Recognition: Eric Zeman / Android Authority
- Google has made a number of new functions available to Chrome OS for its 10th birthday.
- A Phone Hub helps you control your Android phone, while new features give you quick access to files, music, and a Chromebook for kids to set up.
- You’ll also find improved Wi-Fi syncing, a new screen recording tool, and an expanded clipboard.
Believe it or not, Chromebooks are now 10 years old – and Google is celebrating the occasion with a major Chrome OS update that has several welcome features.
The update mainly focuses on syncing Chrome OS with your other devices. A new Phone Hub (pictured below) provides control over important aspects of your Android phone, including text messages, hotspot, and current Chrome tabs. Advanced Wi-Fi syncing automatically brings trusted connections to more devices, and an upcoming Nearby Share expansion is quickly sending files to and from Android and Chrome OS computers.
Other additions focus on speed. The Chrome OS update adds a tote space that provides quick access to important files. Media controls are now integrated into the Quick Settings menu. When you set up a Chromebook for remote learning, there is a “streamlined” setup process that lets you quickly add a school account.
More? A new screen capture tool in the update captures still images and video from Chrome OS with no shortcuts required. The last five elements copied are saved in the expanded clipboard. Desks (virtual desktops) now restore all windows in the appropriate places after a restart. Quick Answers provides definitions, translations, and other helpful information when you right-click a word.
See also: The best Chromebooks under $ 300
Saving files and files should take fewer steps, while reading text with Narrator allows you to pause or adjust the reading speed to make sure you’re capturing an important sentence. New icons help you find the apps included in Chrome OS.
Most of the features of the update will be available shortly when Chrome OS 89 launches in a few weeks’ time, although the upgraded release nearby won’t be due for “months to come.” These probably won’t get you rid of your Windows PC or Mac, but they should help your Chromebook blend in with the rest of your devices.
