Desk Sync and a new external touch display calibration tool arrive in ChromeOS 139

The latest version of ChromeOS is now beginning its roll-out to the stable channel, and M139 is here with a couple of very useful, practical features that aim to improve user workflows and fix a long-standing pain point for those who use external touch displays. Let’s take a look at what’s new.

Pick up where you left off with Desk Sync

First up is Desk Sync, a feature we saw mentioned in the M138 notes that is now officially rolling out with this update. Desk Sync is designed to help you quickly pick up right where you left off when you switch from one Chromebook to another.

When enabled, the feature will restore all of your windows, tabs, and even your cookies from your previous session, allowing for a seamless transition between devices. This is an incredibly useful tool for anyone who uses multiple Chromebooks, and it’s particularly helpful for shared devices and frontline workers in settings like healthcare, hospitality, and manufacturing. For managed users, admins can enable the feature in the Admin console, and individual users will have the option to skip the sync if they choose.

A new calibration tool for external touchscreens

The second new feature is one that many of us have been waiting for. With ChromeOS 139, you can now calibrate the boundaries of external touch screen displays.

If you’ve ever used a portable touch monitor with your Chromebook, you may have run into frustrating alignment issues where your touch inputs don’t correspond correctly to the content on the screen. This new setting is the direct solution to that problem. To find it, you can head to Settings > Device > Display, go to the settings for your external touchscreen, and access the Calibrate touchscreen tool. It’s a fantastic, much-needed addition for a growing number of users.

As always, the update to ChromeOS 139 will be rolling out progressively over the coming days with additional bug fixes and security updates. You can check for it by heading to Settings > About ChromeOS > Check for updates to get the download started right now.