Chrome OS “Holding Space” features now working in Canary

Just a couple of weeks ago, the new “Holding Space” feature for Chromebooks appeared in the Canary channel of Chrome OS. At that time, the new quick-access feature for downloads and screenshots was little more than a place holder. Recently saved files and screen grabs did show up in the space but interacting with the files was a no-go. The latest update to the Canary channel has brought some new functionality to the Holding Space and now we’re getting a better look at how it’s going to work.

The purpose of the Holding Space is just that, a place to hold items so that you can access them quickly without the need to open the Files app. When you download a file or take a screenshot, those files and images show up in the Holding Space. Once there, users will be able to access a number of functions depending on the file type. Currently, right-clicking a file in the Holding Space presents you with the ability to pin the item into the “pinned” space at the top of the widget. Unpinning works in just the opposite manner and you can open a files parent folder from the menu as well.

The most interesting feature of the Holding Space is the ability to copy an image and paste it into a document, email, folder, or whatever. This will be a huge time-saving tool for countless users and I can’t wait to see it hit the Stable channel. There is still some polishing left to be done in the Holding Space. I’m sure the UI will get cleaned up a bit and it’s possible that more features could come to the quick-access space but one particular tidbit that’s missing is the ability to remove files from the Holding Space. It would be nice to have the ability to simply fling the files out of the holding space using your touchscreen or click it away with your mouse/trackpad. I’ll keep an eye on this one because I’m anxious to see how it takes shape. Stay tuned for more.