Google’s big plan to merge its lingering laptop-based ChromeOS with Android could be one of its most monumental shifts for its multi-decade experiment with computing. The new OS, which has since been dubbed “Aluminum,” may arrive later rather than sooner, according to newly revealed court documents posted by The Verge. More than that, we can’t help but wonder what will truly change with our age-old Chromebooks once ChromeOS as we know it is fully kaput.

We already have a vague idea of what Aluminum could look like thanks to a leak first spotted by 9to5Google last week. The videos and screenshots published by the site hint that the next software built for Chromebooks will take pages directly from big-screen Android, though with a taller taskbar that will prove important for larger screens. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot we can gather about how this will impact app compatibility.

The main promise of combining Android and ChromeOS is the thought of running all your regular Android apps directly from your computer. Currently, ChromeOS is beholden to the Chrome browser, and that means relying on streaming and browser-based apps for practically all daily functions. Judging by these leaks and court documents, that likely won’t change in the future.

Google’s head of Chrome, Sameer Samat, said as recently as last September that the new version of ChromeOS would be here in 2026. Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon told an audience that he had seen the OS and called it “incredible.” These newly revealed court filings submitted by Google in the fallout of the Epic antitrust case suggest release timing could be more wobbly. Samat told the court “we hope to” release in 2026. Meanwhile, Google lawyers suggested the search giant may release Aluminum for testing in late 2026. This may merely be internal testing, or perhaps a wider beta release for select testers.

Google’s ‘Aluminum’ OS will still force you to use Chrome

The full release may come closer to 2028, lawyers suggested in those documents. Keep in mind, the lawyers are trying to argue for Google to maintain control of Chrome. Google is still dealing with the fallout from the landmark 2024 decision that painted it as a monopoly. The federal government has suggested Google should be forced to sell off Chrome. Google’s attorneys have every reason to make divestiture of Chrome seem harmful to the end user.

Google promised all Chromebooks will receive a full 10 years of software updates. However, that doesn’t mean the old version of ChromeOS will be long for this world. These documents reveal ChromeOS has a full planned obsolescence for 2034. It remains unclear how many current devices will receive the full support for Aluminum when it finally hits the scene.

There’s the missing “why” to all of this. It may go back to how feds are trying to force Google to quit prioritizing Chrome or the Play Store on its devices. So why did Google suddenly decide ChromeOS deserved an Android makeover? U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta effectively exempted ChromeOS from previous rulings. “Unlike distribution on Android or Apple devices or on a third-party browser, Chrome is a necessary component of a ChromeOS device,” Mehta put in a ruling filed Dec. 5 last year. Essentially, Aluminum could be one of the last vestiges of a Google-enforced ecosystem where its own browser and app store get priority.