~ MamakTalk ~: Latest App Launcher Test May Take Chromebooks Forward By Going Back

Chromebooks could be gearing up to receive a brand new app launcher, based on a newly reported experiment from Google. What’s more, that experiment could potentially lead users both backward and forward along the evolutionary path for the OS. That’s because the new launcher will reportedly closely resemble the original Chrome OS launcher. With some tweaks in place to modernize the feature for productivity and usability.

What is this new app launcher experiment and how will it impact Chromebooks?

As might be expected, this launcher is not quite ready to serve the app needs of users on Chromebooks — it is, after all, still an experiment. But, dubbed Productivity experiment: App Launcher, it is a fundamental shift from where the launcher currently stands.

In its current iteration, the app launcher has two stages. On the first click or tap of the concentric circle icon, the most recently used apps and a Google Assistant-based search appear. A swipe up from there showcases an app picker that’s not unlike Android’s app drawer. Complete with folders and apps. But, in the current iteration, that UI fills effectively the entire screen.

With the upcoming app launcher, the UI takes a more Windows-like approach. Or, more accurately, an approach that’s more like an older Chrome OS launcher. All with the goal of, according to Google, enhancing the experience “to improve app workflows by optimizing access to apps, app content, and app actions.”

To that end, the UI only takes up around a quarter of the screen, in the space just above the app launcher icon. That contains, in one UI, the Assistant UI, search, and several new but incomplete elements. For instance, there’s a “Flip page” button that currently only leads to some placeholder text.

When and will this ever arrive?

Now, this is just one of many launcher overhauls that Google is currently working on for Chromebooks. So there’s no guarantee the company will ever release it to the Stable Channel.

In fact, this type of difference is just small enough that Google could potentially utilize it to further separate its Chrome OS and Enterprise Edition variants of the OS. But, that’s if Google chooses to push an update with this change at all. And it remains to be seen if the search giant will.

Chromebooks app launcher productivity experiment from Chrome Unboxed