January 28, 2026
Aluminium OS leaks, drama peaks
Google just gave us an accidental first look at Android's PC future
Leaked Android+Chrome PC has folks yelling “spyware” and “let me install my apps”
TLDR: Google accidentally showed ‘Aluminium OS,’ a new Android-plus-Chrome desktop platform, in internal videos. Commenters erupted over app lock‑in and privacy, with many calling it spyware or DOA if sideloading stays hard—an early culture clash that could define how Google’s future laptops actually work.
Google “oops’d” its way into a reveal of Aluminium OS—a mash‑up of Android 16 and Chrome OS—thanks to a bug report spotted by 9to5Google on the Chromium Issue Tracker. The clips show split‑screen Chrome windows, a centered start button, a Gemini AI icon up top, and even the Play Store quietly updating Chrome without slamming the browser shut. Translation: Google’s future laptops might look and feel more like Android on a desktop.
But the comments? Absolutely on fire. The loudest chorus is “don’t lock down my computer”. Klaster_1 fears a future where you can’t install apps without Google’s blessing, while GreenVulpine says if you still have to wipe the drive and flip scary “developer mode” switches like on Chromebooks, it’s dead on arrival. Privacy alarms blared too, with N_Lens calling it “the worst spyware imaginable.” One user simply said “No thanks”, which somehow hit harder than a thousand‑word rant. Another threatened to jump to Linux, calling life under Android and Microsoft “abuse.”
Amid the panic, some cheered the smoother update flow and the cleaner desktop vibes, but memes ruled: “Android and Chrome had a baby,” “Alumi‑doom OS,” and the eternal debate over spelling Aluminium vs. Aluminum. It’s shiny, it’s new, and the internet is already fighting about it.
Key Points
- •A Google bug report briefly exposed two screen recordings of Aluminium OS on the Chromium Issue Tracker before access was restricted.
- •Aluminium OS merges Chrome OS and Android and is intended to replace Chrome OS as a computer-focused platform.
- •Recordings on an HP Elite Dragonfly 13.5 Chromebook show split-screen multitasking with two Chrome Dev windows and desktop windowing.
- •UI elements include a centered start button (like Android 16 desktop mode), a status bar with a Gemini icon, and Android 16-style Wi‑Fi and battery icons.
- •Updating Chrome via the Play Store shows an in-app 'updating' screen instead of closing and reopening, differing from current Chrome OS behavior.