How to Play Clash of Clans on a Chromebook (Complete Tutorial) – 2023

So, you want to learn how to download and play Clash of Clans on a Chromebook.

Well, you’ll be glad to know that it’s either very easy if you have the right gear, or very difficult if not.

Why?

It’s because if your Chromebook is compatible with Clash of Clans, installing and playing the game will be super easy. You could literally have it set up and going and you’ll be commanding your troops in no time.

On the other hand, if your Chromebook can’t run the game, you’ll have to do a lot more work in order to get the game running.

It’s entirely possible to get the game running on a Chromebook. It just depends on what kind of Chromebook you have.

This guide will identify if you own a compatible laptop.

If you do, I’ve written up a complete tutorial on how to download the game.

If you don’t, I’ve written some alternative methods on how you can attempt to get the game on your Chromebook.

So, let’s get started already.

Last updated: 2/27/23. This guide will be constantly updated for accuracy. Updated for 2023.

Can your Chromebook run Clash of Clans?

Download Clash of Clans on Chromebook.
Find out if your Chromebook meets the minimum requirements to play Clash of Clans.

Let’s find out. This is actually the easiest step.

Clash of Clans (CoC) is a native Android app. Recently, Chrome OS has been slowly rolling out an update that allows Chromebooks to install Android apps from the Google Play Store.

The only issue is that it’s a very slow update. If you own an older laptop, chances are you don’t have this update yet. Or your laptop may not even be eligible to get the update.

Even now in 2021, CoC is still an amazingly popular game with a huge playerbase. Playing it on a tablet is okay, but playing it on a Chromebook with a huge screen is godly.

Enjoy defending your base against those Golems or sieging with your Valkyries while you listen to some music and browse your favorite sites.

You can reference this table to see if and when you’ll be getting the Play Store update.

Newer models are good-to-go

A lot of newer Chromebooks all have the Play Store already preinstalled when you first turn it on. In fact, all Chromebooks made in 2017 will have access to Android apps.

So if you just bought one, you’ll probably be able to play it without a hitch. Awesome.

But if you have an older one (like my laptop), then you’ll need to verify that you’re scheduled for the update (if even at that).

Upgrading your hardware

Personally, this kind of bugs me because my Chromebook is pretty dated now.

It’s an Acer CB3-131, and it’s scheduled for the update. But it’s been about a year now since it’s been rolling out and I’ve gotten impatient.

If you have an old Chromebook, it may be a good time to upgrade to a newer one. They’ve come a long way and improved a lot in terms of hardware, features, and performance. And the best part about them is that even for a top-of-the-line Chromebook, it won’t cost you a whole lot.

I’ve created a buyer’s guide of the Chromebook with the best touchscreens you may want to check out. If you’re dedicated to playing Clash of Clans on your Chromebook, I suggest you look for a touchscreen laptop.

Now that you know whether or not you have the update ready, we can go ahead and begin the installation!

Even in 2022, CoC still continues to top the charts for popularity. This game is just too addicting that people can’t stop playing it. No wonder there’s demand for it on Chromebooks.

Check if you have the Google Play Store installed

Google Play Store Clash of Clans on Chromebook.
You’ll need to have access to the Google Play Store on your Chromebook in order to play the game.

If you have access to the Play Store, it should be pretty obvious.

Press the Launcher key (magnifying glass) or click on the Launcher icon (bottom-left) and look for the “Google Play Store.” You can also try searching for it in the search box on the Launcher.

That’s it.

If you have it, you’re in good hands. If not, this is going to take some work.

Okay, so now that we know if your Chromebook is capable of installing the game, we can take the next step.

In 2020, if you have a newer device, you should be able to download CoC and play it without any problems. It’ll be rendered as an Android app on Chrome OS, but it runs relatively smoothly without any problems.

Note that if you’re using a Chromebook at school or a work device, your admin team may have disabled the Play Store by default. There’s no way around this other than to contact the team. You can try to unenroll and reset your device yourself, but you’ll likely need their permission.

If you have access to the Google Play Store

If you have the update already, then you’ll be building up your fort, upgrading your walls, and attacking your enemies within minutes from now.

Here’s how to download Clash of Clans on Chromebook:

Step 1: Launch the Google Play Store

You should already know how to access it from the previous step. Launch it by clicking on the Play Store icon (or by using your voice and telling your Chromebook to open an app).

Step 2: Search for the game in the Play Store

Click on the search box. Search for the game in the search box and hit Enter.

You’ll see the app pop up in a list. Click on it and read the description and get excited about it. Because that’s what you’ll be doing soon.

