Chromebooks are more than just web‑first laptops; they can run productivity tools, games, movies, and even native Android apps. While the Play Store, Linux apps, and progressive web apps cover many needs, sometimes the perfect app isn’t on the store. In such cases, you can sideload an Android Package Kit (APK) from elsewhere on the internet. Nathan Ingraham explains how to do this safely, noting that Google hasn’t verified these apps, so you should vet them for malware before installing.

There are several ways to sideload, but the safest route uses Google’s official Android Debug Bridge (ADB) method. This works only on Chromebooks released after 2020 and requires enabling the Linux development environment in Settings → About Chrome OS → Developers → Set up Linux. Then, in the Linux settings, toggle “Enable ADB debugging,” which triggers a reboot (a Google warning that the device may contain unverified apps appears).

Once the system restarts, open the Terminal, install ADB with `sudo apt install adb`, connect to ARC using `adb connect arc`, and accept the USB‑debugging prompt. Copy the APK to the Linux Files folder and run `adb install <file>.apk`. The app appears in the launcher and can be launched immediately. For developers, an alternative is to install Android Studio, create a virtual device, and drag the APK onto the emulator screen.