Chrome OS 75, now referred to as M75, has begun rolling out to users today. With it comes a number of expected updates and one particular feature that looks completely new to us. Here’s a quick rundown from the Chrome Release Blog.
- Feature to let parents grant more time to their kids on Chrome OS devices
- Enabling kid friendly Assistant for child accounts
- Linux (Beta) can now access Android devices over USB
- Files app support for 3rd party file provider apps implementing Android DocumentsProvider APIs
- Add support for PIN code with native printers for managed devices
Linux gaining USB access to Android devices was demoed at Google I/O and will be a big step forward for developers looking to fully utilize Android Studio on a Chromebook.
That feature will be complemented by new 3rd party file options that can now be mounted in the files app. (Sans Dropbox) The ability to access various file apps will be a huge plus for enterprise as well, making the transition to Chrome OS a little easier.
The intriguing update with Chrome OS 75 is the “kid-friendly” Assistant for child accounts. We have seen a lot of progression with child accounts and Family Link on Chromebooks but the Assistant hasn’t really been in that mix. Now, we see it land in Stable with absolutely no preview of it prior to today.
We’ll be getting this set up at the office so we can see exactly how it works. I’m really interested to see what the Assistant’s take on “kid-friendly” looks like.
On the security front, Chrome OS M75 adds more mitigations for the Microarchitecture Data Sampling flaw reported for x86 processors last month.
Another notable update in 75 comes in the form of major improvements to tablet mode on Chrome OS. As you can see in Robby’s video below, “jank” has been significantly reduced with 75 and this update should make using your Chromebook as a tablet way more palatable.
There are surely some more tasty bits to be found in Chrome OS 75 and we’ll be picking it apart to share what’s under the hood. Stay tuned for more details.
If you haven’t received the update, don’t worry. There are only 55 devices currently on Chrome OS 75. As usual, a wider rollout will happen in the coming days. If you aren’t sure about your Chromebook, here’s the list of devices on Chrome OS 75 as of June 26, 2019.
