#Chrome OS
151 Stories
With Chrome web apps, Extensions, Linux Desktop, and Android web apps, you can do almost everything on a Chromebook from programming to productivity. Therefore, if you're new to ChromeOS or are trying it after a long time, we have categorized the article into four sections. Starting with web apps first and moving to Android, Linux, and Chrome extensions. We've tested most, if not, all these apps and they run flawlessly.
Google's new Face Control feature for Chromebooks lets you control the OS using your face, eyes, and head movements. It uses on-device ML models and the webcam to track your facial gestures.
Thanks to the arrival of Steam on ChromeOS, you can now play desktop games right on your Chromebook, provided your device is capable of playing them. You can now simply install Steam on your Chromebook in just four steps. And unsupported Chromebooks can anyway install Steam manually, however, the performance might not be good. We have added both methods with detailed steps so go ahead and check them out.
Roblox is officially available on Chromebooks via the Play Store. So if your Chromebook has Play Store support, you can install and play Roblox without any issues. However, on-school Chromebooks, you will have to use now.gg to play Roblox in a web browser.
You can easily run Windows apps on a Chromebook through the Linux container using Wine. It's great for running light applications on ChromeOS. I installed VLC, IDM, IrfanView, and a lot of Windows apps on my Chromebook.
ChromeOS has transitioned into a fully-fledged operating system and a lot has changed since its inception like Google adding the ability to run Android apps, Linux, and even Steam on supported Chromebooks. Some of the best games you can play on a Chromebook are Half Life 2, Hades, Dead Cells, Kandria, and Minecraft among others. You can also use Cloud Gaming platforms such as NVIDIA's GeForce NOW or Boosteroid to play games directly from a browser on a Chromebook.
Updating a Chromebook is a fundamental thing but it solves a myriad of issues and also brings new features. The most basic method is to update ChromeOS from settings and then move on to updating the Linux container.
Some Apple products like the AirPods work like any Bluetooth accessory on any Bluetooth-compatible device, including Chromebooks. If you have a pair of AirPods or AirPods Pro, you can connect them to a Chromebook, just like you'd connect any Bluetooth accessory.
Google is rolling out a new feature in ChromeOS M131 called Safety Reset. Using it will reset Chrome settings and shortcuts, disable extensions, and delete cookies. Although, Bookmarks, History, and Saved Passwords won't be affected.
Chromebooks are some of the most underrated machines today and that's due to the ever-rising popularity of Windows machines. While Windows is one of the best operating systems out there, ChromeOS is no slouch and has grown immensely in the last decade. Windows laptops are great overall machines for gaming and content creation, whereas Chromebooks are more suited for day to day tasks and give users excellent battery life.
If your Chromebook developed any issues after a recent update, you may want to revert it back to the previous ChromeOS version. There are two ways to go about this — reverting from a stable update to a previous stable update and reverting from Beta or Dev channels to the stable channel. The first method requires you to press keyboard shortcuts on the Powerwash screen, while the second method requires you to change the channel to Stable.
There are many hidden features in ChromeOS. Some are hidden in plain sight while the other require accessing Chrome flags and manually turning on. Features like Steam gaming, GIF recording, Clipboard, Emoji picker, etc, should make your Chromebook feature-rich and the overall experience a tad bit better.
ChromeOS 130 Brings a Pixel-Like Recorder App, AI Features, and More
Abubakar Mohammed
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ChromeOS 130 is rolling out to all Chromebooks and it brings new features to both Chromebook and Chromebook Plus platforms. It includes a built-in recorder app and AI features like Help me read to summarize web pages and PDFs and Studio-style mic for better quality audio.
A Chromebook might slow down due to a variety of reasons but some of the most common reasons could be due to lots of applications running in the background, Chromebook's storage filling up, or Linux taking up more storage, slowing your Chromebook down. Some of the less common reasons could be a battery that's about to die, clogged fan vents, or ChromeOS files getting corrupt.
Chromebooks have evolved into powerful devices that can do pretty much everything from running Linux apps to Android and Chrome apps, alongside web browsing. There are a ton of Chromebook options in the market and buying the right one for your needs could be tough. Some of the best options you can check out are the Acer Chromebook Spin 714, Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, and ASUS ExpertBook CX54.
Copying and pasting on a Chromebook is similar to Windows. All you need to do is use the Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V keyboard shortcuts after selecting the item on the keyboard and the item will be copied or pasted. ChromeOS also has a clipboard manager that can store at most five previously copied items.
