Can you use Phone Hub with ChromeOS Flex?

ChromeOS Flex loading screen on 2015 MacBook Pro
(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

Can you use Phone Hub with ChromeOS Flex?

Best Answer: Despite not being able to use apps from the Play Store, ChromeOS Flex does support Phone Hub. This allows you to receive notifications and transfer files between your phone and ChromeOS Flex device with ease.

Using Phone Hub on ChromeOS Flex

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Phone Hub open on Chromebook with Galaxy Z Fold 4

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Getting Phone Hub set up on your ChromeOS Flex device is the exact same process as if you were setting it up on one of the best Chromebooks. By enabling this feature, your phone becomes an extension of your computer. 

Phone Hub offers quite a bit of functionality, as it's quickly becoming one of those "staple features" for those using an Android phone and a Chromebook. It allows you to share your Wi-FI signal, view any notifications that come through your phone, and much more.

You'll even be able to easily transfer files from your Android phone to your ChromeOS Flex device. And if you want to view a website that you pulled up on your phone, Phone Hub makes it so you can access that site and open it on your ChromeOS Flex device.

There's not much difference between ChromeOS and ChromeOS Flex

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ChromeOS Flex is uniquely positioned as it offers a way to "salvage" old laptops or other computers you might have laying around. Google offers a comprehensive list of "Certified" devices, but you can always try and install Flex on an old laptop anyways.

Functionally speaking, there's really not much of a difference between ChromeOS Flex and ChromeOS. You'll be able to tinker around with Chrome Flags, install Linux apps, and enjoy everything else that ChromeOS has to offer. The only caveat is that it doesn't seem Google is planning to implement compatibility with Android apps. But everything else, including Phone Hub, is essentially the same. 

Andrew Myrick
Senior Editor — Smartphones (North America), Chromebooks & Tablets

Andrew Myrick is a Senior Editor at Android Central. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is collecting different headphones, even if they all end up in the same drawer.