Google Chrome, one of the most widely used web browsers, is available across multiple operating systems. However, a common complaint among users is the lack of feature parity between the desktop and mobile versions—particularly the absence of extension support on Android devices. This may soon change!
A new version of Chrome, referred to as “Desktop Android”, has been spotted with support for extensions. This version runs in a desktop-like mode of Android, designed for larger-screen devices such as tablets. The discovery was made by tech expert Mishaal Rahman and reported by Android Authority.
Extension Support on Android
The Desktop Android version was first noticed last year as a fusion of Chromium’s codebase with elements from Chrome for desktop. Initially, while it allowed the browser to run on Android with some desktop-like features, it still lacked extension support.
A recent update, however, has introduced the ability to manually install .crx extension files. This version is not available on the Google Play Store but can be downloaded through Google’s API repositories by developers or advanced users. Notably, this build does not support Google Account synchronization.
During testing, Rahman successfully installed and ran popular extensions such as Keepa, Dark Reader, and uBlock Origin. Once installed via the chrome://extensions page, the extensions were automatically activated after refreshing the browser.
Current Limitations
Despite the promising development, the implementation still has several limitations:
- No direct installation from the Chrome Web Store – Users must manually install extensions.
- No dedicated extension management button – Many extensions require toolbar access or additional interface elements to function properly.
- Limited functionality – Some extensions break due to missing features.
As of now, extension support remains an experimental feature and is only available for Android devices with larger screens, such as tablets or those running in desktop mode. There is no indication that Google plans to bring this functionality to regular Android smartphones.
While this development may not become a mainstream feature, it marks a step toward bringing Chrome’s desktop capabilities to Android. Whether Google will expand extension support further remains to be seen.
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