Apps To Download On Chromebook



Chromebook

2020-9-8  Apps like LibreOffice, Steam also work, but we already have Google docs and Microsoft Office on the Play Store which are well optimized for the Chromebook and we also have an Android app for steam. I have also tried some other apps like Unity, Discord, Wireshark, Hanbreak, etc as Linux is still in beta version on Chrome, it can only run files. Note: If you’re using your Chromebook at work or school, you might not be able to add the Google Play Store or download Android apps. For more information, contact your administrator. Step 1: Get the Google Play Store app 1. Update your Chromebook software. To get Android apps on your Chromebook, make sure your Chrome OS version is up-to-date.

Chromebooks are fast, secured, and even cheaper compared to alternatives. But the most important factor which makes Chromebooks the best alternative is its parental control, which makes it a great device to get for children. So, here are some of the best apps you should install on Chromebook before giving it to your Kids.

Best Apps for your Kids on Chromebooks

Apps
  1. 2020-9-5  Google Family Link is the first app, you need to download before giving a Chromebook to your kids. It has a ton of features starting from setting the maximum timer for each app, bedtime mode, approving the apps they want to use, blocking out content which is not good for them and you can also get stats on their screen time for each app.
  2. How to install Office apps on a Chromebook: Open the Google Play Store and search for the apps you want to install. Or you can click on any of these links to download a specific app: Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, OneNote, Office Lens, or Microsoft Teams.

1. Google Family Link

Google Family Link is the first app, you need to download before giving a Chromebook to your kids. It has a ton of features starting from setting the maximum timer for each app, bedtime mode, approving the apps they want to use, blocking out content which is not good for them and you can also get stats on their screen time for each app. The best part is, it works for both apps and websites they visit on chrome. So you can have overall control over their device.

Get Family Link for Parents

Get Family Link for Kids

2. YouTube Kids

YouTube is not for children who are 13 below. But YouTube has another app called YouTube Kids where it only shows the content which is totally safe for the child to watch. Moreover, you get additional benefits of controlling the YouTube kids app by install the same app on your phone and choosing it as a parent account. One of my favorite features is creating a daily timer for the kids and you can even increase the time for a single day whenever you want.

Get YouTube Kids

3. Streaming Services

Just like on YouTube, many streaming services like Netflix, Prime, Disney plus, etc have a parental control mode. You can just create a new profile and choose it as a kid’s profile. Just like on YouTube, you can control what kind of movies your kids can watch and also set the timer on them too. Netflix even allows you to password-protect profiles now, so that kids can’t see what others are watching.

Also read, How to set up parental Control on Netflix

4. Games

Chromebooks support a lot of Games for you Kids as we have games from Android apps, web apps, and also Stadia. You can download the game they might like. With the help of Family link, you can limit their usage of games, so that they don’t totally get addicted. Some of my favorites are Beach Buggy Racing, Alto’s odyssey, Happy Friday that can be a great choice for kids.

5. Lingokids Play learning app

Lingo Kids is kind of a learning app specially made for kids. It can be used to teach language, vocabulary, and creative provoking activities. It is ad-free and kid-safe service, but with the free version, you can only access 3 games. You can go to the premium version for $14/month to access all the 600+ games, offline mode, etc.

Get Lingo Kids

6. Coding for Kids

Programming requires a different kind of logical thinking. Now I am not suggesting you start teaching coding to your kids. But Coding for Kids is a kind of game which provokes the logical thinking to pass the levels. It doesn’t teach any language but helps to understand concepts like stacking, array, loops, functions, etc while playing the game. There are multiple levels with sub-levels involved in it. After each level, the solution for solving the games becomes bit different and difficult. But anyone above 7 years can easily enjoy the game.

Get Coding for Kids

Also Checkout, other Coding Apps for Kids.

7. Exercise for Kids

Exercise for Kids is the most basic kid’s workout app. It has a total of 15 exercises complemented with an animated video illustration. You begin the exercises by simply tapping the start button on the home page. There’s a separate exercise section that provides benefits of specific workouts. Besides all of this, there is a simple BMI calculator and a calendar that reflects your child’s progress. But the only issue is most exercise apps are not optimized for the Chromebook’s desktop layout.

Get Exercise for Kids

Also checkout, other workout apps for Kids

8. Zigazoo

Zigazoo is an app similar to TikTok, but for kids. It even has videos related to science, arts, etc, but as they are also created by kids, it can be more fun to watch. But among all the apps listed in the list, Zigazoo doesn’t support keyboard interactions. And similar to Exercise for kids, Zigazoo also does not support desktop layout as videos itself are specially made for phones. But if your Chromebook supports tablet mode, this can be quite a great app to use.