Step 3: Download and install the game

Click on the big “Install” button to begin installing the game onto your Chromebook. It should only take a few seconds to install. After it’s done, the “Install” button will change to “Installed” and it’ll be ready to go.

Step 4: Play the game

You’ve just installed Clash of Clans on your Chromebook.

Congrats. Just launch the game and it’ll boot up. And then you’re in. Woot.

Here’s a video demonstrating how to download the game from the Play Store onto your Chromebook:

If the game doesn’t boot, crashes, freezes, or doesn’t load, check out the Troubleshooting section later in this tutorial.

What if you don’t have access to the Google Play Store?

This is where things start to get nasty.

To save you time, I’ll tell it to you straight.

Unless you’re familiar with Chromebook “hacking” tools like the Arc Welder and ARChon for Chrome, you should probably just sit back and wait for your Chromebook to get the Play store update. It’ll save you a lot of headaches.

But if you’re a devoted, hardcore Clan Fan and you’re willing to attempt anything to get CoC on your Chromebook, there’s one method you can try that’s not too involved and pretty easy.

If you didn’t read the previous sections, the easiest way to get Clash of Clans on a Chromebook is via the Google Play Store. This isn’t the only way, but it’s the most straightforward way that’s actually proven to work from user reports online.

Get the Play Store on your Chromebook

Get the Play Store on your Chromebook to download Clash of Clans.
Go ahead and force the Play Store update on your Chromebook in order to install Clash of Clans.

So, the main goal is to get the Play Store update.

Since your Chromebook doesn’t have the update yet, we’re going to try to force it to update and install the Play Store.

Note: If your Chromebook isn’t on the schedule to ever receive the update, this probably won’t work for you. This should only be attempted if your Chromebook is scheduled to receive the update sometime in the future.

I’ve already written a complete tutorial on forcing the Play Store update. Go ahead and check it out.

I know a lot of people don’t like referencing multiple pages, so I’ll put a summary of the instructions here. You should be fine if you just follow the instructions here.

But if this stuff is new to you, I suggest you follow the complete tutorial so you don’t screw anything up.

Step 1: Enable Developer Mode

Enabling Developer Mode is very easy.

Just press “ESC + Refresh + Power” and your Chromebook will greet you with a warning screen.

For the majority of laptops, this should work. If nothing happens, do a quick search online to see the proper method to enable it on your specific Chromebook.

After you get the warning screen, read the text and press “CTRL +D” to agree.

Your laptop will now make the switch to Developer Mode. This takes about 20-30 minutes. Sit back and relax.

(If you’re having issues, check out this tutorial on enabling it.)

Step 2: Turn off Chrome OS Verification

Your laptop will reboot and you’ll be greeted with another warning screen.

Just press “CTRL + D” to skip OS verification and turn it off. You’ll need to do this in order to enable it.

Step 3: Switch to the Canary Channel

Next is to switch to the Canary Developer Channel.

It’s easy. Just press “CTRL + ALT + T” to bring up the command prompt. Then type the following lines of code. It’s important that you type it in exactly as shown, and without the quotes:

Type in “shell” and press Enter.

Then type “sudo su” and press Enter.

You’re now in root.

Now type “update_engine_client –channel=canary-channel –update” and press Enter.

You’ve now switched over to the Canary Channel from the Stable Channel.

We’re almost done.

Step 4: Force the Play Store update

Here’s where we tell the Chromebook to actually force the update.

Press “CTRL + ALT + T” to launch another command prompt.

Here comes more code. Type these lines in with the same premise as earlier:

Type “shell” and press Enter.

Type “sudo su -“ and press Enter.

Type “echo ‘–enable-arc’ > /usr/local/chrome_dev.conf” and press Enter.

Step 5: Log out

When you’re done entering all the code, log out of your Chromebook.

Step 6: Sign in

Then, log back in to your Google Account.

Step 7: Launch the Play Store

When you sign in, you should be greeted with the update message that you can now run Android apps on your Chromebook.

Congrats.

Here’s a video tutorial from 9to5Google demonstrating the steps:

Okay, so now that you have a working update of Google Play, you can now attempt to download CoC. Go ahead and jump to the previous section titled “I have access to the Google Play Store” and follow the instructions there.

If it still doesn’t work, check out the troubleshooting section below.

Use ARC Welder

Use ARC Welder to download Clash of Clans on Chromebook.
Using the ARC Welder to run CoC on Chrome OS is a popular option. It just takes a little bit of work.

ARC Welder stands for “App Runtime for Chrome.”

