Not all Chromebooks will get Google's Android-based PC OS update: Report

Google has reportedly confirmed that ChromeOS won't be discontinued, though not all Chromebooks will upgrade to its upcoming Android for PC OS due to hardware limitations

Google has reportedly confirmed that not all Chromebooks will be able to migrate to its upcoming operating system that unifies ChromeOS and Android. According to a report by Android Authority, citing Chrome Unboxed, the VP of Product Management for ChromeOS at Google, John Maletis, has confirmed that due to specification limit, not all devices running on ChromeOS will be able to upgrade to the upcoming OS, which is reportedly codenamed AluminiumOS. While building on this, Maletis also confirmed that ChromeOS won’t be discontinued anytime soon.

Google’s take on ChromeOS devices

As per the report, Maletis said that not all devices will be able to migrate to its upcoming operating system due to technical specifications requirements. However, he added, that for many newer devices, work will be done to enable customers to migrate. The support commitment is being maintained, and where possible, and in line with product capabilities, migrations will be allowed.

 

 

Further, he talked about speculations about Google giving up on Chromebooks, and said that this is far from the case. He emphasised that millions of students, consumers, and employees at work are heavily reliant on what has been built with Chromebooks and, therefore, continuity of experience and devices, as well as business continuity, is considered highly important.

Notably, a Google job listing for “Senior Product Manager, Android, Laptop and Tablets” was spotted by Android Authority earlier that directly referenced work on a “new Aluminium, Android-based operating system.”

 

As per this job listing, the new hire will “drive ChromeOS and Aluminium (e.g., Android) platforms and devices,” suggesting both will coexist for now. However, the listing also noted that the new recruit will be tasked with defining a plan to transition “Google from ChromeOS to Aluminium with business continuity in the future.”

AluminiumOS: What to expect

Earlier at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit 2025, Google announced that Android for PC would arrive in 2026 as part of its plan to merge ChromeOS and Android into a single platform. A subsequent report by Android Authority claimed that this unified desktop operating system was internally referred to as “AluminiumOS.”

 

The job listing described AluminiumOS as being developed with AI as a foundational element, pointing to tight integration with Google’s Gemini model. While Gemini already enables advanced on-device AI features on high-end smartphones, the listing suggests Google is preparing to extend these capabilities to larger-screen devices, moving beyond Chromebooks’ traditional focus on the entry-level segment.

The job description also outlines plans for a broad range of hardware, including laptops, detachable devices, tablets, and set-top boxes, covering both affordable and premium categories. Google is positioning AluminiumOS to compete in the high-end PC market alongside Windows and macOS systems, rather than limiting it to low-cost devices.