Ok, that’s an easy fix, right? I just went into the Chrome browser settings and updated to the latest version. Since the Air hadn’t been used in a very long time, it had Chrome 67 on it. It turns out, you need at least Chrome 88 running for this extension.Īnd to be fair, the ChromeOS Flex install instructions do say you need the current version of Chrome on your device. When I tried to install the recovery utility on the MacBook Air, Chrome said it wasn’t compatible. I immediately ran into an issue that isn’t Google’s fault. It’s better to use another computer for the ChromeOS Flex files So I went to install the Chromebook Recovery Utility on the old MacBook Air. That’s a small nitpick though and didn’t impact the ChromeOS Flex install. Right off the bat, the name is deceiving because you’re not recovering a Chromebook. These files are downloaded through the Chromebook Recovery Utility, which is a Chrome Web Extension. You also need a USB drive with at least 8 GB of storage so you can download the installation files. There is one caveat in this case: Google says the Air’s webcam won’t work. There’s a list of models here and thankfully, the 2013 MacBook Air appears as “fully certified”. It’s also probably wise to check in advance if your computer is supported by ChromeOS Flex. What you need to install ChromeOS FlexĮssentially, to install ChromeOS Flex on a computer, you need one that already runs Chrome. I could have (and should have) avoided these, but apparently, I like doing things the hard way. Why? Because the process took me far longer than I expected, mainly due to limitations I found out only during the process. Having said that, I’d like to see Google add a clarification or two to its ChromeOS Flex install documentation. It will reduce e-waste while also saving both consumers and businesses money since they can reuse computers they already own.
The ability to repurpose old computers from running macOS or Windows so they can continue on with ChromeOS is brilliant. I love what Google is doing with ChromeOS Flex.
Still, I learned how to install ChromeOS Flex the hard way during this process.īefore sharing the often frustrating experience in this particular case, I want to be clear. And I went through the process, which is about as easy as it can be.
I grabbed my daughter’s old MacBook Air from 2013, which was collecting dust. Now that Google ChromeOS Flex is generally available and supports more than 400 devices, I decided to give it a try.
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