How to use a Chromebook: 10 must-know tips, tricks, and tools for beginners - walkercaphistry51
When Google first introduced Chromebooks in 2011, it seemed like a ridiculous estimate. A laptop that can only run a browser? World Health Organization wants that? But over time, vane apps slowly became more powerful and capable, patc Google steadily improved the Chrome OS experience. And then, Google went true advance and added the power to run Android apps, and still farther with Linux background apps.
Complete of this means the Chromebooks of 2019 and 2020 are nothing like that archetype see. Today, Chrome Atomic number 76 feels like a modern operating system that offers a fantabulous web web browser, the flexibility of mobile apps, and a desktop experience in one box. It seat satisfy the needs of almost every user, with the notable exception of those who postulate video operating room advanced image editing.
If you set your Chromebook ascending rectify, that is. Let's get that finished.
1. Get to know ChromeOS
IDG A Chromebook desktop with Chromium-plate OS 76.
Chrome OS has some basic similarities with other desktop systems. Sporty like Windows, Linux, and Operating system X, there's a desktop area that you toilet customize with your own background image. Simply unequal the desktop in other systems, you cannot place any files here. Information technology's only a visual space where you can arrange susceptible windows.
When you open an app it will open in a newly window if it's an Mechanical man app, desktop app, or WWW app that you've set-up to launch in its possess window. Otherwise, you're opening a tab in the main browser. Open windows give notice be resized or split to take ahead half the exhibit like in other systems, though some Linux desktop apps may non respond to these commands.
You'll probably notice right away that your keyboard has a search icon where the caps lock key should be. This research key is a means to lookup your devices, apps, and the web in nonpareil spot. It's also a way to see every app connected your system.
To begin, tap the key, and a Google Assistant box pops up at the seat of the screen with some of your recently utilized apps. Click the up-facing arrow above the search box to get a view of everything you take available.
Virtually apps leave appear here only as they would on an Mechanical man phone, but Linux apps are classified together.
IDG The Chromium-plate OS Files app in variation 76.
Unrivalled arrangement-critical Chromebook app is Files. This is the Chrome OS file manager that lets you access files ransomed on your system, view the table of contents of a ZIP folder, operating theater access items in Google Drive.
The last point of stake in our system tour is the lower-right recess of the taskbar-like Shelf, called the arrangement tray. (More happening the Ledge later.) The first thing you'll see to it is a belittled counter that tells you how many notifications you have. Click it, and you can view and clear your notifications.
IDG The system tray in Chrome OS 76.
Incoming thereto are a clock, Wi-Fi position, and A battery life indicant. Click this area, and a panel appears with radical system settings, including Wi-Fi, VPN, Bluetooth, Night Light, volume, riddle brightness, a shutdown button, and more
Selecting the cog picture therein section opens your Chromebook's settings windowpane. Here you can entree system settings for the touchpad, mouse, keyboard, showing, and onboard storage.
Finally, to approach your Chromebook's undertaking manager, click Search + Esc. This crosscut used to Be Shift + Esc, but Google is phasing it out.
2. Curing up your shelf
When you first open your Chromebook, you'll see several app icons posing at the bottom of the screen. This arena is called the Shelf, and it mimics the Windows taskbar. The Chrome Osmium Ledge shows which apps are gushing and provides an easy way to launch apps.
To make the Chromebook your own you'll want to summate your commonly used apps to the Shelf, and remove the ones you don't use. To do away with something, hover your mouse cursor over the app picture in question, tap the touchpad with 2 fingers (the equivalent of a right-click), and select Unpin from the linguistic context menu that appears.
IDG Adding a website to the shelf in Chrome OS.
The easiest way to add web apps is to agaze the site you wishing in the web browser. Adjacent, right-snap the web page tab—it looks like three semi-climbing dots—and select More tools > Create shortcut…. A small pop-up window appears asking you to confirm that you want to add the web app. If you need a desktop-like experience for the web app, check the box that says Open as window, then click Make over.
To rearrange apps on the ledge, click and drag them to the desired position.
3. Smartphone unlock
To open a Chromebook, you want to sign in with your Google describe password. That's easy enough, just if you have an Android phone this process can become tied easier. Your phone can automatically unlock your computer without a countersign via Bluetooth.
To curing this up, click the clock in the lower suited corner of your desktop and quality Settings. Incoming, in the left rail select Connected devices, then chiefly window click Set up in the Mechanical man earpiece segment.
A new window will pop-up book displaying your phone by brand surgery nickname. If you recently switched phones it may hold a couple of days for your Chromebook to recognize the new earphone. If everything is set click Live with &ere; continue, then enter your password and click Done. Finally, back in the Settings window, substantiate that the slider next to your phone is enabled. If non, touch of the slider and enter your password to confirm.
Now when your phone is near your Chromebook information technology should automatically unlock.
4. Alter Google Synchronize
IDG Resolve what you want to sync with Google's servers and turn on encryption.
One of Chrome's key features is the ability to sync your freshly opened tabs, browse history, bookmarks, extensions, passwords, and other items across multiple devices. This syncing works on any device that runs Chrome—including computers, smartphones, and tablets—equally hourlong As you're signed into your Google accounting.
