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Google finally lets you turn any website into an app on Googlebook

Chrome 155 removes the web-manifest requirement on Googlebook, allowing any webpage to be installed in its own app-style window.
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Chrome 155 on Googlebook now lets you manually install any website as a web app, even when the site has no installable web manifest. The page opens in its own app-style window and can be added to the app launcher, taskbar or homescreen instead of remaining a normal browser tab.

What changed in Chrome 155

Googlebook Community Manager Monica announced on October 13, 2026, that an update delivered through the Google Play Store is rolling out to Googlebook devices. The change removes the old requirement that a website publish a special installable web-app manifest.

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Previously, Chrome showed an Install option only for qualifying sites. Other pages could be saved as browser shortcuts, but those shortcuts opened in a regular tab. With Chrome M155, you can request an installation directly from Chrome for any webpage. Chrome then creates a web-app entry that runs in a separate window.

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The feature is rolling out automatically. Googlebook users can check that Chrome is running version 155.0.8059.79 or higher in Googlebook settings.

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How to turn a website into an app

  1. Open Chrome on your Googlebook.
  2. Go to the website you want to install.
  3. Open the Chrome menu and choose Save and share > Install and create shortcut…. On websites that expose it, you can instead select the Install icon in the address bar.
  4. Select Install and finish the on-screen prompts.

After installation, find the site in the Googlebook app launcher. You can pin it to the taskbar or homescreen for quicker access. The app still runs using Chrome, so it is a dedicated window rather than a separately downloaded native program.

Old shortcut versus the new web-app install

Capability Browser-tab shortcut before Chrome M155 Manual web-app install in Chrome M155
Sites supported Sites without an installable manifest opened as ordinary shortcuts. Any webpage can be manually installed, including pages without an installable manifest.
Opening behavior Opens in a normal Chrome browser tab. Runs in its own app-style Chrome window.
Launcher and pinning Shortcut behavior did not provide the new installed-app experience. Appears in the app launcher and can be pinned to the taskbar or homescreen.
Chrome data Uses the normal browser session. Shares Google Account login, cookies, site permissions and installed browser extensions with Chrome.
Offline use Depends on what the site supports in a browser. Some web-app functions can work offline, but Google warns that a web app may not work completely without an internet connection.

Why an old shortcut may still open in a tab

Shortcuts created before the update remain shortcuts; they are not automatically converted into the new installed-web-app format. If one continues opening in a browser tab, remove that old shortcut and install the page again through Save and share > Install and create shortcut… or the address-bar Install icon.

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What installed Googlebook web apps share with Chrome

Google says the installed app uses the same Google Account login, cookies, site permissions and installed browser extensions as Chrome. That means a service you already use in Chrome can generally open with its existing signed-in session, subject to the site’s own authentication and permission rules.

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This also means the installation does not turn a website into a fully independent native application. It remains a web experience rendered by Chrome, with the same dependence on the site’s servers, browser capabilities and connectivity.

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Offline limits and practical expectations

Web apps are built with web technologies and may cache some content for offline use. Googlebook Help explicitly cautions that, although web apps work offline, some may not work completely without an internet connection. Reading previously loaded material might work while live collaboration, account actions, streaming, payments or other server-dependent features do not.

  • Install the site while online so Chrome can complete the setup and the page can save any supported offline resources.
  • Do not assume that an installed icon guarantees offline access; offline support is implemented by each website.
  • When a function fails offline, reconnect and retry rather than treating the installation as corrupted.
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Which Googlebook devices get the feature?

The feature is tied to Chrome M155 on Googlebook rather than to a particular laptop model. Googlebook’s official FAQ lists Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Lenovo among the first-wave manufacturers, and says Googlebook devices support Android apps through Google Play. Googlebook is a laptop category built on a shared Android foundation, with adaptive layouts recommended for larger screens and free-form windows.

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Because the rollout is delivered through the Google Play Store, availability can arrive at different times as devices receive the Chrome update. If the installation command is missing, first verify the Chrome version and allow the update to finish, then reopen Chrome and check the menu again.

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What this means for everyday use

The change is most useful for sites you return to often but that never offered a formal install button: dashboards, communication tools, document services, school portals and other browser-based workspaces. A launcher entry and separate window make those services easier to treat like apps while preserving the convenience of Chrome’s existing sign-in, cookies, permissions and extensions.

It does not add capabilities that the website itself lacks. The site’s design, account system, notification support and offline implementation still determine how well the installed app behaves. Chrome 155 simply gives every webpage a supported path to an app-style window on Googlebook.

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