Google has formally introduced Chrome Apps for OS X, enabling the web-coded apps to “behave and feel” like native software on Macs. Titles can be placed on the Dock or searched for by name in Spotlight, opening in separate Chrome windows that omit the search bar, tabs and other browser-specific features.
Chrome Apps are automatically placed together in a launcher utility for quick access, organized in a grid layout that pops up after clicking on the Dock icon.
“Chrome Apps work offline, update automatically and sync to any computer where you’re signed into Chrome, so you can pick up where you left off,” Google writes in a blog post.
The search company has organized apps into a dedicated “For Your Desktop” collection in the Chrome web store, highlighting apps’ offline capabilities. Content includes a wide range of games, along with productivity utilities such as Autodesk Pixlr, WeVideo Next and SmartSheet.
