November 2023
Easily find and add gifs with just a tap, multitask with new Clipboard features, slow your battery’s decline with Adaptive Charging, and more.
March 2021
Chromebooks update automatically* to provide you with the latest features and keep the software fresh and speedy. Here are some highlights from recent updates.
*See how long a device is eligible for updates at g.co/chromeosupdates/en/.
Using your Chromebook, and your phone is out of reach? With Phone Hub, you now have a built-in control center that brings key capabilities from your Android phone to your Chromebook. See the tabs that you last opened on your phone, check your phone’s battery life and cellular signal and even respond to messages, all from your Chromebook. To set up Phone Hub, click the symbol on your Shelf.
We've expanded Wi-Fi Sync to work with more devices, making it easier to get online. Your Chromebook can automatically connect to trusted Wi-Fi networks that you’ve used on your Android phone and other ChromeOS devices when signed in with the same Google Account. To enable syncing with your Android phone, go to “Connected devices” in ChromeOS Settings, click the arrow next to the phone, and toggle "Wi-Fi Sync" on.
Screen Capture lets you take precise screenshots without needing to remember complex keyboard shortcuts. Easily switch between taking a screenshot or screen recording, and choose if you want to capture your full screen, full window or crop to a specific area of your screen. To use it, go to your Quick Settings menu and click “Screen capture.”
Tote is a new holding space that makes it easy for you to find the right file fast. You’ll have quick access to recent downloads, recent screen captures, and any files that you’ve decided to pin. Tote will pop up on your Shelf as soon as you take a screen capture, download a file or pin a file.
With Clipboard, your Chromebook saves the last five items copied so you can easily paste any or all to a new page without needing to switch between windows. Just press the Everything button ( or
) + V to use your Clipboard.
Quick Answers will automatically provide helpful information—like a definition, a translation or unit conversion—when you right-click a word. No need to open a separate tab to search for the definition if you see a tricky word on a website, recipe or presentation. You can remove this feature by turning off “Related info” in ChromeOS Settings.
We’ve supercharged Desks to help you organize your workspace. When you reboot, your windows will restore to their previous desks so your workflow isn’t interrupted. Right-click at the top of a window to send it directly to one or all desks, and swipe across your trackpad with four fingers to switch between desks. See your desks by pressing the Overview mode key ( ) or swiping up in tablet mode.
Turn your Chromebook’s lock screen into a personalized smart display. Show off your favorite photo album from Google Photos or pick from hundreds of art gallery images. You can use your lock screen to check information like the current weather and what music is playing; you can also pause a track or skip songs without unlocking your device. Turn it on now by going to “Screen saver” in your ChromeOS Settings.
Your media controls are now built directly into the Quick Settings menu, so you’ll always know where to go to play, pause or skip to the next song. To see them, play a track from your favorite music streaming platform like YouTube Music or Spotify. You can also pin this media player directly to your Shelf for quicker access.
Switching from Mac or Windows is as easy as logging in. In just three simple steps, you’ll find your files and photos ready to go on your new Chromebook.
Easily find and add gifs with just a tap, multitask with new Clipboard features, slow your battery’s decline with Adaptive Charging, and more.
Personalize your device with a new set of accent colors that match your wallpaper, select a shared Google Photos album for your wallpaper to rotate through, multitask across different window screen configurations, and more.
Express your creativity with Google Photos’ new movie editor and video editing features, easily organize your apps you’ve downloaded on your Chromebook in the Launcher, discover new articles about apps in the Explore app, multitask across different windows, and find more options for your handwritten notes.
Connect Bluetooth headphones quickly with Fast Pair, express your creativity with character pickers, explore more accessibility voice command options, and easily search for images in Chrome browser.
Explore more productivity features in virtual desks, make movies on Google Photos, connect Bluetooth headphones quickly with Fast Pair, recover files with a tap in the Trash Folder, and more
Try light and dark themes, further customize your wallpaper, connect headphones with a tap, edit PDFs, and more.
Connect headphones with a tap, see recent photos from your phone, try new magnification features, and explore new Pride themed wallpapers.
New commands for voice text dictation, make GIFs using your Chromebook Camera, and change where your screen captures automatically save.
Easily scan documents using your Chromebook camera, try new natural sounding voices for Select-to-speak, and quickly organize your tabs into different desks.
Enjoy better video calls with Google Meet performance and feature updates, use the new picker to easily add emojis, personalize your desktop with new wallpapers, and more.
Share files fast with Nearby Share, see answers automatically in Launcher, get notified with app badges, and more.
Change your cursor color, enable new select-to-speak improvements, connect easier to Wi-Fi, and more.
Say hello to the Explore app, multitask across windows masterfully, play your favorite games, and more.
Navigate easier in tablet mode, keep watching with Picture-in-Picture, stay connected with Instant Tethering, and more.
Multitask with Virtual Desks, control media without unlocking, place a call from your Chromebook, and more.