Chromebooks lack dedicated Caps Lock key and you need to press Alt + Launcher to activate and deactivate Caps Lock. If you find that method too bothersome, you could remap the existing keys to directly activate Caps Lock. This can be done from Chromebook's settings.
The solutions to bring a dead Chromebook back to life range from ensuring the basics are right to reinstalling the operation system. Some of the best ways to bring your Chromebook back to life is by checking its charger, charging port, hard restarting, and performing a fresh ChromeOS install.
2-in-1 Chromebooks come with touch screen, and while the functionality is great to have, some users may not end up using them much or might want to disable if they're facing ghost touch issues. Chromebook's touch screen can be disabled from Chrome flags and using a keyboard shortcut.
Chromebooks usually come with lesser storage compared to other laptops which makes managing apps and Linux difficult. Some of the best ways to make space for other apps is by repartitioning the Linux partition, deleting apps and files, and deleting the browser cache, among other thing.
Chrome Remote Desktop offers a great way to connect to computers remotely via your Chromebook and other PCs. While Remote Desktop's Remote Access feature doesn't work on Chromebooks, you can use the Remote Support feature which requires an additional connection steps. Remote Desktop also comes with many settings to tweak the stream and control bandwidth usage.
Customizing your Chromebook can help you personalize it and make it feel truly yours. There are a few ways to customize your Chromebook; Some of them are by changing the wallpaper and screensaver, enabling rounded corners, customizing the taskbar, launcher, Chrome browser, and turning on Dark Mode.
Function keys are quintessential for some users and those who recently switched from a Windows machine to a Chromebook might find it troublesome. Luckily, ChromeOS has a feature which lets you use the top keys as function keys and that could come in handy for both general users and developers. You can find the option in Settings > Keyboard and input.
How to Enable and Use Quick Share (Previously Nearby Share) on Chromebook
Abubakar Mohammed
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Quick Share (formerly Nearby Share) is Google's answer to AirDrop. It's available across devices in the Android ecosystem, and can help you swiftly transfer files from Android, to Chromebook, or even Windows. Enabling Quick Share on Chromebook is as easy as opening ChromeOS quick settings, clicking Quick Share, and selecting visible to my devices or visible to everyone.
Chromebooks aren't invulnerable. One of the issues we see Chromebook users face sometimes is with regards to screen flickering. Thankfully, some of the ways to fix them are by updating your Chromebook, Powerwashing, restarting, connecting to an external display, etc.
Chromebooks might show a black screen for multiple reasons including low brightness, damaged ChromeOS partition, power issues and other things, besides hardware failure. Unlike other desktop OSes, ChromeOS allows you to completely turn off the screen by reducing the brightness to the lowest level. We have looked into all such possible causes and have added detailed instructions to fix the issue.
Satyam Kumar
How to Delete Files on a Chromebook
Arjun Sha
You don't need to restart a Chromebook frequently, but if you're facing issues such as the Chromebook slowing down, there are three simple ways to restart a Chromebook. You can use the Quick Settings panel and the power menu to restart it. Or you can press the power button for slightly more than a second and press shut down, then press the power button again. Lastly, you can enter Chrome://restart in Chrome URL to soft restart Chrome.
ChromeOS has a neat trick to let users add emojis to text. The OS has a built-in popup that not only lets you add a variety of emojis but also GIFs, Symbols, Characters, and Kaomoji. The built-in emoji popup in ChromeOS can be accessed using the Launcher + Shift + Space shortcut.
Steam Arrives on Chrome OS as Part of Beta; Brings Several Improvements
Vanshika Malhotra
ChromeOS is similar to Windows in many ways like taking a screenshot but it's also quite similar in the process of right-clicking. There are three ways to right-click on a Chromebook — Using two-finger tap, tapping while pressign the Alt key, and using a dedicated Mouse, either Wireless or Wired.
Google's built-in screenshot utility comes with screen recording capabilities. Not only that, but it also comes with a standalone app to make presenting easier. Use can use the utility, select the type of screen, and start recording. Or you can also use the Screencast utility to start recording and annotating while displaying your face with ease. If you don't want to record your audio, you could use extensions like Screenshot and Screen Recorder to easily record just the tab's sound.
How to Take a Screenshot on Chromebook
Abubakar Mohammed
Chrome OS to Get a New Partial Split View; Here’s How It Looks!
Dwaipayan Sengupta
Google Releases Chrome OS 100 with New App Launcher and More
Dwaipayan Sengupta