© Guy Hart-Davis 2018
Guy Hart-DavisDeploying Chromebooks in the Classroomhttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-3766-3_6

6. Managing Chrome Apps and Extensions

Guy Hart-Davis1 
(1)
County Durham, UK
 

In this chapter, we will look at how to manage Chrome apps and extensions manually on Chromebooks. We will start by examining the differences between Chrome apps and extensions and exploring the two different types of apps that Chrome OS devices can run. We will then go through how to install apps and extensions from the Chrome Web Store and how to manage them. Finally, we will discuss how to troubleshoot problems with apps and extensions.

Understanding What Chrome Apps and Extensions Are

A Chromebook comes with various apps and extensions that offer a wide range of functionality. You can install further apps and extensions to add other functionality to the Chromebook. The main source of apps and extensions for Chrome OS is the Chrome Web Store, which you can access via the Web Store app.

Understanding What Apps Are in Chrome OS

Chrome OS supports two types of items that are considered apps:
  • Chrome Web app: A Chrome Web app is essentially a website that runs within the Chrome browser rather than being a separate app. The functionality for a web app is implemented through HTML, JavaScript, and other programming languages. Many of the apps that come with Chrome OS devices are Web apps. For example, the Gmail app, the Web Store app, and the Google Drive app are all Web apps; so is any other app that opens as a tab in Chrome rather than in a window of its own.

  • Chrome app: A Chrome app is a full-fledged app that runs outside the Chrome browser, like apps on operating systems such as Windows or MacOS. Examples of Chrome apps that come with Chrome OS include the Files app, the Calculator app, and the Camera app.

You can browse the two types of apps either together or separately on the Chrome Web Store. The Web Store identifies Chrome web apps as “websites.”

Understanding What Chrome Extensions Are

As well as apps, Chrome OS supports extensions. An extension is an add-on that extends the features of the Chrome browser. For example, the Google Docs Offline extension adds the capability for the Chromebook to work on Google Docs documents even when it is offline by caching copies of the documents on the Chromebook and syncing them when the Chromebook is online.

You can find many extensions on the Web Store. Some extensions are created by Google, such as the Share to Classroom extension, which provides an easy way to share a page with students via the Classroom app. Other extensions are created by third-party developers.

Installing and Managing Apps and Extensions

In this section, we will examine how to manage apps and extensions on Chrome OS. We will start by opening the Web Store app and navigating the Chrome Web Store site. We will then move on to installing an app or an extension, viewing your apps and extensions, and managing extensions and configuring their settings.

Note

This section explains how to install and manage apps and extensions manually. See the section “Configuring Apps and Extensions Settings” in Chapter 5 for coverage of how to install and manage apps and extensions via policy.

Opening the Web Store App

To get started finding and installing apps and extensions, first open the Web Store app. If a Web Store icon appears on the shelf, click that icon. If not, click the Launcher button and then click the Web Store icon, either on the Launcher bar or on the full Launcher screen.

The Web Store app is a Chrome Web app, so a Chrome tab will open showing the Chrome Web Store home screen. Figure 6-1 shows an example of the home screen.
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Figure 6-1

On the Chrome Web Store home screen, you can start by choosing the type of items you want to find: Extensions, Themes, Apps, or Games.

Navigating the Web Store

As usual, you can navigate the Chrome Web Store by browsing or by searching. Browsing is typically the best way to get an idea of what is available, but if you want to get a specific type of app or functionality, searching is the better bet.

Before you search, specify the type of item by clicking the appropriate entry in the list under the Search the store box in the navigation panel on the left:
  • Extensions: As mentioned earlier, an extension adds functionality to the Chrome browser.

  • Themes: A theme is a suite of settings that changes the look of the Chrome browser.

  • Apps: This type includes both Chrome apps—the separate apps—and websites that run in Chrome.

  • Games: Like the Apps type, the Games type includes both Chrome apps and websites that run in Chrome.

