Google has published an updated timeline for killing off Chrome app support in the coming years. The plans build on the initial announcement in January when the firm said that it would be ending support for Chrome apps. To be clear, this only applies to Chrome apps in the Chrome Web Store but not Chrome extensions.
Explaining the reason for ending support for Chrome apps, Google said:
“That announcement was made due to significant progress of the modern Web and its ability to deliver first class user experiences for users. We continue to invest in rich new capabilities on the Web platform and are committed to pushing the Web forward.”
With regards to the changes, Google said it would stop accepting Chrome apps in March 2020 but that existing apps could be updated until June 2022. It has changed this action to allow enterprise administrators to continue submitting new private and unlisted apps to the Chrome Web Store.
In a completely new addition to the timeline, Google says that in June 2021, general support for Chrome apps on Windows, Mac, and Linux will come to an end. Extended support will be offered on these platforms for a further 12 months for organisations through a policy setting. General support for Chrome apps will remain on Chrome OS until June 2022 without requiring any policy setting.
The final change applies in June 2022 where Google says that it will stop accepting new and updated private and unlisted Chrome apps in the Chrome Web Store. At this time, Google will also end support for Chrome apps, NaCI, PNaCI, and PPAPI on all platforms.