NurPhoto/Getty Images The long-standing rumor of ChromeOS and Android's merger was finally confirmed in the most understated way. TechRadar's Lance Ulanoff recounted his conversation with Sameer Samat, Google's president of the Android ecosystem. Samat noticed that the reporter was wearing an Apple Watch and using a MacBook. He asked Ulanoff why he was using a Mac. Samat confessed that he asked because "we're going to be combining ChromeOS and Android into a single platform, and I am very interested in how people are using their laptops these days and what they're getting done." Also: My top 6 open-source Android apps from the Google Play Store - and why that's important The goal, Samat continued, was to create something "modern and delightful" as well as "approachable and familiar." Samat didn't give any indication as to what the merge would look like or act like. The interview then turned to Android 16, Gemini, and other topics. As far back as November 2024, Android Authority reported that Google was planning to migrate ChromeOS fully to Android. That makes sense, because migrating Android to ChromeOS would be a much bigger challenge. Google's goal in 2024 was to better compete with the iPad, but I'd venture to say that it's more about competing with Apple. Certainly, Samat's comments to TechRadar support that. Apple has been on a slow and steady path to merging iOS and MacOS, such that any user could pick up any Apple device and be instantly familiar with any other Apple device. Also: How to start using the new Linux terminal on your Android device One clear indicator of the upcoming ChromeOS-Android merger was Google's introduction of Linux support in Android. Now, both ChromeOS and Android have access to the Linux terminal, thereby adding a bit more feature parity. Samat gave no indication as to when this merger between the two operating systems will happen, but I believe Google has been slowly moving ChromeOS over to the Android side of things for some time. Eventually, the company will announce the final release that brings the two together. My guess: We'll really start seeing this come to fruition once Google adds the new desktop mode to Android 16. Also: Your Windows 10 PC isn't dead yet - this OS from Google can revive it In the end, if Google can achieve this, we'll find more apps available overall on the unified platform, and the apps that already work on both will feel more native (so you're no longer dealing with phone-sized apps on a laptop-sized screen). Get the morning's top stories in your inbox each day with our Tech Today newsletter.