All Chromebooks released in 2017 will be able to install and run Google Play Store and Android apps, according to an updated list from Google Inc., and so will a lot of older models.

This change will greatly increase the capability of Chromebooks, and Chrome operating system devices, turning them from simple gateways to the web with limited native apps to versatile netbooks with full access to the entire Android app ecosystem.

The search giant first announced Android app support in May and the capability has appeared in stable builds for the Asus Chromebook Flip and Acer Chromebook R11, as well as the Google Chromebook Pixel. First released in June 2011, Chromebooks were initially shipped by Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Acer Inc. as lightweight laptop-like devices sold at very low prices, sometimes well under $300.

By the time Android apps were announced for Chromebooks, the devices had outsold Apple Macs. Sales figures from International Data Corp. cited 1.76 million Macs shipped in the first quarter of 2016, compared with nearly 2 million Chromebooks.

By adding Google Play Store and Android apps to the Chromebook arsenal, Google is bringing the device more in line with what consumers and business users can already do on smartphones. This will make moving between mobile and Chrome OS devices smoother and less jarring because many of the same apps will run on both.

According to the updated Google page, many older Chromebooks will also receive this sort of support but it will be on a case-by-case basis and the list will be updated as support is added.

“While we won’t be able to bring Android apps to every Chromebook ever made,” the updated page reads, “we’re continuing to evaluate more devices based on a range of factors, like processor type, GPU, and drivers.”

The support page also emphasizes that older models unable to receive Android app support “will continue to get other new features and improvements.” That means older Chromebook lines won’t become obsolete.

Users interested in installing Android apps on a supported Chromebook running Chrome OS 53 and newer can use Google’s set of instructions to update and start installing apps once the update is available.

Chromebook 13 photo courtesy of of HP