Google’s Android remote desktop app for Chrome, which has amassed over 10 million downloads on the Play Store, has undergone a major shift from a native Android app to using a web app architecture.
A hugely popular app that has been a favorite among users of any operating system including Windows, Mac and Linux, Google’s Android app has not been updated for several years, leaving many wondering about its future as they began to consider alternatives.
Two or three years of radio silence appear to have had Google working behind the scenes to translate the app from a regular Android app to a less favorable web app that many criticize for being prone to bugs.
Google Chrome Remote Desktop web application
Nevertheless, unsuspecting mobile users who are looking for an easy and, importantly, free way to connect to their desktop or laptop can still download the app from the Play Store, giving the illusion that it is indeed a full-fledged Android app.
Despite the widespread belief that web apps are inferior and less efficient, Google has been testing this latest update for almost a year (according to Google). 9To5Google); the publication noticed some pretty serious issues when it joined the test program.
For those unfamiliar with the app’s core technology, the new app is apparently identified with Google’s new Material Theme UI, which is a noticeable improvement over the now very outdated Material Design 1.
The real reviews and tirades are yet to come, and many users have probably ditched Google’s remote desktop software because it hasn’t updated it, but already 9To5Google has shared its disappointment amid high hopes for a much-improved app that it believes has failed to deliver.
By 9To5Google