Our first look at Google's Android desktop makes its Chrome OS replacement feel real

What you need to know

• A leaked Chromium bug report has revealed the first screen recording of Google's upcoming Aluminium OS desktop platform.
• Aluminium OS looks similar to ChromeOS and Android 16 desktop mode, with split-screen apps and familiar UI elements.
• The leak shows UI changes like a taller status bar, Android-style icons, and updated window controls and cursor.

We might have just gotten our first look at Google's upcoming Aluminium OS desktop, which is expected to eventually replace ChromeOS, thanks to a Chromium Issue Tracker listing.

Google is known to be merging ChromeOS with Android into a full-fledged desktop OS internally called Aluminium OS. While we had only heard about this platform until now, we finally have our first look at it. 9to5Google spotted a bug report on the Chromium Issue Tracker that includes a screen recording of a laptop running Aluminium OS.

According to the report, the recording shows an HP Elite Dragonfly 13.5 Chromebook supposedly running an internal 'ALOS' build. Access to the bug report has since been restricted by Google, but the publication managed to preserve the screen recording.

What the leaked Aluminium OS desktop actually shows

The video shows two Chrome Dev windows running in a split-screen layout. At first glance, Aluminium OS looks very similar to ChromeOS and appears heavily inspired by Android 16's desktop mode, which is not surprising. However, there are a few notable changes worth pointing out.

For starters, the status bar at the top appears slightly taller than what we currently see on ChromeOS devices. The recording shows the date and time on the left side of the bar, while the right side includes icons for Gemini, Android 16-style Wi-Fi and battery indicators, a screen recording icon, and an 'EN' language indicator, likely for the keyboard.

Similar to Android 16’s desktop mode, the start button sits near the center of the bottom bar. One notable change is the mouse cursor, which now features a small tail. As expected from a desktop OS, window controls for minimizing, maximizing, and closing appear on the right side of each window.

Android Central's Take

Overall, this appears to be our first accidental glimpse of Aluminium OS. There isn't much that stands out yet, but it does confirm that Google is actively working on the project and preparing to move toward a unified desktop platform.

It also makes me more eager for Android-powered PCs later this year. I'm curious to see whether they can truly replace my Mac, considering Aluminium OS can run Chrome fully, including extensions, as seen in the recording shared by the publication.

With multiple brands working with Google and Qualcomm on Android PCs for 2026, this leak suggests the platform is finally starting to take shape.