It’s a tool that lets you run and launch Android apps on Chrome OS, so it’s only fitting for an attempt to install the game. ARC Welder is only recommended if you can’t download it through the Play Store.

First, you’ll need to download ARC Welder.

I also suggest you check out the documentation here.

Read the documentation about it and play around with it. There are plenty of videos online you can check out to see how it works.

In essence, ARC Welder will be used to launch the game on Chrome OS. But it’s important that the settings are set up correctly.

The aspect ration of a phone and a Chromebook are vastly different, so you need to make sure you can see everything on the screen or else you won’t be able to get past the main menu.

When you’re ready to use ARC Welder with Clash of Clans, the trick is to do the following:

  • At the first drop-down menu, set it to portrait mode
  • At the second drop-down menu, set it to phone

It’s critical that you set it up properly because that’s how CoC is programmed to run natively.

If you need help, check out this video tutorial on using ARC Welder for CoC.

Use ARChon Runtime

ARChon Runtime can be used to install Clash of Clans on Chrome OS.
ARChon Runtime is another way to run Android apps on Chrome OS.

ARChon Runtime is another tool that lets you run Android apps in the Chrome Browser on Windows, Chrome OS, and Linux.

It basically launchers Android apps in the Chrome Browser, so any system that’s running the browser will be able to launch Android apps. Pretty nifty, huh?

You can snag ARChon Runtime here.

And if you have any questions on how to use it, you can post them on the dedicated ARChon subreddit.

Just like ARC Welder, I suggest you to read over the documentation so you know how to use it. There are tons of guides and videos online you can also check out.

What you’ll do is basically download the game from the Play Store on your smartphone. From there, you’ll use the Chrome APK Packager. You’ll use this app to package the game into a landscape or tablet version into a Chrome extension that you created.

Then, you’ll send it over to your Chromebook and load it up as an extension. And finally, you should be able to enable the extension on the Chrome Browser. This will let you run Clash of Clans on Chrome on your Chromebook. That’s a lot of C’s.

You can refer to this video for detailed instructions on using ARChon Runtime to install CoC:

Remote access your Windows PC

Emulate Clash of Clans on Windows and Chromebooks.
You can set up a Clash of Clans emulator to run the game and then remote access it from your Chromebook.

The concept is simple.

  • You run an Android emulator on your Windows computer.
  • The emulator runs the game.
  • You remote access your Windows computer on your Chromebook.
  • You play the game through this series of connections.

So, you’re playing CoC on your Chromebook through a remote connection to your Windows computer which is emulating a copy Android which is running a copy of CoC.

Easy enough, right?

This is an involved and complicated process, but it works.

You’ll need the following items to emulate Clash of Clans:

  • A Windows desktop or laptop
  • A Chromebook
  • A fast Internet connection
  • Bluestacks to emulate the game on your Windows computer.
  • Chrome Remote Desktop to set up the remote connection between your Chromebook and Windows

Step 1: Download Bluestacks

Bluestacks is one of the most popular Android emulators. You’ll need to download and install this on your Windows device to emulate the game.

You can download it here.

It should be pretty straightforward on installation and learning how to use it is easy. If you need help, just do a search online.

Step 2: Install Clash of Clans with Bluestacks

After you set it up, go into the Play Store and search for the game.

Find it, install it, and launch it.

Easy enough.

Step 3: Set up a remote connection between your Chromebook and Windows computer

This is the only hard part, but it’s still pretty easy.

Download the Chrome Remote Desktop app on both your Windows PC and Chromebook.

After you have it installed on both devices, you’ll need to set it up and configure it.

I’ve written a step-by-step tutorial on how to use Chrome Remote Desktop you can check out.

Step 4: Launch the game

After you’ve gotten everything set up, go ahead and launch Clash of Clans on your Windows device.

You should see your windows desktop mirrored on your Chromebook by the remote connection. This remote access lets you use your Windows computer on your Chromebook without wires and anywhere on the planet as long as you have an active Internet connection.

So technically, you could play CoC out in public by remotely connecting to your computer at home. Think of all the possibilities.

Isn’t that awesome?

Downsides to emulating the game

The only pitfalls to using this technique are that it depends on your Internet connection speed and your hardware.

  • If you experience lag or low framerates (FPS), you could have a choppy WiFi connection or your Chromebook may be too weak to handle the game.
  • If you have lag or slow response times, try using different networks.
  • If you have low frame rates, this is either due to your Chromebook not having enough processing power or RAM.  Or your Windows computer isn’t powerful enough either. Or both. This is only a problem you can solve by buying a new device.

That’s the last alternative technique to get the game installed and going. It’s probably the most complicated way, but it works if you set everything up properly.

