Why Did Chromebook’s Android Apps Suddenly Disappear After This Update?

Is Your Chromebook Missing the Play Store After Recent Updates? Here’s Why

Google is now working to fix a frustrating problem that made Android apps vanish from many Chromebooks. This issue happened right after users installed a recent ChromeOS update. Let me explain what’s going on and what you can do about it.

What Happened to Your Android Apps?

Many Chromebook users woke up to find their Google Play Store completely gone. All their favorite Android apps just disappeared overnight. This affects games, productivity tools, and other useful apps people rely on daily.

The problem seems to hit certain Chromebook models harder than others. Lenovo devices like the 100e, 300e, and IdeaPad S330 are getting hit the most. These machines share something called the “hana” code name in their system files.

Users report the same story everywhere:

• They updated or restarted their Chromebook
• The Play Store icon vanished from their screen
• All their Android apps were gone
• Even the settings option to turn on Android apps disappeared

The Real Cause Behind This Bug

Google admits this is a software bug in their latest ChromeOS update. The company says it affects “a small subset of users on a handful of models.” But for those affected, it feels like a major problem.

Here’s what’s really happening inside your Chromebook:

• The system build 16295.54.0 on the stable channel has this bug
• Something called ARC (Android Runtime for Chrome) gets disabled
• There’s no obvious way to turn it back on through normal settings

Some people worried they accidentally signed up for Google’s Extended Update program. This paid service keeps old Chromebooks secure but removes Android support forever. Google clarified that most users experiencing this bug didn’t actually opt into that program.

Quick Fixes You Can Try Right Now

Report the Problem

1. Press Alt + Shift + i to open the feedback tool
2. Type #hanaextended in your report
3. This helps Google’s engineers track every case

Check Your System Info

1. Go to chrome://version/ in your browser
2. Look for your device’s code name
3. This tells you if your Chromebook is affected by the bug

Try Basic Troubleshooting

1. Restart your Chromebook completely
2. Check if any new updates are available
3. Look in Settings > Apps to see if Play Store options returned

What Doesn’t Work

• Power-washing (factory reset) hasn’t fixed this for most people
• Visiting the web-based Play Store just shows “installed” labels for apps that aren’t actually there
• Clearing Play Store data typically doesn’t help with this specific bug

When Will Google Fix This?

Google hasn’t given an exact timeline for the fix. Their community manager posted updates on Reddit and official support forums. The company says they’re “working quickly to resolve the issue”.

This isn’t the first time Play Store has vanished from Chromebooks. Similar problems happened before with the Extended Security Updates feature. The root cause might be related to previous issues.

For now, affected users need to wait for Google to release a proper software update that fixes this bug. The company is actively investigating and collecting data from user reports.

What This Means for Chromebook Users

If your Chromebook lost its Android apps, you’re not alone. This widespread bug affects productivity and makes devices less useful for many people. Students, workers, and casual users all depend on Android apps for daily tasks.

Google’s acknowledgment of the problem is a good sign. It shows they’re taking this seriously and working on a solution. Keep submitting feedback reports and checking for updates regularly.

While waiting for the fix, you can still use web-based versions of many apps through your browser. It’s not ideal, but it keeps you productive until Google resolves this frustrating bug.