Sure, Virtual Desktops (or Desks) for Chrome OS aren’t currently a thing just yet, but we all know they are coming in Chrome OS 76 a mere 6 weeks from now. Though I’ve been waiting for this feature for what feels like an eternity, all the news surrounding this hotly-anticipated functionality up to this point has been devoid of what I feel is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle.
A new update to the bug report we’ve been tracking around Virtual Desks since the beginning appeared last night and the included tweak literally made me smile. Here is what it said:
Virtual Desks: Implement keyboard shortcuts
Ctrl+Search+= : New desk.
Ctrl+Search+- : Remove desk.
Ctrl+Search+] : Activate desk on the right (if any).
Ctrl+Search+[ : Activate desk on the left (if any).
Ctrl+Search+Shift+] : Move active window (or highlighted window in
overview) to desk on the right (if any).
Ctrl+Search+Shift+[ : Move active window (or highlighted window in
overview) to desk on the left (if any).
The whole time we’ve been talking about Virtual Desks, I’ve repeatedly said they need to implement a way to quickly move between the desktops available. Honestly, without a way to do so, it almost steals away the most productive part of Virtual Desks. For me, at least, having Virtual Desks is similar to having 3 extra monitors on each side of my current display. With a quick gesture, I should be able to call up that virtual display just as quickly as I would glance over to it if it were there in real space.
With these new shortcuts, we’ll be able to add new desks and move items between the desks once they are there, but most importantly we’ll be able to slide between desks with a keyboard shortcut. Personally, this is good enough to make this feature a workable, productivity-boosting one once it arrives in fullness in Chrome OS 76. All I’m left asking is the ability to map a 4-finger swipe on the trackpad to do the same thing as the CTRL+SEARCH+[ or CTRL+SEARCH+] shortcuts will already do. With this new implementation of the shortcut commands, I’d freely assume a trackpad gesture is on the radar. No different than
With this change already being submitted via the Chromium Repositories, it will definitely be along for the ride when Chrome OS 76 debuts in late July. While 76 looks like it will be a pretty big update across the board, this is the feature I am looking forward to the most and I’m extremely excited to know that, with this newest addition, it will be the productivity enhancer that I’ve been waiting on.