When you choose the type, the lower part of the navigation pane will display options for that type. For example, for the Apps type (see Figure 6-2), the navigation pane contains the options explained in the following list:
  • Types: In this section, you can click the “Chrome Apps” option or the “Websites” option to restrict the types of apps displayed.

  • Categories: In this pop-up menu, you can click the category—such as Education, Productivity, Social & Communication, or Utilities—and then the subcategory if there is one and if you want to be more specific.

  • Features: In this section, check the check box for any specific features you need the item to have:
    • Runs Offline: Check this check box to ensure the item works when the Chromebook is offline.

    • By Google: Check this check box to restrict the items to ones developed by Google.

    • Free: Check this check box to display only free items.

    • Available for Android: Check this check box to display only items that work on Android as well as on Chrome OS.

    • Works with Google Drive: Check this check box to display only items that work with Google Drive.

  • Ratings: In this section, you can click an option button to make the Chrome Web Store display only items that users have awarded that rating: Five Stars, Four Stars & up, Three Stars & up, or Two Stars & up.

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Figure 6-2

After choosing the type of items, use the controls in the lower part of the navigation pane to specify further details

As you choose settings, the Web Store app will change the list of items displayed to match your specifications. After choosing settings, you can browse the displayed items by scrolling up and down or by clicking items, or you can search by starting to type your search terms in the Search the store box and then clicking the best match on the pop-up menu that appears.

Figure 6-3 shows the results of a search for scientific calculator with the Runs Offline filter set . From the page of search results, you can take the following actions:
  • Add the item to Chrome: Click the Add to Chrome button and then follow the prompts that appear. The following subsections show examples of adding items to Chrome.

  • Display an item’s page: Click the search result to display the page of information about the item. Figure 6-4 shows an example of an item’s page. The page has four tabs:
    • Overview tab: This tab contains screenshots, a description, technical details (such as Runs Offline), and additional information (such as the version, the last update, the size, and the language).

    • Reviews: This tab contains user reviews of the item, with star ratings. You can click the Helpful subtab or the Recent subtab to change the selection of reviews displayed.

    • Support: This tab contains questions, suggestions, and problems submitted by users. You can click the All subtab, the Questions subtab, the Suggestions subtab , or the Problems subtab to change the items displayed. The Tell the Developer section enables you to submit your own questions, suggestions, or problems.

    • Related: This tab displays items related to the item you are viewing.

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Figure 6-3

After returning search results, you can click a result to display the page, set other filters to refine the results further, or click the Reset filters button to remove the filters. Alternatively, click the Home button to return to the Chrome Web Store’s home page.

  • Refine the search results: You can set other filters to refine the search results further. For example, if a search returns a large number of results, you might check other check boxes in the Features section to narrow down the selection.

  • Remove the filters: Click the Reset filters button under the search box.

  • Return to the home page: Click the Home button under the search box.

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Figure 6-4

From the page for an item, you can get an overview, read reviews, learn about support, or browse related products

When you find an item you want to add to the Chromebook, you can install it as discussed next.

Installing an App or an Extension

To install an app or an extension, follow these steps:
  1. 1.

    In the Web Store app, navigate either to a listing page showing the item with an Add to Chrome button or to the item’s page.

     
  2. 2.

    Click the Add to Chrome button. The Add dialog box will open. Figure 6-5 shows an example of the Add dialog box for an app; the Add dialog box for an extension is the same except that the button is named “Add extension” rather than “Add app.”

     
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Figure 6-5

In the Add dialog box, look at the “It can” list to make sure you approve of all the actions the app or extension will be able to take

  1. 3.

    Review the “It can” list to make sure that all the actions the app or extension will be able to take on the Chromebook are acceptable to you.

     

Note

What actions you should accept will depend on what the app or extension is and what it does, but you should be able to identify anything obviously wrong. For example, a social-networking app may need to access contact data, but a calculator app or screenshot utility definitely should not need to.

