Google launched an App Runtime for Chrome (ARC) late last year as a way for developers to easily port Android apps over to the Chrome App Store.

This allowed companies like Evernote to create an app fit for the web and still utilize native client features. This without having to completely redesign the app to conform to the larger display on Chromebooks and desktop displays.

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ARC is now available for everyone, meaning even people without a whole lot of experience developing apps will be able to port an APK to Chrome. It also opens up the ability to port apps onto Chrome App Store by any developer, regardless of talent on the web platform.

It won't only be available on Chrome OS. Google's coding on the ARC Welder should allow apps to load on Windows, Mac and Linux as long as the Chrome web browser is installed.

Google is making Chrome a platform on its own, allowing app developers to make native applications that can sell and provide service. The issue right now is making these apps more prominent than the web clients already available.

ARC Welder is a simple tool. Almost anyone with basic coding experience should be able to unpackage the APK but that doesn't mean results will be overwhelmingly positive. Google claims most Android apps will run into issues if set-up this way without some changes to the code.

Some apps rely on a certain size of device, meaning anything larger than 7-inch will be reprogrammed to tablet scale. Some other apps will rely on features readily available on phones but not available on laptops and desktops.

It's similar to Microsoft's own gambit with universal apps, allowing an app developer to write one APK and have it work on the phone, tablet and desktop. Windows 10 will be the first OS to offer this universal app management system although the results are still unknown.

Apple hasn't shown any moves to replicate Microsoft and Google's universal app design, instead offering ways to move from a mobile app to a desktop app through Continuity. This is only available for Apple at the moment but at WWDC 2015 we might see Cupertino open it up to third-party developers.

TagsChrome OS, Google Chrome, ARC Welder