Earlier this month, we posted about the move the Chrome OS team was making to get rich media notifications out of your notifications area. This move is sorely needed as the vertical space on Chromebooks in this region is already a bit limited and those rich notification cards take up a ton of … [Read more...] about More details emerge for the new Global Media Controls on Chromebooks
New & Upcoming Features
Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
Chrome OS Phone Hub gets onboarding UI for initial setup
Chrome OS developers are steadily working on a slew of new features that will be heading to Chromebooks over the next few months. One of the flashier new additions that we've been tracking is the "Phone Hub" feature that will further deepen the integrating between your Chromebook and your mobile … [Read more...] about Chrome OS Phone Hub gets onboarding UI for initial setup
Google Meet is bringing virtual white boards to video chats with Jamboard
If you've never heard of Jamboard, you aren't alone. Though it's been around for quite some time, Jamboard is a lesser-known Google service that gives users the ability to virtually whiteboard in an all-digital, collaborative fashion. We've messed with it a bit at Chrome Unboxed and if we had the … [Read more...] about Google Meet is bringing virtual white boards to video chats with Jamboard
How to enable an easier picture-in-picture mode for Chromebooks
If you've ever attempted to use picture-in-picture (PIP from this point on) on a Chromebook, you likely understand a bit of the frustration that comes with the territory. For instance, you've always needed to right-click twice on YouTube videos to get the proper context menu to appear and choose to … [Read more...] about How to enable an easier picture-in-picture mode for Chromebooks
Chrome OS ‘light mode’ shows up in the Canary Channel
We've been so focused in on when we will finally see a proper dark mode on Chromebooks that we never really saw the need for a light mode. I found a commit for this weeks ago, but I wasn't completely sure what to make of it. Android Police published an article and made some mock-ups of what light … [Read more...] about Chrome OS ‘light mode’ shows up in the Canary Channel
Rich search results are on the way to the Chromebook launcher
The humble Chrome OS launcher has become quite the hub for activity on Chromebooks in the past few years. From adding Google Assistant to getting a complete overhaul for both desktop and tablet modes, the launcher is slowly becoming the centralized starting point for users on Chromebooks. With the … [Read more...] about Rich search results are on the way to the Chromebook launcher
We just used Nearby Sharing on a Chromebook
It has been quite a while since Google's Nearby Sharing feature snuck its way into the Chromium repository. While Nearby Sharing hasn't been live for Android users for very long, it looks like the Chrome OS team is hard at it getting the file-sharing feature working for Chromebooks. The Nearby Share … [Read more...] about We just used Nearby Sharing on a Chromebook
New abilities are coming for Chromebook stylus buttons
As we've watched USI pens become more standard in 2020 and finally started seeing some of them actually begin shipping, it is beginning to feel like we'll have a ton of Chromebooks in the next generation that will have pen support baked in. As we've already reported, those devices will all have to … [Read more...] about New abilities are coming for Chromebook stylus buttons
First Look: New Chrome OS “Holding Space” feature in action
Our pal Dinsan over at Chrome Story recently discovered a new feature that's headed to Chrome OS called "Holding Space." According to the commit, this feature will give users quick access to recent screenshots and downloads via a quick menu that will reside on the Chrome OS shelf. Enables quick … [Read more...] about First Look: New Chrome OS “Holding Space” feature in action
Google Meet is getting a Zoom-like 50-person grid view and blurred backgrounds
As the pandemic rages on and working from home is still top of mind for millions and millions of individuals, it feels like two services have bubbled to the top of the video chat heap: Zoom and Google Meet. Zoom's insane skyrocket to the most-used video conferencing platform came with a few early … [Read more...] about Google Meet is getting a Zoom-like 50-person grid view and blurred backgrounds
For new Chromebooks, USI pen support is the rule going forward
A couple weeks ago, we had the pleasure of interviewing Pete Mueller - President/Chairman USI - on The Chrome Cast. The episode was a ton of fun to be a part of and the story behind the emergence of USI pens is not only interesting, it is pretty important to the entire laptop industry moving … [Read more...] about For new Chromebooks, USI pen support is the rule going forward
With this upcoming new feature, I’ll actually use Chrome Tab Groups
As the Chrome Tab Groups feature has evolved, I've been pretty vocal about the fact that I don't see much use for it in my personal workflow. I'm not prone to leave dozens of tabs open at a time, so grouping the 7 or 8 tabs I currently have open isn't really that beneficial. At my worst, I'll have … [Read more...] about With this upcoming new feature, I’ll actually use Chrome Tab Groups
