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Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Do Chrome Apps for Mobile run inside the Chrome Browser?

No. Chrome Apps for Mobile are first-class native apps that run independent of the Chrome Browser. They are hybrid apps, which means they leverage a WebView component, not the Chrome Browser, to display content within the Android/iOS application.

Which WebView do Chrome Apps for Mobile use?

How are Chrome Apps for Mobile distributed to users? Are they installed through the Chrome Web Store?

Chrome Apps for Mobile are first-class native apps and distributed by publishing to the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS). They are not installed from the Chrome Web Store.

How do Chrome Apps for Mobile compare with Apache Cordova (or PhoneGap) apps?

Chrome Apps for Mobile are actually built on top of Apache Cordova, and most of our work has gone directly into that project.

What Web APIs are supported?

Core web features vary by the underlying WebView (e.g. iOS 6 vs iOS 7 vs Android vs Crosswalk).

Which Chrome APIs are supported?

Chrome API support is tracked within APIsAndLibraries.md.

Is NaCL / PNaCL supported?

No. However, you can still compile and use native code by writing a custom Cordova plugin.

Why use CCA rather than Cordova?

Do CCA plugins work in vanilla Cordova projects?

Yes. Read their documentation, though, as some plugins may require additional configuration when used outside of a mobile Chrome App.

Can I use Cordova plugins within CCA apps?

Yes. cca forwards commands to cordova, so the following will work:

cca plugin add [PLUGIN_ID or GIT_URL or LOCAL_PATH]

One caveat though - when using cca push and the Chrome App Developer Tool, only plugins built into the tool will be avaiable.

How do I update my version of the CCA tool?

npm install -g cca

Something doesn't work. How can I ask for help?

File a GitHub Issue.

Why does Hello World produce a >20mb APK?

By default, cca uses a bundled WebView (Crosswalk), rather than the system WebView.

Why use the Crosswalk WebView?

On pre-L devices, Crosswalk provides much better performance and a newer web runtime than the stock Android WebView. However, there are [tradeoffs](https://github.com/MobileChromeApps/mobile-chrome-apps/blob/master/docs/Crosswalk.md

Do CCA Apps violate CSP?

As of cca@0.6.0 (March 2015), CCA apps have use the same Content-Security-Policy as desktop Chrome Apps.

How To

Is it possible to create multiple windows in CCA apps?

No. However, if you have a use-case for wanting to, we'd love to hear about it. :).

How do I use Polymer with CCA apps?

  • Android with Crosswalk: Polymer works without the need for polyfills.
  • Android without Crosswalk:
    • pre-KitKat: Polymer does not work.
    • KitKat: Polymer works and requires its polyfills.
    • Android L+: Polymer works without the need for polyfills.
  • iOS 6, 7, 81: Polymer works and requires its polyfills.

1 Cordova support for WKWebView is still under development.

Chrome apps on both mobile and desktop require using the vulcanize tool with the --csp flag.

How do I sync data between mobile and desktop Chrome Apps (e.g. with Drive)?

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/22885267/sync-data-between-android-app-and-chrome-app-using-google-drive/

Neither chrome.storage.sync nor chrome.syncFileSystem are supported within CCA. However, you can use chrome.identity to obtain a Google auth token, and use that with the Drive API to sync files.

How do I change the color of the status bar on iOS?

See Stack Overflow answer: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/21673797/set-status-bar-color-using-chrome-mobile-apps/

Workflow Questions

What files should I check into source control?

Generally, it's best to check in only files that you've edited, and not those generated by cca. In addition, it's helpful to use a script or README instructions that will create the Cordova workspace based on what you have checked in. E.g.:

cca create GeneratedProject --link-to=/path/to/project/src

When should I use cca vs the Chrome Dev Editor?

Use the Chrome Dev Editor when:

  • You cannot (or do not want to) install Node or Android/iOS SDKs
  • You would like an IDE that helps with Chrome App development
  • You are developing on a Chromebook

Use cca when:

  • You want to create .apk or .ipa files for uploading to the Play Store / App Store
  • You would like to add custom Cordova plugins or make edits to native code
  • You would like a command line tool to go along with your editor of choice

Aside from that, use whichever you prefer. Using them interchangeably on the same source directory will work just fine. :)

Can I use Xcode / Eclipse / Android Studio with CCA projects?

Xcode and Android Studio: yes.

Eclipse: No (since it doesn't support Android's gradle build system)

Using Xcode and Android Studio is often really useful when developing your own Cordova plugins. Use the Xcode / Android Studio project files within the platforms/ios and platforms/android directories respectively. BUT REMEMBER! When making edits to files within these IDEs, you will be editing copies of the files that are clobbered when running cca commands.