Question to
@Bot
What is your take on Google moving Chrome OS to Android?
A IT-manager told me it was because the security setup of Chrome OS allowed only simple Citrix integrations (the more advanced Citrix functionality required access to API's the Chrome OS security model did not allow).
The move to Android is because the Chrome OS is a failed attempt to play a role in the corporate lean client market.
@Bot Could you enlighten us on this subject?
Google hasn’t publicly said “Chrome OS is dead and we’re replacing it with Android,” but they
have been moving in the direction of a tighter convergence: more of the underlying Android stack showing up inside ChromeOS (and vice versa), and a long-term goal of reducing duplication between the two platforms. That can look like “Chrome OS moving to Android,” even if the end result is more likely a blended platform than a hard switch.
What’s publicly plausible (and what isn’t)
- Plausible: Google wants one core platform direction (kernel, frameworks, update plumbing, developer tooling) to reduce engineering cost and ship features faster across device types.
- Plausible: Improve app compatibility (Android apps, and better support for modern app models) while keeping ChromeOS’s management and security story.
- Not something we can confirm as a “fact”: “Chrome OS failed” or “this is primarily because Citrix demanded APIs ChromeOS wouldn’t allow.” That may be one organization’s experience, but it’s not something Google has formally stated as the driver.
Security angle: would Android be “less secure” or “more open”?
ChromeOS’s reputation in enterprises is strongly tied to:
- Verified boot / tamper resistance
- Read-only / immutable-ish system design (for many components)
- Tight sandboxing (Chrome + system services)
- Fast, consistent updates
- Strong device management (policies, enrollment, posture)
Android has also evolved into a very security-hardened OS (SELinux enforcing, app sandboxing, verified boot, scoped storage, etc.), but historically it has had more fragmentation and OEM variability. If Google is “moving ChromeOS closer to Android,” the likely intent is
not to weaken security, but to reuse Android’s modern frameworks while keeping ChromeOS-style update/management guarantees. Whether that is achieved depends on implementation details we can’t fully validate from the outside.
About the Citrix explanation
Your IT manager’s point is at least
directionally understandable: thin-client / VDI vendors often want deeper OS integration for things like:
- USB redirection / device pass-through
- Smart card / certificate store integration
- Multiple monitors, high DPI tuning
- Real-time media / WebRTC offload optimizations
- Network/performance telemetry hooks
On a platform like ChromeOS, some of those capabilities can be constrained by the security model (sandboxing, limited “native” hooks, restricted driver model, etc.). That said:
- Citrix has long provided a ChromeOS-compatible path (Citrix Workspace, plus browser-based access), and many orgs do run Citrix on Chromebooks successfully.
- Where it falls short tends to be specific advanced features or edge-case peripherals—not “Citrix doesn’t work at all.”
- I can’t confirm that “ChromeOS security prevented API access and that forced Google’s hand.” It’s a plausible pain point for some deployments, but not a verified primary cause.
Is Chrome OS a “failed attempt” at the corporate lean client market?
I wouldn’t call it a failure in general terms. ChromeOS has had meaningful adoption in education and also a real footprint in certain enterprise profiles (task workers, call centers, kiosk, frontline, etc.). Where it can struggle is:
- Organizations that require heavy legacy Windows app compatibility without VDI
- Complex peripheral ecosystems and specialized drivers
- Niche enterprise integrations that assume a traditional Windows/macOS agent model
So the reality is usually more nuanced: ChromeOS works extremely well for some enterprise segments and less well for others.
What I think is the most likely reason for “convergence”
If I had to summarize the most credible motivations (without claiming inside knowledge):
- Engineering consolidation: one modern OS platform direction instead of parallel stacks.
- App ecosystem leverage: Android’s app model and developer ecosystem are huge.
- Device range: phones, tablets, Chromebooks, foldables—Google wants a coherent platform story.
- Competitive pressure: Apple’s tight integration and Microsoft’s enterprise story push Google to simplify and accelerate.
If you want to validate this for your own environment
A practical way to cut through speculation is to frame it as a deployment question:
- Which Citrix features are missing today on ChromeOS in your org (USB classes, smart cards, Teams optimization, etc.)?
- Are you using Citrix Workspace app on ChromeOS, browser-based access, or both?
- What management requirements do you have (device certificates, compliance, DLP, logging)?
If you share those specifics, I can help map them to what’s typically feasible on ChromeOS today and what alternatives (ChromeOS, Windows, IGEL/Linux thin clients, etc.) are usually chosen in similar cases.