  1. 4.

    Click the Add app button for an app or the Add extension button for an extension. If the shelf is displayed, a Download Manager notification will appear showing Chrome OS’s progress in downloading and installing the app or extension.

     

Note

Once the app or extension has been installed, a web page may open in a new Chrome tab showing information about the app or extension and how to use it.

Removing an App

If you no longer need an app on a Chromebook, you can remove it quickly by following these steps :
  1. 1.

    Click the Launcher button to display the Launcher bar.

     
  2. 2.

    Unless the app you want to remove appears on the Launcher bar, click the up-arrow button to display the Launcher screen.

     
  3. 3.

    Right-click the app you want to remove. The shortcut menu will open (see Figure 6-6).

     
../images/461300_1_En_6_Chapter/461300_1_En_6_Fig6_HTML.jpg
Figure 6-6

On the Launcher bar or Launcher screen, right-click the app you want to uninstall and then click the Uninstall item on the shortcut menu

  1. 4.

    Click the Uninstall item . The Remove dialog box will open (see Figure 6-7).

     
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Figure 6-7

Click the Remove button in the Remove dialog box to remove the app

  1. 5.

    Click the Remove button. The Remove dialog box will close, and Chrome OS will remove the app.

     
  2. 6.

    Press the Esc key to hide the Launcher screen.

     

Viewing Your Extensions and Apps

The Web Store app’s My Extensions & Apps feature enables you to view a list of the extensions and apps that you have installed on Chrome OS devices. You can display a list of the items installed on the current Chromebook or a list of the items in your “library,” which means items that you have used in the past (for example, on other devices) but have not installed on the current Chromebook.

To use the My Extensions & Apps feature , click the Settings button (the gear icon) to the right of the current Google account name in the upper-right corner of the Web Store window, and then click the My Extensions & Apps item on the menu that opens. The Installed tab (see Figure 6-8) shows the items on the current Chromebook. Each app’s entry contains a Launch App button that you can click to launch the app. Each extension’s entry contains an Added to Chrome button that you can click to display the extension’s page in the Chrome Web Store.
../images/461300_1_En_6_Chapter/461300_1_En_6_Fig8_HTML.jpg
Figure 6-8

The My Extensions & Apps feature enables you to see all the apps and extensions installed on the current Chromebook or those not installed but in your “library”

Click the Library tab to display the list of items that are in your “library” but not installed on the current Chromebook. Here, you can click the Add to Chrome button for an item to install it on the current Chromebook.

Managing, Configuring, and Removing Extensions

Chrome’s Extensions screen (see Figure 6-9) provides you with tools for managing extensions, configuring their settings, and removing them. You can display the Extensions screen in either of the following ways:
  • Menu: In Chrome, choose More Actions ➤ More tools ➤ Extensions.

  • Keyboard: Type chrome://extensions in the omnibox and then press the Enter key.

../images/461300_1_En_6_Chapter/461300_1_En_6_Fig9_HTML.jpg
Figure 6-9

From the Extensions screen, you can view the details for an extension, enable or disable the extension, or remove the extension

From the Extensions screen, you can take the following actions:
  • View the details for an extension and change its setting: Click the Details button to display the details screen for the extension (see Figure 6-10). Here, you can set the master switch at the top to Off if you want to disable the extension; usually, however, it is easier to simply use the switch on the Extensions screen itself. You can view the description, version, size, and permissions of the extension; set the “Allow in incognito” switch to On if you want to permit the extension to run in incognito windows; and click the Remove extension button to start the process of removing the extension. Some extensions have options that you can configure by clicking the Extension options button.

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Figure 6-10

The details screen for an extension enables you to view the description, version, size, and permissions. You can also choose whether to allow the extension’s use in incognito mode .

  • Enable or disable an extension: Set the switch in the lower-right corner of the extension’s box to On or Off as needed.