Get Zigazoo

Wrapping up

Buy a new mac laptop. These are some of the apps that are useful for kids and are also well optimized for Chromebooks. Among all of them, coding for kids and games like beach buggy racing are my favorites to suggest for any kid. Tell us what your kid likes the most?

Many Chromebooks, including all Chromebooks since 2019, canrun Android apps. This makes them attractive choices for workingwith App Inventor because you can use a single device both forcreating apps in the browser and for running finished app as Androidapplications. See the link below in Resources for alist of Chromebooks that can run Android apps (as of 2019).

*NB: For school IT administrators: Some schools choose to disablethe ability to run Android apps on their managed Chromebooks, whichmakes them unusable for App Inventor. See the link underResources on how to control this feature for yourmanaged Chromebooks and how to manage deployments of apps across yourorganization.

Initial Setup Instructions

Step 1. If you are unboxing a new Chromebook, you should usethe “settings” app and go to the “About Chrome OS” item (usually thelast item on the left-hand side of the window). There it will tell youthe version of Chrome OS running on the Chromebook along with a “Checkfor Updates” button. Click the button. It will either tell you thatyour Chromebook is up to date or it will start the update process. Itis possible that you may have to update multiple times. Once yourChromebook takes the update, again “Check for Updates” until yourChromebook says that it is up-to-date.1.

Step 2. Turn on the Google Play Store setting to enable the use of Androidapps. To do this, search under settings for Play Store and youshould see the option to turn on the store. as shown below. If you donot see Google Play store under the settings list, make sure you arerunning the latest version of Chrome OS. If your Chromebook is managedby a school or business, you may need to discuss with your ITadministrator about enabling this feature if it has been disabled. Ifyou are still unable to install Android apps from the Play Store, yourChromebook is unable to run apps and is not usable with App Inventor.

You may have already set up Play Store access when you first startedyour Chromebook. In this case, you will only see an arrow indicatingadditional settings. If so, jump to step 4.

Mac apps download. Step 3. Accept Google Play Store conditions and set up Google Play

Step 4. Next, launch the Play Store app to access the Google Play Store.

Step 5. Once you have opened the Play Store, use the searchfeature to find the MIT AI2 Companion, similar to how you would findan app on a phone or tablet.

Important: If you are doing this setup during the beta testing period,the app in the Play store should be titled MIT AI2 Companion(Internal Beta). If it does not say Internal Beta, then you are probablyeither not enrolled in the internal beta testing group, or you arelooking at the wrong version of the Companion.

Once you join the Beta program you will receive the beta version onall of your devices. The Beta version works correctly with theApp Inventor production service as well as with the AI2-test.

Step 6. Click the Install button to install the Companion app.To open the MIT AI2 Companion, click on its icon in theChromeOS menu. You can also pin this icon to the task bar for fastaccess in the future.

Creating apps

To create apps, use your browser to browse to the App Inventor service atai2.appinventor.mit.edu (_during the testing period, useai2-test.appinventor.mit.edu). Go to My Projects and start create newproject in the designer and the blocks editor just as with otherversions of App Inventor.

Next, go under the Connect menu at the top of the screen and chooseChromebook from the dropdown menu. The Companion should open,connected to your new app. You might want to rearrange the browser andCompanion widows to appear side-by-side as shown below, to make itconvenient to continue developing the app in the browser andinteracting with it in the Companion window.

The Chromebook entry in the Connect dropdown appears only if you areusing a Chromebook.

Free Apps To Download

Chromebook

Building apps

Just as with other versions of App Inventor, you can package your appto produce an APK file that can run on a phone or tablet ordistributed through Google Play or other sites.

How To Download Linux Apps On Chromebook

Open the Build dropdown menu at the top of the browser screen. Youcan choose to display a QR code that can be used by a smartphone ortablet to install the app. Or you can create an apk file and save iton the Chromebook.

Installing apps

Windows download tool for mac. As explained above, you can use Chromebooks to build App Inventor appsand install these app on other devices or publish them to the PlayStore. You can also download and install apps from the Play Store tothe Chromebook.

** Limitation:** Currently, the Play Store is the only source from which you candownload and install apps on the Chromebook. It is possible to get around this limitation, but theprocess is complicated and too awkward for school configurations. For information, search on theWeb for “sideloading apps on Chromebooks.”

How To Download Apps On Chromebook Without Google Play

hAPPy Inventing!

Resources