Sideload Android Apps on Chromebook without Developer Mode

Developer Mode allows you to sideload Android apps on your Chromebook. However, it also weakens the security of Chrome OS. Though besides Developer Mode, you can also install Android apps from the Play Store but it is not supported on all Chromebook models. So, to make it easy for developers to install and test their Android apps on Chromebook, Google extended support for sideloading Android APKs with the release of Chrome OS version 80.

So, after you update your Chromebook to the latest version, you will be able to install Android apps using APK files. And you won’t have to compromise the security of the Chromebook anymore. You just have to switch your Chromebook from Stable to Dev Channel. It won’t wipe your data either, so, it’s not a risky choice.

SEE ALSO: How to Install Google Play Store on Windows 11 and Run Android Apps?

Install or Sideload Android APKs on Chromebook Without Developer Mode

So, as mentioned above, you have to switch your Chromebook to Dev Channel to sideload APKs. And the best part is, it won’t wipe your precious data. You just need to make sure to install the latest update of Chrome OS. Let’s check the steps in detail.

Step 1: Switch your Chromebook to Dev Channel

To switch to the Dev channel, go to Settings > About Chrome OS > Additional Settings. Here change the Chrome OS channel from Stable to Developer – unstable.

After that go back to the About Chrome OS page and check for updates to install the latest update automatically. Now, you will be on the Dev channel with the latest release.

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Step 2: Enable Linux on your Chromebook to Sideload Android Apps

After switching to the Dev channel, you also have to enable Linux on your Chromebook. For that, go to Settings, select Linux (Beta) from the left pane, and click Turn on.

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SEE ALSO: How to Enable or Install Linux on your Chromebook?

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Step 3: Enable ADB Debugging in Chrome OS

After you have successfully set up Linux on your Chromebook, it’s time to enable ADB debugging. For that, go to Settings > Linux (Beta) > Develop Android Apps and enable the toggle for “Enable ADB Debugging“.

After that, you need to restart your Chromebook. You will see an ADB prompt after reboot, click Allow to allow ADB debugging. Now, you are almost ready to sideload Android apps via APKs on your Chromebook.

NOTE: In some cases, you might not be able to turn on Enable ADB debugging toggle. In such scenarios, you will have to reset or powerwash your Chromebook.

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Step 4: Install ADB Tools and Connect the Android System with Linux on your Chromebook

Next, we will have to install ADB platform tools on the Chromebook. You can use Terminal on your Chromebook to install ADB tools. Use the following command to install ADB tools on your Chromebook.

sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb

You might also need to press “Y” when prompted. It may take some time depending upon the network speed. After that, you can connect the Android system with Linux on Chrome OS using ADB tools.

Run the following command to connect the Android system with Linux on your Chromebook. You will need an active internet connection to perform this task.

adb connect 100.115.92.2:5555

NOTE: If you get a “Permission Denied” or “Command Not Found” error, then run adb start-server command first and then run adb conect command (as mentioned above) again.

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Step 5: Allow USB Debugging in Chromebook

After you run adb connect command on your Chromebook, you will see a pop-up asking you to allow USB debugging. Now, enable the checkbox for “Always allow from this computer” and click OK.

Now, we are ready with the base. We can now install or sideload Android apps using APK files on Chromebook.

NOTE: If you get the “can’t connect to 100.115.92.2:5555 connection refused” error, then go to Settings and select Apps from the left pane. After that go to Google Play Store > Manage Android Preferences > System > About Device. Now, click on “Build number” for 7-8 times continuously to enable Developer Options. After that go back to the System page and select Developer Options. Here, enable ADB Debugging to solve this error.

SEE ALSO: How to Enable USB Debugging in Android Smartphones?

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Step 6: Download and Move APK Files to Linux

Finally, you can now sideload Android apps using APK files on your Chromebook without Developer Mode. First of all, download the APK file of the app that you want to install and move it to Linux Files using File Manager. In this tutorial, we have used, Firefox APK. We have also renamed the APK file to firefox.apk for simplicity.

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Step 7: Install the Android App on the Chromebook using the APK File

Now, it’s time to install the selected APK file on the Chromebook. We can install Android APKs on Chromebook using ADB commands in Terminal. So, type the following command and press Enter to install Firefox APK. You can install your app by replacing the firefox.apk with your APK’s name.

adb install firefox.apk

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Step 8: Run the Android App on the Chromebook

After successfully installing Android APK on your Chromebook, it’s time to test it. So, open the App drawer and look for the app you just installed. You can run the app from there. Similarly, you can install more Android APK files on your Chromebook.

SEE ALSO: How to Play Roblox Games on Chromebook in 2025?

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Install or Sideload Android APKs on Your Chromebook

The above tutorial explained how you can sideload Android apps on Chromebooks. That too without enabling Developer Mode. Just make sure that you are running Chrome OS 80 or newer. The best part of using Linux for Android apps is that it uses the ART (Android Run Time) framework to enhance Android performance. So, you will not face any performance-related issues with your Android apps.

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