Rumor has it that Google has another personnel change: Are Android and Chrome really going to merge?

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According to foreign media reports, people familiar with the matter revealed that Hiroshi Lockheimer, an executive in charge of the Android mobile operating system engineering team at Google, now also leads the engineering team for the Chrome operating system, which is mainly used for personal computers.

The move suggests that Google may want to have one software platform to rule all devices.

Google's vice president of Android engineering, John Lockheimer, has taken over the job of Linus Upson, vice president of Chrome engineering, who had left the position, according to earlier media reports. Although Lockheimer is the head of the Chrome engineering team, he is not responsible for engineering work on other Chrome-related products, including the Chrome browser, Chromecast streaming TV sticks or Chromebook laptops.

A Google spokesperson declined to comment.

The move highlights the growing relationship between Google's Android and Chrome operating systems - Android is mainly used on mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets; Chrome is mainly used on personal computers. But both the Android and Chrome teams report to Sundar Pichai, Google's senior vice president, who has been in charge of Google's Android, Chrome and application business since 2013. According to data from market research firm IDC, Android is already the most widely used mobile operating system, with more than 80% market share worldwide. Merging the two operating systems, Android and Chrome, will help reduce the responsibility of developers, who now have to develop applications for both platforms to reach users on mobile devices and personal computers.

Google's personnel changes are not surprising. The company has taken steps to expand the coverage of Android beyond smartphones and tablets. At the Google I/O developer conference in June, the company demonstrated its latest achievements, making Android support all devices, from wearable devices such as smart watches to TVs and car dashboards.

"I think right now, when you look around, you see these screens everywhere," Lockheimer said last month when asked about the expansion of Android. "But they don't know how to communicate with each other. They are islands."

“So how do we unify them so they have a common platform so that apps, services and information can flow across these screens to make people’s lives more convenient?” he said.

Google is gradually eliminating the boundaries between Android and Chrome. At this year's I/O developer conference, Pichai announced a plan to help app developers easily bring their Android applications to Chrome. Last month, the company announced that it was working with the first batch of app developers to bring their Android apps to Chromebooks equipped with Chrome OS. These apps include language learning assistance app Duolingo, productivity app Evernote, children's literacy app Sight Words, and short video app Vine.

"Wouldn't it be nice to be able to run some of your favorite Android apps on your Chromebook? For users, we want them to be able to use it right away. For developers, we hope they don't have to make major changes to their apps," Pichai said at this year's I/O developer conference.