Fresh screenshots of Google’s secretive Aluminium OS — the Android-based desktop operating system expected to eventually replace ChromeOS — have surfaced just hours before Google’s Android Show: I/O Edition event scheduled for May 12.
Unlike the January leak that showed the OS running on an Intel-powered HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook, these new images carry a detail that changes the hardware conversation entirely: the Files app sidebar explicitly lists the device as “Multi-device ARM64.”
That’s significant. ARM64 confirmation suggests Google is actively testing Aluminium OS beyond x86 Intel hardware, pointing toward a future where Android-native SoCs — think Qualcomm Snapdragon X-class chips already powering Copilot+ PCs — could be first-class citizens on the platform. It also aligns with earlier reports that Google may partner with Qualcomm for Aluminium OS device launches later this year.
Check our Telegram for more Updates and files on Aluminium OS.
The screenshots, timestamped May 11, 2026, reveal several features not widely documented in previous leaks:
The OS refers to itself as “This computer.” The Volume settings panel — visible in one of the screenshots — labels the internal audio output as “This computer (internal)” rather than “This phone” or “This device.” It’s a small UI string, but it signals that Google has made a deliberate platform-identity decision: Aluminium OS wants to be treated as a PC, not a repurposed tablet.
AI is baked into Files, not bolted on. A prompt inside the Files app reads: “Use AI to get more from your Files. AI in Files includes advanced search, short file descriptions, and more.” The example given — an AI that can understand trip context to locate a specific flight confirmation document — points to Gemini-powered semantic file search built natively into the OS, not a third-party add-on.
Windowed apps go beyond Chrome. Earlier leaks showed Chrome running in windowed mode with split-screen. These screenshots show two separate Files app windows open simultaneously, each with standard minimize, maximize, and close controls. This suggests windowed multitasking is a system-wide feature, not just a Chrome privilege.
The device in the screenshots also appears to be a tablet form factor, not a clamshell — adding weight to speculation that Aluminium OS will ship across both laptop and large-screen tablet hardware from day one.
With The Android Show: I/O Edition airing today and Google I/O proper set for May 19, these screenshots look less like an accidental leak and more like a curtain-raiser. Whether Google officially unveils the OS name, a hardware partner, or a release window today remains to be seen — but Aluminium OS is clearly no longer vaporware.
