It’s hard to believe that Chrome has has been around for a decade, but tcelebrate it Chromebook’s 10th anniversary, Google is launching a number of new features to improve productivity, connectivity and more.
Similar to how Handoff works on macOS, Google is modernizing the synergy between Chromebooks and Android phones with the new Hub phone. With Phone Hub, you’ll be able to pair your Android phone with a Chromebook to create a new window with more shortcuts at your fingertips that allow you to control your phone remotely. This means that you will be able to do things such as turn on the hotspot, turn down the phone ringer, or turn on the phone’s location feature without having to get up.
Moreover, you will also be able to reply to messages in the Phone Hub, check Battery life and cell phone signal, and open the last two Chrome tabs you’re looking at on your phone, allowing you to more easily pick up where you left off when switching between devices.
Google has also updated its Wi-Fi sync feature so that Chromebooks can connect automatically in the the Wi-Fi networks you’ve previously connected to on your Android phone or other Chrome OS devices. And sometime in the next few months, Google will also bring Sharing nearby function 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 things done a little faster, Google has added a new screenshot tool to the Quick Settings menu of the Chrome operating system, which can take screenshots or screen recordings simply by selecting content on screen. TThe Quick Settings menu now has built-in media controls even to make it easier to access screenshots and fixed files, Google has created the new Tote space, which is available from the Chrome operating system shelf.
Even the Chrome OS Clipboard gets a boost, as it can now save the last five items you copied, which can be easily viewed by pressing the Everything + V button.
The office function has also got a refurbishment that allows you to rearrange tabs and windows in different workspaces to help keep information for different projects better sorted, and now there are a new Quick Responses section to any right-click in the browser that will provide short definitions or unit conversions.
For parents trying to better manage their children’s devices, Google has also resumed Family Link so it is easier for them to manage permissions and personal ones 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 required to share content and added new controls to Select to speak feature that allows users to slow down, speed up or pause text-to-speech playback.
In addition to Nearby Sharing, most of the new Chromebook features should start today, so if you don’t already have them, come back soon for updates.