  • Remove an extension: Click the Remove button. In the Remove dialog box that opens (see Figure 6-11), click the Remove button.

../images/461300_1_En_6_Chapter/461300_1_En_6_Fig11_HTML.jpg
Figure 6-11

Click the Remove button in the Remove dialog box to remove an extension

Click the Back button (the left-arrow button) to return from the details screen for the extension to the Extensions screen.

Troubleshooting Problems with Apps and Extensions

Chrome OS is a mature operating system and normally runs stably on Chromebooks, staying responsive even when, behind the scenes, it is working to suppress problems that have occurred. But if you load up a Chromebook with many apps and extensions, you may find that error messages, slowdowns , or freezes occur. These problems may occur for two reasons:
  • Most software contains bugs: Despite the best efforts of developers, most software contains at least some bugs.

  • Extensions may conflict with each other: Two (or more) extensions may cause conflicts when run at the same time, even if each extension works fine on its own.

To reduce the risk of problems occurring, it is a good idea to test apps and extensions comprehensively before deploying them across your school’s Chromebooks. Even so, you may sometimes need to troubleshoot problems with apps and extensions. This section will explain the moves you can use to resolve problems .

THREE REASONS FOR MINIMIZING APPS AND EXTENSIONS

Both apps and extensions can add necessary functionality to Chromebooks, so you will likely want to install at least some on your school’s Chromebooks to enable your students and colleagues to perform all their tasks. But you should also look to keep the number of apps and extensions to the minimum necessary, for the following three reasons:
  • Simplicity: Students may benefit from a streamlined configuration with fewer apps to distract them.

  • Load: Apps and extensions increase the load on the Chromebooks. Even if the Chromebooks are well-specified models rather than barebones models, they may slow down.

  • Compatibility: Some extensions may not run successfully on all Chromebooks. Normally, Chrome OS flags any conflicts when you go to install an incompatible extension

Striking the balance between functionality and simplicity can be difficult. You should monitor feedback from your school’s students and teachers both about any functionality the Chromebooks are lacking and about any apps they do not use. You can then add or remove apps and extensions as needed, testing carefully before making any additions.

Troubleshooting Problems with Apps

If a Chromebook is exhibiting problems , and those problems seem to be tied to a specific app, restart the Chromebook and see if it runs normally before you launch the suspect app. If so, launch the app and see if the problems recur.

Assuming the problems do recur, remove the app by right-clicking its icon on the Launcher screen and then clicking the Uninstall item on the shortcut menu, as discussed in the section “Removing an App” earlier in this chapter.

If the problem app provided essential functionality, explore the Chrome Web Store for a similar app. An easy way to start locating a similar app is to look at the entries on the Related tab on the app’s page.

Troubleshooting Problems with Extensions

If you suspect that an extension is making a Chromebook unstable, first try disabling the extension. As explained in the section “Managing, Configuring, and Removing Extensions” (earlier in this chapter), you can disable an extension by displaying the Extensions screen (chrome://extensions) and setting the switch on the extension’s box to Off.

If the Chromebook recovers its stability once you have disabled the extension, you will probably want to remove the extension. To do so, click the Remove button in the extension’s box on the Extensions screen and then click the Remove button in the Remove dialog box that opens.

Note

If a Chromebook remains unstable even after you have removed any apparently problematic extensions, you may need to reset the Chromebook to get it working normally again. See the section “Resolving Problems by Resetting and Powerwashing Chromebooks” in Chapter 9 for instructions on resetting a Chromebook .

Summary

In this chapter, you have learned how to manage apps and extensions on your school’s Chromebooks. You know how an extension differs from an app and what the difference is between a Chrome app and a Chrome Web app. You have learned how to use the Web Store app to install apps and extensions and how you can manage those apps and extensions. You also know the key moves for troubleshooting problems with apps and extensions.

In the next chapter, we will examine how to connect the Chromebooks to resources and how to print from them.

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