19 ChromeOS tips and tricks every Chromebook owner should use
Chromebooks bring computers to the average user without requiring a steep learning curve. They also don’t have driver updates to manage like on a Windows or macOS computer. Since Chromebooks use the ChromeOS operating system, you’ll use the Google Chrome browser and web-based apps most of the time. This makes it easy to recommend one of the mostaffordable Chromebooksfor a casual online browsing experience. Follow these tips and tricks to navigate your Chromebook during regular day-to-day use.
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1Gesture with your Chromebook touchpad for various actions
There are several ways to move around a Chromebook, whether you use the touchpad, keyboard, or touchscreen. ChromeOS makes your touchpad more useful than a mouse by including gestures to make navigating your device easier.
Here are useful touchpad gestures it’s possible to use on your Chromebook:
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2Control your Chromebook with your keyboard
The Chromebook keyboard provides many shortcut actions to help you navigate your device, from refreshing the page to opening a new tab. Chromebooks have adedicated Search keywith a magnifying glass icon or a Launcher key with a filled-in circle icon. Now referred to as theEverything Button, it is typically located in place of the Caps Lock key you might find on a Windows or macOS keyboard. To see the list of available keyboard shortcuts, pressCtrl+Alt+?.
Give these useful Chromebook keyboard shortcuts a try:
Become a Chromebook power user with these handy keyboard shortcuts
3Turn on the caps lock feature when you need it
The keyboard on a Chromebook doesn’t have a dedicated Caps Lock key like a Windows or macOS device has. However, you could use the caps lock feature on your Chromebook with a keyboard shortcut. To turn on caps lock, pressAlt+Everything Button. Tap that key combination again to turn it off.
The Everything Button might be called the Search or Launcher key on some Chromebooks. It can be identified by a magnifying glass icon or a filled-in circle icon.
4Open pinned apps and websites for easy access
Much like the taskbar on Windows or the Dock on Macs, Chromebooks have a space at the bottom of the screen tosave apps and websitesyou often use. This is referred to as the Shelf in ChromeOS, and there are a couple of ways to access these pinned apps or website shortcuts:
5Reposition your Shelf to a location that works best for you
ChromeOS allows you to move the Shelf if you don’t like it at the bottom of the screen. To do this, right-click your home screen, mouse over theShelf positionoption, and selectLeft,Bottom, orRight.
6Customize how your apps appear in the home launcher
Clicking the icon in the lower-left corner of the ChromeOS launcher lets you view and then open your installed apps. Some apps that ChromeOS sets first you may not use, while the ones you want may be farther down the list. You can change this by bringing up the app launcher and right-clicking it. TheSort bymenu has two options:NameorColor. Sorting byNamereorganizes apps alphabetically, making it easier to find specific apps.Colorgroups apps by their primary icon colors to create a more visual experience.
To organize your apps, drag one app icon onto another to create a folder. Doing so allows you to group your favorite or most used apps in one location. Continue adding apps until you have everything you want in the folder. From there, giving the folder a relevant name makes it easy to identify its contents.
7Set your accent colors to your own custom theme
A 2023 update to ChromeOS brought new background theme customization options for Chromebooks. You can now pick a wallpaper from your shared Google Photos albums or set it as a screensaver. When you select a photo to use as a background, ChromeOS gives you a selection of accent colors. Pick one, and it automatically adjusts your windows and tabs to that color palette.
8Set up quick split screens for better app multitasking
Split screen features are more common than ever as we juggle multiple apps and reference points simultaneously. Chromebooks make this easy to manage with an update that allows you to pick exactly how you want your screen organized.
Start by pressingEverything Button + Zwhile in a window (the Maximize tab button usually works for this step). This opens a new panel with four window options:
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9Find useful new apps and games to play during your free time
If you don’t have time to browse for new games on your Chromebook, theExploreapp can help you discover something to play. A dedicated section calledApps and Gamesoffers a curated list of Chromebook-compatible software. you could sometimes find standout Android mobile games designed to work on your Chromebook. TheExploreapp is a good starting point that can help you find something new to install. For a more in-depth list of games, open the Google Play Store and browse there.
10Use virtual desks for a more organized workflow
Chromebooks include an excellent productivity feature called virtual desks, which allows you to have different desktops for various tasks. When a specific set of apps or windows is open, you can create a desk and save it for later. For example, imagine having one desk with your work apps and another with your entertainment apps. You can swap between these desks with a click or keyboard shortcut. You don’t have to juggle windows, creating an efficient and organized way to manage your time.
Swipe up on your touchpad with three fingers to open the desks feature. You’ll see your desks at the top of your screen and can add a new desk by tapping theNew deskbutton. To save your open applications as a desk, tap theSave desk for laterbutton in the upper-left corner.
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Please, fix the keyboard shortcut to close current window, it’s Ctrl+W, not Ctrl+Tab.
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