Chromebooks have evolved over the last decade, becoming real powerhouse machines for productivity.The best Chromebookscome in different form factors. They can come as regular computers, convertibles, or detachable keyboard/tablets, fulfilling any niche needed.ChromeOShas a dedicated mode for tablets that creates a touch-friendly interface. Depending on the application, tablet mode is helpful, but occasionally, your Chromebook gets stuck in this mode. This guide discusses what tablet mode is and how to turn it off when you need to.
What is a Chromebook?
To truly understand what a Chromebook is, it helps to take a closer look at everything a Chromebook can (and can’t) do
What is tablet mode on a Chromebook?
Tablet mode is a mode on Chromebooks that creates a touch-friendly interface. Instead of the typical desktop layout, all your apps are shown in a scrollable list with large app icons. Several touch gestures are also available, from swapping apps to changing desktops. It’s also a great way tohandwrite textwhen needed. you may still do all the things you can when your Chromebook is in its normal state, just slightly differently.
How to deactivate tablet mode on a Chromebook
You can turn off tablet mode on your Chromebook in a few different ways. There isn’t an official software method to do so, but you can try a few tricks to fix the problem.
Plug in a peripheral into your Chromebook
The most straightforward way to get out of tablet mode is to plug in a peripheral. A peripheral is an accessory like amouseorkeyboardthat you can use on your device. Plug the wireless dongle or peripheral wire into your Chromebook, and it switches to desktop mode. Depending on your Chromebook’s ports, you may need adock or docking stationto plug in your peripheral.
Try using a keyboard shortcut
You may have forced tablet mode with an experimental shortcut feature via chrome://flags/#ash-debug-shortcuts, which enables the debugging keyboard shortcuts flag. Usingctrl-alt-shift-Twill force the Chromebook into tablet mode if it’s already in desktop mode. But usingctrl-alt-shift-Tagain will revert the change.
27 useful Chromebook keyboard shortcuts
Become a Chromebook power user with these handy keyboard shortcuts
Restart your Chromebook device
All devices have problems sometimes, and as the IT saying goes, have you tried turning it off and back on again? A quick restart can often solve strange software issues and could resolve this issue. To restart, either press and hold the integratedpower buttonor tap thetimein the lower-right corner and tap thepower buttonto restart. After restarting your device, the Chromebook may revert to desktop mode.
Reset your Chromebook hardware
You can restart your Chromebook, and you can restart its hardware, like the keyboard and trackpad. Your Chromebook might be stuck in tablet mode because it doesn’t sense the keyboard or trackpad of the device. If you have a regular or convertible Chromebook, press and hold therefresh(shaped like an arrow in a circle) button and tap thepowerbutton. When the device restarts, release therefreshbutton.
Alternatively, press and hold theback,refresh, andpowerbuttons for at least 10 seconds until the Chromebook restarts. If you have a dedicated Chromebook tablet, press and hold thepowerandvolume upbuttons until the device restarts.
Powerwash your Chromebook
If you’ve tried everything else and nothing has worked, it may be time to powerwash your Chromebook.Powerwashing a Chromebookmeans that you factory reset your device. Doing this causes you to lose all the files you downloaded, so it’s best to back up your Chromebook before doing so. To do so, tap thetimein the lower-right corner, tap thesettings gear, selectAdvanced>Reset settings, and tapReset. The device takes a moment to wipe all its data and then reset to factory settings.
Get back to desktop mode ASAP
Tablet mode is a valuable feature of Chromebooks, but sometimes, a desktop is better for completing your work. There are ways to revert to desktop mode if it becomes stuck in tablet mode. If you run into other issues with your device, theChromebook Diagnostics appis the go-to source for troubleshooting.
