It’s hard to believe it has Chrome OS already existed for a decade, but tto celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Chromebook, Google is launching a lot 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. With Phone Hub, you can pair your Android phone with a Chromebook to create a new window with several useful shortcuts that let you control your phone remotely. This means that you can do things like turn on the access point, mute the phone ringer, or turn on the phone location feature without having to get up.
In addition, you will also be able to reply to messages from the hub phone, check yours battery life and cell phone signal, and open the last two Chrome tabs you see on your phone, making it easier for you to pick up where you left off when you switch devices.
Google has also updated its Wi-Fi sync feature so that Chromebooks can sign in automatically a Wi-Fi networks you’ve previously signed in to on your Android phone or other Chrome OS devices. And sometime in the coming months, Google will also provide the Share close on Chromebooks, so you can easily transfer files wirelessly (via Bluetooth or wifi) between compatible devices.
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In the meantime, to help you get the job done a little faster, Google has added a new screenshot tool to the Chrome OS Quick Settings menu, which can take screenshots or screenshots by simply selecting content on the screen. TNow, the Quick Setup menu has built-in media controls, and to make it easier to access screenshots and fixed files, Google created the new Tote space, which is available on the Chrome OS platform.
Even the Chrome OS clipboard is growing, as you can now save the last five items you copied, which can be easily seen by pressing the All + V button
The desktop feature has also renewed its work and allows you to rearrange the tabs and windows of various workspaces to help keep the information of different projects better organized and now there a new quick-response section for everything you right-click in your browser that will provide short definitions or unit conversions.
For parents trying to better manage their children’s devices, Google also went back to work Family Link so it is easier for them to manage permissions and vs. school accounts on the same devices.
Finally, in addition to new icons for apps like Canvas and Explore, Google 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 Near Share, most new Chromebook features should start rolling out today, so if you don’t have them, check back soon.