The Made by Google event that took place last week wasn’t just for announcing cool new devices. In between the exciting hardware announcements, there were quite a few software nuggets mentioned too, one of which was the ability for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro to use its AI smarts to detect when you are […]
Continue ReadingGuides and How-To's
Of all the things we share with our readers, we get some of the most positive feedback concerning our guides and how-to articles. As many aren't fully familiar with the ins and outs of Chrome OS, these articles provide interesting and useful info for new and experienced users alike.
How to “powerwash” your original Google Wifi when a factory reset doesn’t work
Yesterday, I woke up to the apocalypse. I’m being dramatic, of course, but when your Wi-Fi goes out and your entire smart home is knocked off the grid, it certainly feels like this generation’s version of losing electricity (first-world problems). After noticing that my Nest Detect, smart lights, Google Nest Hub and minis, and practically […]
Continue ReadingHow to opt-in for emergency weather alerts on Android
Presently, as powerful Hurricane Ian continues its track toward Florida, many residents are scrambling to find the most up-to-date information in order to stay safe. The simplest way of staying in the know is by registering to get local weather alerts by using Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA), which was formerly known as Commercial Mobile Alert […]
Continue ReadingHow to Create a Countdown Timer in Google Sheets
Today we are going to learn how to create a countdown timer in Sheets by using a couple of built-in functions. These are going to be DATEDIF, which calculates the number of days, months, or years between two dates, and NOW() which return today’s date. The syntax for the DATEDIF formula is DATEDIF(start_date, end_date, unit) […]
Continue ReadingHow to remove yourself from Google Messages group MMS chats and stop all notifications
Recently, I’ve been added to several group chats that I did ask to be a part of but have since changed my mind on. Another chat I’m somehow in I most certainly did not ask to be included, yet I am anyway. Google Messages is a wonderful app, but it does have a lot of […]
Continue ReadingHow to tell Web apps and Android apps apart on your Chromebook
ChromeOS is one of the few operating systems that allows you to install applications from other operating systems, as is the case with Linux and Android apps that run in their own separate containers. However, having a combination of web app shortcuts, PWAs, Android apps, and Linux apps running on the same device can sometimes […]
Continue ReadingHow to install non-Google Play Store apps on your Chromebook without switching to developer mode
Sometimes, an Android app that you want to install on your Chromebook may simply not be available on the Google Play Store. This could be either because it’s incompatible, or because the app’s developer has tagged it as such due to the experience on your device not being exactly how they prefer to present it. […]
Continue Reading10 fun and useful Google search Easter eggs you should try right now
Sometimes I simply forget how fun the hidden Easter eggs are in Google search result pages. My favorite memory of one of these happened with the release of Avengers: End Game and Thanos’ gauntlet. To this day, I remember that interaction with Joe like it was yesterday. We all still worked for the PR company […]
Continue ReadingHow to switch clock styles on your Android phone’s lock screen
Android 12 introduced a double-line clock on the lock screen that turned out to be a bit controversial as some users preferred the simpler, one-line design of the old clock. This new larger clock style appeared on the lock screen if there were no notifications and would revert back to the old one-line style if […]
Continue ReadingHow to use face detection on Pixel to improve auto-rotate
I’m sure you can relate to how annoying it is to lie down while using your phone and have your phone’s display rotate to landscape orientation. This particular scenario was responsible for people turning off auto-rotate on their phones altogether and manually enabling it as needed. But what if I told you that you no […]
Continue ReadingHow to disable duplicate notifications for apps and web apps on your Chromebook
The Chromebook notification tray has recently received a huge visual refresh, and quite honestly, it looks gorgeous. I had initially predicted it with my Material You for ChromeOS mockup, and now that it’s here, it feels like just another part of the operating system. All in all, it along with the new Productivity launcher have […]
Continue ReadingUse this hidden Gmail trick to sort and route email like a ninja
If you’ve ever signed up for a giveaway, registered for an event, entered your email to get a coupon, or been in any other situation where you needed to sacrifice your email address to get something you wanted, you know the immediate sadness you feel when you start getting all sorts of junk mail as […]
Continue ReadingHow to set your Chromebook’s Calendar View widget to start on Mondays
Ever since Google introduced the Calendar View widget to ChromeOS in version 104, many discussions have been had about how to improve it. One of the most requested features for it, besides having the ability to integrate all of your Google Calendars, is how to change the starting day of the week to Monday instead […]
Continue ReadingHow to add gift cards to the new Google Wallet app
Google has prepared a blast from the past in the form of its efforts to revive the Google Wallet app and branding. The idea is to offer users a more card-centric, user-friendly experience that’s not centered on peer-to-peer payments and transaction management like Google Pay. Wallet allows you to add credit and debit cards, passports, […]
Continue ReadingHow to use the Google Photos’ Camouflage feature
Google debuted “Camouflage,” a Google Photos companion feature to Magic Eraser which helps get rid of distracting objects by applying a muted color instead of completely erasing it, with the launch of the Pixel 6a. Luckily, the feature eventually made its way to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, completing its support of the […]
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