If you messed up on any step, it’s easy to fix your laptop. It’ll basically repair itself if you do a Powerwash.

See the “Powerwashing” section below if you break your laptop at any point. Don’t be afraid to play around and experiment.

If you have any other suggestions that worked, leave them in the comments and I’ll check them out. Help out some other Clan Fans.

Did you screw up? No sweat. Just Powerwash it.

Powerwash chromebook to restore it to factory settings.
If you screwed something up, just Powerwash your device to start over.

If you screwed something up, it’s easy to restore your Chromebook back to default settings.

Note: Doing a Powerwash will delete all your local data. This includes all your images, videos, and other files saved in your Downloads folder and any custom folders on your hard drive. You can back up all your data using an external hard drive or other media. Stuff you have saved online in your Google Account will be saved.

I’ve written a guide about how to Powerwash your Chromebook that covers backing up your stuff, precautions, and everything else you need to know all in one place.

But if you know what you’re doing and just need the steps, here’s how to do a Powerwash:

Step 1: Back up your stuff

This is self-explanatory. See this guide if you need help.

It’s important that you do this now. All your personal data will be erased.

Step 2: Launch the Chrome Browser

This is also self-explanatory.

Step 3: Go to the Settings page

In the URL bar, type in “chrome://settings” (without the quotations) and press Enter.

Step 4: Find the Powerwash section

In the search box, just type “powerwash” and your Chromebook will bring up the result.

Step 5: Launch the Powerwash process

Click on the “Powerwash” button. Read the warnings and proceed when you’re ready.

Step 6: Wait

Your Chromebook will delete everything and restore itself back to factory conditions like when it was brand new.

This should only take a few seconds.

Afterward, it’ll reboot itself automatically. This means the Powerwash has finished.

Step 7: Log in to your Google Account

Log in and connect your account to your Chromebook.

You’re now on a clean, reformatted copy of Chrome OS.

Troubleshooting

Clash of Clans troubleshooting.
Having problems getting CoC to work? Trouble “shoot” it.

If you’re having problems getting Clash of Clans running on your Chromebook, check out these common issues and solutions.

A lot of these problems will only resolve with time. A lot of this software is still in beta, so it’ll improve over time. The biggest issue is waiting when you just need your Clash fix.

The game doesn’t run properly on my Acer Chromebook

There have been reports that CoC may not load properly on Acer Chromebooks.

This is pretty saddening because the majority of Acer Chromebooks all have the Play Store update pre-installed or are capable of receiving the update in the future. Unfortunately, there hasn’t been any solutions to this bug.

But you should know that getting CoC on a Chromebook is something that’s still very new. In fact, just the fact that Android games can be played on a Chromebook is still surprising. The whole integration between the Play Store and Chrome OS is still largely in beta testing, so that’s why not everything may work smoothly.

The only thing to do is wait for the platforms to integrate better with each other, and for Supercell (the developer behind CoC) to update the game so it’s compatible with more Chromebooks.

I have access to the Google Play Store but the game still doesn’t work

This is likely a compatibility issue.

The game was built for phones, not laptops, so forcing the game to run on a laptop on different hardware and software kind of screws it up. It also changes the aspect ratio of the game some menu icons may not be rendering properly.

If you’re comfortable experimenting with tools to get CoC running properly, you can check out ARChon and Arc Welder. They allow you to change the layout of the game from portrait and landscape, which is necessary in order to run the game properly.

You need to set them to the proper settings in order to emulate the phone version of the game on a Chromebook correctly. See the section titled “Use Arc Welder” above in this guide.

If you break your Chromebook, you can easily reset it back to default settings. See the “Powerwashing” section to learn how.

I forced the Google Play Store update on my Chromebook and downloaded the game, but it doesn’t run properly

This is probably due to the fact that the update was forced prematurely on a Chromebook model that isn’t yet supported.

The fact that the platform itself is in beta, playing Android games on a Chromebook is in beta, and the entire forced update is in beta, you’re likely to run into issues.

If this happens, you can try messing around with Arc Welder if you’re a hardcore fan and need some of that Clash fix. See the appropriate section above.

Besides, if you screw something up on your Chromebook, it’s very easy to restore it back to factory conditions. See the “Powerwashing” section for instructions.

The touchscreen controls don’t work and/or the aspect ratio is off

If you’re having issues with your touchscreen and you’re using ARC Welder or ARChon, you probably don’t have the aspect ratio set up properly.

Do some research on this and set it up properly. You want the game to run in “tablet” mode so it works on your laptop. If you have a convertible Chromebook, that’s even better.

