ARC Welder

ARC Welder is a Google tool that allows developers to test and package their own Android apps for the App Runtime for Chrome (ARC), the technology that brought Android apps to the Chrome operating system. The software also lets any Android user try Android apps right on their own personal computer.

The software is able to do this by loading Android APK files. ARC Welder does not connect to Google Play, so the APK file has to be obtained separately, and only one app can be loaded at a time. Apps that depend on Google Play Services may not work correctly.

ARC Welder also allows for app testing. If the user is a developer, they can use ARC Welder to test their most recent project in a Chrome window and then download it as a ZIP package for publishing. This tool isn't just for developers, though, as previously noted.

Lets developers and users run and test Android APK files on a PC inside Google Chrome.

Anyone can learn how to use ARC Welder with its simple interface. After an APK is added, you choose the orientation (landscape or portrait), the form factor (phone, tablet or maximized) and whether the app may access the clipboard, and then click Launch App. This way users can try out certain apps on a computer before installing them on their main device.

ARC Welder is a Chrome app that works directly through Google Chrome, so it can run on Windows, macOS, Linux and Chrome OS. It was installed from the Chrome Web Store, and on first launch it asks for a folder where it can store its files. After that, users only have to add an APK and choose their settings.

ARC Welder is free to install and use. It requires a 64-bit operating system and a Chrome version that still supports Chrome apps. Google has since ended Chrome Apps support, and ARC Welder is no longer available or maintained, so it is best seen as a legacy tool for Windows users.