Chrome OS should make it easier to move apps and web apps between displays

With the introduction of Virtual Desks and the ability to move Android and Linux apps between them on Chromebooks, I’ve spent a lot of time attempting to construct the perfect productivity flow on Chrome OS. One of the primary ways I’ve come to use my device is with an external display – docked into desktop mode. Over the past few months, I’ve noticed that Google has added several improvements to the operating system that accommodate this style of usage – in particular, the ability to open apps and PWAs on the display where the cursor is when you launch them. Still, there’s one thing that’s missing that makes all of this just kind of a pain to use each day.

If the developers could add the ability to right-click a window and move it to a different display, it would save me loads of headaches. Chrome OS does not restore windows to their proper display after a crash or a restart, and I find myself dragging and dropping everything to its appropriate place (and re-maximizing them) way too often. For those who are unaware, you can already right-click a window and move it not only to a specific virtual desk but also to any other user signed-in users. See below for an example of this top bar UI. This would be the perfect place to add a display selector option!

This was a thing via a keyboard shortcut years ago, but it seems to have since been removed. Still, what I’m after is a GUI option to toss open windows and apps between displays – something more user-friendly than holding down three keyboard keys simultaneously. Something the layperson could use without having to do anything remotely advanced. Even for advanced users, having a visual way to do this would be more ideal, in my opinion.

My biggest frustration with Chrome OS is that while it does restore your active session each time you reboot, it doesn’t restore the complete user experience. Placement and sizing of windows, which display they appear on, and more. Windows 11 recently launched in beta, and it does this beautifully. I would love to see Google implement such a thing on Chrome OS Stable way before its competitor brings its new OS out of testing. What do you think? Do you share this frustration, or do you solely use your device in laptop mode? Let me know below!