How to get any browser on Chrome OS

(Prototype credit: Laptop Mag)

If you have a Chromebook so yous know Google Chrome is the pre-installed spider web browser. But that doesn't mean it has to be your just browser. Since Chrome Bone tin at present run Android, Linux, and even Windows apps, yous tin browse the web through third-political party browsers like Microsoft Edge or Mozilla Firefox.

Whether you lot're looking to take advantage of a specific tool on a different browser or are simply tired of Google Chrome, hither'south how to install whatever other full-fledged browser on Chrome OS.

There are 3 means yous can access a new browser on your Chromebook. Y'all can install its Android app, Linux client, or a compatible Windows desktop program through a cross-platform virtualization service chosen CrossOver. Every bit long equally the desired browser has a analogue for any 1 of these platforms, you should be all set. Hither'southward how to employ each of these methods.

Android

Chrome OS' Android support unlocks a range of non-Chrome browser options for you. Fifty-fifty ameliorate is the fact that you lot tin can install them without having to deal with any workarounds from the Play Store.

Most Android browsers offering a tablet style that lets you hands operate them on a large screen like the one on your Chromebook. They too generally have an option to load desktop versions of websites past default. Therefore, yous won't have to fuss with web layouts made for phones and touchscreens when you lot launch an Android browser app on Chrome Bone.

While you can download any Android browser of your option, we recommend trying Brave. Dauntless'due south Android app features a desktop-like interface with a row of tabs and an address bar at the superlative -- simply like any other traditional browser. Plus, information technology's optimized for Chrome Os, which allows you to resize its window as you please for multitasking. Unlike a few other mobile browsers, similar Mozilla Firefox, Brave'due south Android app likewise responds well to trackpad input and supports smooth scrolling on Chromebooks.

Linux

Despite the optimizations, Android apps still work all-time with a touchscreen, not a mouse and keyboard. So if you desire a browsing feel that's comparable to your Chromebook's pre-installed Google Chrome browser, you demand to plow to Linux software. Luckily for you, loading upward Linux apps on Chrome Bone is now as straightforward as double-clicking a file.

First, you must enable Linux on your Chromebook. To practise that, visit the Settings app and curl downwards until you lot reach "Linux (Beta)". Select the "Turn on" selection and follow the on-screen instructions to set it up. You should be done in virtually a minute.

Now, head over to the download page of the browser you'd similar to install. Near browsers today have a Linux client which should run just fine on a Chromebook.

For instance, to install Microsoft Edge, head over to its download portal and click the blue "Download" button below the "Dev Channel" menu.

One time it's saved on your Chromebook, double-click the ".deb" file from the Files app and select "Install". That's nigh it.

Microsoft Edge should be available in your Chromebook'due south app drawer every bit soon every bit the installation process ends. It will perform and role like whatever other desktop browser. The only downside is that it can't supercede Google Chrome as the default browser. Y'all can, at least, pin it to the row of apps present at the bottom of your screen past right-clicking its icon and selecting "Pin".

Windows

Chrome Os doesn't natively support Windows software. Therefore, you will need a virtual machine service like CrossOver, which relies on your Chromebook's Linux container to run Windows apps. This process is a tad more than complicated and it oft won't work equally you'd intend it to.

To get started, make sure you have enabled Linux on your Chromebook. Next, caput over to this site and download CrossOver. The service costs a one-time fee of $10 simply there is a fourteen-day trial available.

Through your Chromebook's Files app, double-click and run the downloaded ".deb" file to install CrossOver.

CrossOver houses a catalog of tested Windows apps that won't face whatsoever compatibility bug on your Chromebook. While you can also endeavour to directly open up a ".exe" file, information technology's best to stick to the verified itemize to ensure your Chromebook doesn't crash.

Launch CrossOver and select the "Install Windows Software" push. In the following window, click "Browse Available Applications."

Here, you tin can pick the app you lot'd like to install. Browsers are available nether the "Networking & Advice" category.

For demonstration purposes, I picked "Mozilla Firefox 45." After selecting a listed app, click "Continue" and and then striking the "Install" button. CrossOver will have a few moments for configuration and Mozilla Firefox's Windows version volition soon be available in your Chromebook's app library.

As mentioned before, the operation here won't be platonic. You should only consider this method if y'all strictly need to access Windows software on your Chromebook. Otherwise, your all-time bet to escape Google Chrome on Chrome Bone is with a Linux app.

Shubham Agarwal is a freelance technology journalist from Ahmedabad, India. His work has previously appeared in Business Insider, Fast Company, HuffPost, and more. You can reach out to him on Twitter.