If you’ve been around Chrome OS as long as we have, you probably share the sentiment of many about the Files App on your Chromebook. When Chrome OS was in its infancy, the simplistic “Downloads” folder and mounted Google Drive was really all you needed to organize files on a device that was designed to […]
Continue ReadingNew & Upcoming Features
Chrome OS Global Media Controls arrive in the Canary Channel
Earlier this month, Robby uncovered work being done to move rich media notifications to a more static location inside the system tray and activated on the Chrome OS shelf when media is playing. Last week, we got our first look at the feature when a video was posted in the ongoing bug report where the […]
Continue ReadingChrome will soon hide embarrassing notifications while sharing your screen
We’ve all been there. It’s OK. You are in a meeting – Google Meet, Zoom, etc. – and you are tasked with sharing your display in order to help the others in the call visualize what it is the group is discussing. You click that present button and right in the middle of making a […]
Continue ReadingMore details emerge for the new Global Media Controls on Chromebooks
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 space. From […]
Continue ReadingChrome 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 device. Just recently, the Phone […]
Continue ReadingGoogle 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 need to work together in […]
Continue ReadingHow 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 enable PIP. Even then, however, […]
Continue ReadingChrome 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 […]
Continue ReadingRich 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 latest OS update, users can even […]
Continue ReadingWe 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 flag popped up in […]
Continue ReadingNew 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 support the […]
Continue ReadingFirst 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 access to screenshots, downloads, and […]
Continue ReadingGoogle 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 consequences and […]
Continue ReadingFor 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 […]
Continue ReadingWith 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 […]
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