Google is planning on bidding adieu to the Chrome app launcher, completely taking it out of the picture on select platforms by July.
The removal will take effect across Linux, Mac and Windows operating systems, but the app launcher will be staying intact on the Chrome OS.
"[W]e've found that users on Windows, Mac, and Linux prefer to launch their apps from within Chrome. With Chrome's continued emphasis on simplicity and streamlining browser features, the launcher will be removed from those platforms. It will remain unchanged on Chrome OS," Google says.
For the uninitiated, the app launcher is a tool that provides users convenient access to Chrome apps even when the browser itself is not open, essentially mixing them in among desktop apps.
According to Google, the removal will happen in the span of several months. In a few weeks' time, the app launcher won't come as a default add-on with fresh Chrome installs anymore. Next, users who already have it will receive a message informing them of the change. In July, there will no longer be a sign of it anywhere except on the Chrome OS.
Just to be clear, the Web apps will still be accessible via the shortcut on Chrome that's placed within the bookmarks bar. In other words, this won't have any impact on users' browsing experience.
As a quick refresher of the app launcher's history, Google carried out experiments of it back in May 2013. The company then rolled it out on Windows in July 2013, on OS X in December 2013 and on Linux in July 2014.
Now, this isn't the first time that Google did something like this. The Chrome notification center also went away last year, and the main reason for that move is that not enough users were sold on the idea. Just like in the case of the app launcher, the company also said that it was removed to simplify user experience.
