Trying new apps can be a bit of a mess on Chrome. You pretty much have to install them, which can be a hassle if you are searching or browsing through many new apps. Many times you may forget to uninstall them because it’s a bit of a hassle, so the app is just there cluttering your workflow. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could test apps before installing them?
That is exactly what google is working on and those of you using the Chrome Dev channel can go ahead and test it. All you need to do is enable the chrome://flags/#enable-ephemeral-apps flag and you are set.
After enabling the flag, you can make a search from the Chrome OS app launcher, which will show results from the Chrome Web Store. Apps will display “Launch” and “Add” buttons where before there was only an “Install” button.
This will allow you to launch and test the app with nothing going to your computer! All online and off your hard drive. It’s a pretty nifty feature if you ask me. I know I have a bunch of apps and extensions I have downloaded just to test, but never use them again. I kinda do just let them build up, so this will help me keep my browser and Chromebook more organized.
