Apple Silicon Mac owners can now get a taste of Google’s new Googlebook OS without buying a separate laptop. This is thanks to an unofficial tool that brings the Android-powered operating system to macOS.
Developer Skylar Taylor-Barrick has released an open-source toolchain called gbos-vm. It allows users to run Googlebook OS inside a GPU-accelerated virtual machine. It’s an experimental setup rather than an official release, but it offers an early look at Google’s new desktop platform.
Unlike traditional software emulation, the tool uses macOS’s native hypervisor framework to run an ARM-based virtual machine. It draws on technologies including UTM, QEMU, MoltenVK and ANGLE. Because of that, the operating system can run with GPU acceleration rather than relying entirely on software rendering.
Getting it running does require some preparation, though. Users will need an Apple Silicon Mac with at least 16GB of RAM and around 60GB of free storage. They also need Xcode Command Line Tools and the Android SDK and NDK packages.
The installation process is largely automated once those requirements are met. The script downloads a Dell XPS Googlebook recovery image and Google’s Cuttlefish virtual device build from official servers. Then it packages everything into a Googlebook VM.app that can be launched directly from the Mac’s Dock.
There are still a few limitations to keep in mind. Bluetooth currently doesn’t work, and the display is capped at 60Hz. Moreover, an issue with the emulated TPM daemon can consume unnecessary CPU resources in the background.
For that reason, the setup is better suited to developers and enthusiasts looking to explore Googlebook OS than anyone hoping to replace macOS for everyday use.
Still, with Googlebooks beginning to reach consumers, this unofficial workaround offers a way to try Google’s Android-based desktop experience without committing to new hardware. It’s far from a polished alternative to a dedicated Googlebook, but it’s a useful starting point for anyone curious about the platform.
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