docs/html/topic/arc/sideload.jd

page.title=Loading Apps on Chromebooks
@jd:body

<div id="qv-wrapper">
    <div id="qv">
      <h2>On this page</h2>

      <ol>
        <li><a href="#enter-dev">Enter Developer Mode</a></li>
        <li><a href="#enable-unknown">Enable Unknown Sources</a></li>
        <li><a href="#load-app">Load Your App</a></li>
      </ol>
    </div>
  </div>

<p>
This document describes how to enter <em>Developer</em> mode and enable
<em>unknown resources</em> so that you can load Android apps on your Google
Chromebook.
</p>

<h2 id="enter-dev">Enter Developer Mode</h2>

<p>
To load Android apps, you must enable unknown sources. Enabling unknown sources
is available only when your device is in Developer mode.
</p>

<p class="caution"><strong>Caution: </strong>Modifications that you make to the
system are not supported by Google and may void your warranty. Additionally,
modifications may cause hardware, software, or security issues.
</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note: </strong>On most devices, both the
<em>recovery</em> button and the <em>dev-switch</em> button are virtualized. If
these instructions don't work for you, see the <a class="external-link"
href="https://www.chromium.org/chromium-os/developer-information-for-chrome-os-devices">
specific instructions for your device</a>.
</p>

<p>
To enter Developer mode, complete these steps:
</p>

<ol>
  <li>
    Invoke <em>Recovery</em> mode by pressing and holding the
    <strong>Esc</strong> and <strong>Refresh (F3)</strong> keys, then pressing
    the <strong>Power</strong> button.
  </li>
  <li>
    When the <em>Recovery</em> screen appears, press <strong>Ctrl+D</strong>.
    There's no prompt for this action, so you must simply complete it.
    Afterwards, you are prompted to confirm and reboot into Developer mode.
  </li>
</ol>

<p>
If you see one of the following screens when you turn on your device, you've
successfully entered Developer mode:
</p>

<img src="{@docRoot}images/topic/arc/sideload_figure_1.jpg" />

<p class="img-caption"><strong>Figure 1. </strong>Developer mode confirmation
screens.</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note</strong>: To skip the OS loading screen, either
wait 30 seconds or press <strong>Ctrl+D</strong>, and your Chromebook continues
starting.
</p>

<h2 id="enable-unknown">Enable Unknown Sources</h2>

<p>
To enable unknown sources, navigate to <strong>Chrome Settings > App Settings >
Security</strong>, then enable <strong>Unknown sources</strong> by moving the
slider to the right.
</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong>You can enable unknown sources only when
your device is in <a
href="{@docRoot}topic/arc/sideload.html#enter-dev">Developer mode</a>.
</p>

<h2 id="load-app">Load Your App</h2>

<p>
After enabling unknown sources, you can load apps by copying an app's APK file
to the <em>Downloads</em> folder and opening it with Android's File Manager app.

</p>

<p>
You can copy the APK file to your Chromebook using one of the following methods:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <strong>Using a cloud app</strong> &ndash; Upload your APK file to Google
    Drive or send it to yourself via email. Open it with the Android app
    equivalent (Drive and Gmail, respectively).
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Using an external storage device</strong> &ndash; Transfer the APK
    file to the Downloads folder of your Chromebook using a thumb drive, SD
    card, or an external hard drive. Afterwards, open the Android File Manager
    app by navigating to  <strong>Chrome Settings > App Settings > Device &amp;
    USB > Explore</strong>.
  </li>
  <li>
    <strong>Using ADB</strong> &ndash; After <a
    href="{@docRoot}topic/arc/index.html#setup"> setting up ADB</a> on your
    Chromebook, enter the following command into a terminal window on your
    development workstation:
<pre class="no-pretty-print">
adb install <var>app-name</var>.apk
</pre>
    <p>This command pushes the app to your connected Chromebook and installs the
    app. For more information about copying and installing apps from a
    development computer, see <a
    href="{@docRoot}studio/command-line/adb.html#move">Installing an
    Application</a>.</p>
  </li>
</ul>