Google and refurbished-tech marketplace Back Market have a plan to help keep old laptops and computers running longer. Part of a pilot program, Back Market will soon sell USB sticks housing software that people can use to plug into their computers to install ChromeOS Flex, Google’s cloud-based operating system that can run on many existing laptops or desktops.
The stick costs $3, and there are no monthly fees. An initial run of 3,000 USB keys will go on sale March 30, and Back Market says it will expand from there based on demand. The goal is to give a lifeline to older PCs with aging hardware or operating systems that lack software support, like Windows 10, so they don’t end up as e-waste. The two companies announced the partnership at the Slow Tech Uprising summit, an event hosted by Back Market in Barcelona, which deliberately coincides with Mobile World Congress 2026, where hundreds of companies are announcing new products.
Flex On, Flex Off
Google’s ChromeOS Flex is a service that lets users install the ChromeOS operating system directly on a device. Because the software that powers the service is primarily based in Google’s cloud, it can run more resource-intensive programs than the computer's hardware may be able to handle. It's slightly different from ChromeOS on Chromebooks—there's no Android app support, for example—but the experience is largely the same.
Courtesy of Back Market
The Flex service works on just about any Windows laptop with an internet connection, but only a few older Intel-powered Apple computers, as the software doesn’t really work on Apple’s custom M-series silicon. (Google has a full list of compatible devices here for ChromeOS Flex.)
Computer hardware costs, like RAM and GPUs, have skyrocketed due to memory shortages driven by companies looking to beef up their AI farms. That means PCs are harder to afford and harder to replace. For example, Apple’s new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, announced yesterday, come with a price increase.
“The prices of tech products are just increasing every year, and even more now that CPUs and GPUs are getting crazy,” says Thibaud Hug de Larauze, CEO and cofounder of Back Market. “More people need tech. We need to ultimately find a solution because we need to do more with what we already have.”
Trying to find a solution is perhaps a curious pursuit coming from Google, a company that is partially responsible for the memory shortages in its arms race to open more data centers that power its AI efforts.