MTP (Media Transfer Protocol) support, used to access and transfers files stored on Android and other smartphones, is coming to Chrome OS.
Currently targeted for Chrome OS 36 (though likely to slip to 37) due in June, the change will allow users to connect Android smartphones and tablets, and possibly even iPads and iPhones, to a Chromebook to manage files, photos and other data.
The plan is that, when hooking up a supported device, the Chrome file manager will detect and mount it like a regular USB thumb drive or SD card. This will allow its contents to be browsed, opened and edited in applications, and allow files to be transferred from the device to Chrome OS and vice versa.
The feature is not yet finished or complete and is not expected to be enabled by default until later this spring. Chrome OS Canary and Dev channel users can flip the –enable-filemanager-mtp flag on to try support as it currently exists.
Adding support for MTP is one of several changes targeted at the Files.app. Developers have already separated the video, audio and gallery apps from the file manager code, while support for enabling third-party filesystems, such as cloud storage services, too hook in is under active development.
- Source: Chromium Code