Google I/O Keynote shows Chromebook Phone Hub getting a great new feature

The first Google I/O 2021 Keynote has wrapped up and there wasn’t really a whole lot on offer from a hardware perspective. With a clear focus on AI and services, Google I/O wasn’t too concerned with showing off minute, new features on Chrome OS or Android, but one upcoming feature did slip in as Android 12 was being shown off. The new feature? An addition to Phone Hub that should prove very, very handy.

Access your latest photos in Phone Hub

In a few seconds when talking about Android 12’s focus on connecting your devices more seamlessly, Sameer Samat showed off a new feature being added to Chrome OS Phone Hub that will allow users to quickly access their last few photos taken on their phone via their Chromebook in a snap. Currently, the bottom-most portion of the Phone Hub features your latest tabs open on your phone. This new addition will slot just beneath that as shown below.

Of all the things you might see added to Phone Hub, this could be one of the best. Imagine a scenario where you snapped a few photos you need to share or integrate into a document. Take your photos and move to your Chromebook, hit the phone hub, and drag one of those latest photos into the app of your choice. No need for file browsers or navigation to photos.google.com. I can see us here at Chrome Unboxed using this feature literally every single day.

We’re just getting started with Google I/O and there are tons of sessions over the next day or so that will be worth discussing here on the site. Stay tuned for more and make sure you are signed up for the newsletter below so you can be alerted when new content comes online.