It’s hard to believe Chrome OS has done that has been around for a decade, but to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Chromebook, Google is releasing a number of new features to improve productivity, connectivity and more.
Similar to the way Handoff works on macOS, Google is improving the synergy between Chromebooks and Android phones with the new Phone Hub. Phone Hub allows you to link your Android phone to a Chromebook to create a new window with several useful shortcuts to control your phone remotely. That means you can do things like turn on your hotspot, mute your phone’s ringer, or turn on the phone locator feature without having to get up.
In addition, you can also respond to messages from the Phone Hub, you check phone battery life and cellular signal, and open the last two Chrome tabs you viewed on your phone, making it easier to pick up where you left off when switching devices.
Google has also upgraded the Wi-Fi sync feature to allow Chromebooks to log automatically in to Wi-Fi networks you have previously signed into on your Android phone or other Chrome OS devices. And sometime in the coming months, Google will also release the Sharing nearby function to Chromebooks, making it easier to transfer files wirelessly (via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) between compatible devices.
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To help you get your work done just a little faster, Google has added a new screen recording tool to Chrome OS’s Quick Settings menu, which allows you to take screenshots or screen captures by simply selecting content on the screen. T.Media controls are now built into the Quick Settings menu, and to make screenshots and pinned files easier to access, Google has created the new Tote space, available from the Chrome OS shelf.
Even the Chrome OS clipboard gets a boost, as it can now store the last five items you copied, which you can easily view by pressing the Everything + V button.
The Desk feature has also gotten a refresh that allows you to rearrange tabs and windows across different workspaces to keep information better sorted for different projects, and now there is a new Quick Answers section to anything you right-click in your browser and that short definitions or unit conversions.
For parents trying to better manage their kids’ devices, Google has also reworked Family Link so it’s easier for them to manage permissions and personal vs. school accounts on the same devices.
Finally, in addition to new icons for apps like Canvas and Explore, Google has also reduced the number of clicks needed to share content, and added new controls to the Select to speak feature that allows users to slow down, speed up or pause text-to-speech playback.
Aside from Nearby Sharing, most of the new Chromebook features should be rolling out today, so if you don’t already have them, check back for updates soon.