Google wants Android phones and Chromebooks working more closely together

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You've already got several options when it comes to linking an Android phone with a Chrome OS laptop, but it's not on the same scale as, say, Apple MacBooks and iPhones. Now it looks as though upgrades are in the pipeline.

New code snippets reported by Chrome Story point towards Android and Chrome OS working more closely with each other in the future, though as yet there's no official word when these changes will arrive.

Among the features potentially on the way is the ability to click a phone number on a Chromebook to instantly call it on Android, the option to share Wi-Fi passwords between devices, and a universal clipboard feature.

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Those are all tricks that work between iOS and macOS and Google obviously wants its mobile and desktop operating systems working more closely together.

OneChrome to rule them all

For now these look like works in progress, and Google hasn't said anything officially about them (they weren't flagged at Google IO earlier this month). It could be some time before they actually go live.

For some extra peace of mind, the connections between Android and Chrome OS are end-to-end encrypted, foiling anyone who might be trying to eavesdrop on what you're copying between devices.

For now the upgrades are labeled "OneChrome" but that could change. They might get packaged in with other Android and Chrome OS integrations, such as instant tethering from a registered phone.

Chrome OS already has the capacity to run Android apps of course. There are signs that Google engineers are planning to improve this feature too, and potentially allow the sideloading of Android apps on to Chromebooks.

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Via XDA Developers

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