.camera andandroid.hardware.camera.autofocus
|
| Telephony | CALL_PHONE |
android.hardware.telephony |
CALL_PRIVILEGED |
android.hardware.telephony |
|
MODIFY_PHONE_STATE |
android.hardware.telephony |
|
PROCESS_OUTGOING_CALLS |
android.hardware.telephony |
|
READ_SMS |
android.hardware.telephony |
|
RECEIVE_SMS |
android.hardware.telephony |
|
RECEIVE_MMS |
android.hardware.telephony |
|
RECEIVE_WAP_PUSH |
android.hardware.telephony |
|
SEND_SMS |
android.hardware.telephony |
|
WRITE_APN_SETTINGS |
android.hardware.telephony |
|
WRITE_SMS |
android.hardware.telephony |