Chromebooks vs Emulator

My school has switched to Chromebooks and the Emulator will not work with them. Is there a workaround for kids you do not have a tablet or Widows/Mac at home?

Thanks,
Chris

Hello @ccombs0189,

Assuming that these are relatively new Chromebooks (you can also check this list from the Chromium project), you should be able to install and run Android apps on the Chromebook.

If your Chromebook is supported, you should be able to access the Google Play Store (note: your IT people may need to turn on this option as it can be centrally managed) and install the MIT AI2 Companion (this can also be automated using the centralized mechanism). Then, your students can launch the app as if it were any other app on the Chromebook. When using this approach, you’ll need to use the “AI2 Companion” option in the Connect menu and type in the 6 character code.

We will be streamlining the connection process in a future update.

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I have a Acer Chromebook and running the companion on it works very well.

There was a issue with fixed sizing mode but was recently fixed. Working in responsive mode works without a problem.

This is how it looks on my Chromebook at the moment.

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(added to Chromebook section of FAQ)

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Does anyone know if we can run the MIT AI2 Companion without the extension for a chromebook? My district will NOT allow students to download from the google play store... even if free.

It is not an extension. Newer Chromebooks have the ability to run Android apps natively and they are installed through the Google Play Store (which is also an Android app running natively on the Chromebook). If the Chromebooks are managed by the school district, individual apps can be installed even if the Play Store functionality is disabled. You may want to see if that is an option with your district.

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