Chromebooks may soon be able to stream apps directly from Android phones.

The news comes from XDA Developers, who did a complete teardown of the latest Google Play Services beta (v21.21.12) and found data suggesting that this feature is in development. While this feature is not yet publicly available, nor has it been technically confirmed, the inclusion of its footprint in the beta certainly indicates that it is in development.

The beta does not include information on how the feature will work, but it will probably be most useful for streaming gaming apps; since Chromebooks rarely come with dedicated graphics cards, this is the best Chromebook could be a great way to expand the gaming possibilities of the Chromebook. It could also allow users to read and reply to notifications received on their phones. This could be useful when using a Chromebook for work, for example.

It is also possible that Google will make it exclusive to the upcoming Pixel 6, although which devices it will be available on is a mystery. Instant tethering, which allows users to share their phone's mobile connection with a Chromebook, was initially limited to Pixel only, but gradually became available for non-Pixel devices as well.

This new streaming feature was first hinted at in February, when a reference to the feature was discovered in the code of Google's open source browser, Chromium. This revealed that Google plans to extend the Phone Hub feature on Chrome OS by allowing smartphone screens to be mirrored on Chromebooks.

If the ability to stream from a smartphone is exclusive to the Pixel 6, at least initially, we can expect to hear more details about it in early fall, as Google typically announces its latest flagship smartphone in September. Recent leaks indicate that the Pixel 6 will have an upgraded camera and enhanced graphics, as well as a significantly redesigned design.