You can easily switch it over to tablet mode and it should fit perfectly with the game’s aspect ratio without a hiccup.

The keyboard and trackpad/mouse controls don’t work

Clash of Clans was built for touchscreen input only.

Suddenly converting it over to a laptop with a trackpad and keyboard is a huge jump. There’s not much you can do about this other than to mess around with it and maybe find a working solution.

(If you do, post it in the comment section- please.)

A touchscreen Chromebook would be better. But a convertible Chromebook would be ideal. A convertible would allow you to fold it into a tablet, which better fits the game’s native settings than how a laptop would.

If you’re a hardcore CoC player and you’re willing to shell out cash to buy a new laptop just to play the game- you may want to check out a list of the best touchscreen Chromebooks.

The game doesn’t work!!1!1 Help me.

Stuck on the loading screen? Loading bar not moving? Game crashes when you try to attack? Search function doesn’t work? Game lags, hangs, freezes, slow, or crashes? Internet connection gets disconnected? Game doesn’t launch? Touchscreen not working?

All of these are common issues with playing CoC on a Chromebook.

These are all bugs resulting from forcing the game onto a laptop. Remember, CoC was built for smartphones. We’re now trying to run the game on a laptop without even porting it over correctly. It’s like trying to get a get a CD to play on a Bluray player.

The only thing to do is wait and let the kinks work themselves out. By that, I mean wait for the developers over at Supercell and Google patch and fix up their platform.

With the game being such a huge success, it’s pretty much guaranteed that this game will eventually be fully compatible with Chromebooks and Chrome OS. Just sit tight.

When it does finally roll out to enough laptops and is stable, I’ll post an update here on this guide. Feel free to subscribe for email updates.

Did you get it working already?

Get Clash of Clans on Chromebook.
Did you get CoC working on your Chromebook properly? Ready to build up an epic fort?

And, that’s about it.

The easiest method to get Clash of Clans running on a Chromebook is through the Google Play Store. That’s the solid way to play the game.

If you have access to it, you should be able to play the game without any trouble installing or downloading it (though it’ll probably be buggy- that’s kind of to be expected when you’re doing something like this).

For the rest of us, we’ll have to wait for the update (or force it). Or if you don’t have a Chromebook that’s planned to receive the update, you’ll have to buy a newer one depending on how much you want to play the game.

Since the game is such a big hit, I expect Supercell to eventually have the game fully compatible with Chromebooks.

It’s only a matter of time before the Play Store finally gets stable enough to play it properly.

If you have any questions or if you find an easier working method (for those of us who can’t get CoC to work), leave a comment and I’ll check it out =].

If this guide has helped you, consider telling a fellow Chromie and perhaps playing Clash of Clans together…on your Chromebooks. Oh yeah.

Thanks for reading.

About Andy Z.

Andy is a casual-hardcore Chrome OS fan and contributes to the site regularly. He likes computers, tech, sports cars, videogames, and of course, Chromebooks. Thinker. Introvert. Geek. You can find him on Twitter (@platytech), or send him an email (check the "Contact Us" page).

16 thoughts on “How to Play Clash of Clans on a Chromebook (Complete Tutorial) – 2023”

  1. I have a Lenevo chrome book and its not a touch screen. Is there any other devices required to play coc over my chromebook

    Reply
  2. whenever i try to launch the app it goes on a black loading screen then crashes, tried powerwashing, clearing cache/data ,reinstalling and nothing worked. Using a pixelbook go

    Reply
  3. When I go to the google play app it says the game is not compatible with my device. Is there any way to fix this or will it just not work?

    Reply
  4. I can tell you for a start that COC won’t even be seen on the playstore app on the Acer R11 at the moment, which is a real shame! Is there any news on when Supercell may make a version which will run on touchscreen chromebooks?

    Reply
    • Hey Slaine,

      I hear ya. With the Play Store and Chrome OS integration still being in its infancy (relatively), it should be expected to be compatible with more models later on. I mean, the game’s huge and the popularity is crazy. Supercell should have no issue getting Chrome OS on board giving players another platform to game on.

      As for touchscreens, that’s pretty much the future of Chromebooks. All modern Chromebooks typically have a touchscreen included (one of the reasons being Google Play!). So all signs are pointing to “yes.” I think we just need to sit tight for a bit.

      When news comes out, I’ll be posting an update to this tutorial.

      If you have any other questions or speculations, let me know =].

      Reply

Leave a Comment

By clicking "Post Comment" I agree that I have read, understood, and abide by the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

I also understand that I can post anonymously as the "Name" and "Email" fields are completely optional!