Syncing's on by default with Chromebooks, but you can control which items are synced and which aren't. Go to Settings, and so in the left-handed rail select People > Sync.
The following sort shows all the various items that are synced. Turn off Sync everything at the top, and and so deactivate anything you don't want shared with other devices.
Next page: Useful controls, customizing your system, and more.
5. Know your keyboard and touchpad
We've already discussed the search describe, merely there are some another keys that you should get to know too. If you look at the top of the Chromebook keyboard where the affair keys would represent on a Windows PC, you'll see cutoff keys for actions much as adjusting the volume, new the browser yellow journalism, and switching between Windows. They'Re superhandy. Go over Google's help pages to watch what all of these keys do.
If you'd rather have these keys behave as standard function keys attend Settings > Device > Keyboard, and bout on Treat top-run-in keys as function keys. If you don't require a permanent switch, you can pull out these keys to become procedure keys on the fly by pressing Shift and your desired function key concurrently.
IDG Chromium-plate OS in snap mode.
There are also some basic touchpad gesture controls and keyboard shortcuts that all Chrome OS users should know. The first is the system's "snap" feature, which fits an open window to half the size of the display. To do it, select the window you wishing to rupture, then campaign Alt+]to move the window to the right, orElevation+[to the left.
Another important keyboard shortcut is Elevation + Tab. Just like on separate systems, this allows you to switch quickly among open windows.
Next is the touchpad. We've already discussed that a two-finger tap reveals the context menu. You can also navigate sassy and cacuminal through the history of a web browser tab key by swiping two fingers to the left or right. To scroll a page, move ii fingers either upward or downward, as with another systems.
To switch between tabs, swipe left surgery right with terzetto fingers. You can also tap the touchpad with three fingers to open a link in a new tab. At long last, to persuasion all open Windows on your desktop, swipe falling with three fingers.
6. Personalize your desktop background
This is an smooth one, but IT makes your desktop your own. Low, download the image you'd like to exercise, OR copy it to your Chromebook via USB. Once that's done, hydrant an open spot on the desktop with two fingers to display the context menu. Next, prime Set wallpaper, and a window will open where you can select whatever stock images that come with your Chromebook.
IDG Choosing a new paper in Chrome OS 76.
At the bottom of the left hand rail, click My images, and then choose from the available images. In a hardly a seconds, your new wallpaper leave come out. If it doesn't look quite a right, opt betwixt Rivet and Center Planted in the upper right area of the pour down-dormie window to aline it.
You can buoy also add a browser theme to change the gloss scheme of Chrome along your laptop. To get along this attend Settings > Appearance > Web browser themes, and click the connect icon (that square with an arrow) that testament take you to the themes section in the Chrome Web Put in.
7. Customize the Search Key out
In person, I like the explore key as-is, but if you'd sooner have Caps Lock functionality or set the key to dish up as a backspace, here's how to make it.
Open settings again, choose Device in the left rail, and then pick out Keyboard. On the next cover, you'll see a drop-down bill of fare next to Search. Click that menu, select the functionality you'd like the Explore key to have, click OK, and you'rhenium every set.
You lavatory also adjust the functionality of Ctrl, Alt, Escape, and Backspace key.
8. Enable offline functionality
Although society's shut down to being oversaturated with Wi-Fi, thither are still multiplication when an Internet connectedness only ISN't available. That's when you need apps that rear work offline. While Google's web apps are built to turn from the web, they still include some offline functionality to keep you going when your Internet calls it quits. Be aware that sanctioning offline use requires apps to download data directly to your local storage, and most Chromebooks pack precious little quad, indeed you may need to shuffle some things or so.
Third-party apps in the Chrome World Wide Web Salt away that ferment offline will advertise the feature. Pure Chromebook apps like Docs, Calendar, and Gmail need a little tweaking, and the style to enable offline mode varies from app to app.
To enable offline productivity in Google Drive you need to narrow the files you want offline. Open Google Drive in your Chromebook, select the three acid ikon, and from the drop cloth down menu spark off Available offline.
Google Calendar doesn't have an offline option, but you can download the Google Calendar Android app for that.
Finally, harsh Gmail on your Chromebook, and select the settings cog icon in the upper right nook. Blue-ribbon the Offline tab, and check the box tagged Enable offline chain mail.
A Google Keep app is built-in to your Chromebook and works offline mechanically, but if you've never old it happening your Chromebook you'll need to explicit information technology to allow your notes to download.
9. Manipulation Android Apps
IDG Google Work in Chrome OS 76.
All Chromebooks now come with the capacity to hunt Android apps from the Google Play Store, and galore experienced Chromebooks do, too. Adding Android apps to your Chromebook is American Samoa easy as adding an app to your smartphone or tablet. All you answer is open the Play Store, choose the app you deficiency, click Install, and you'rhenium done.
You may run crossways the odd Humanoid app that won't run on your Chromebook, but most apps bequeath run righteous fine, You can, for example, run Valve's Steam Link to stream games from your desktop to PC to a Chromebook.
10. Use Linux Apps
Chromebooks also come with the power to run Linux desktop apps. How this works for older devices depends on the processor, but entirely of the fashionable Chromebooks are supposed to go with the capability. With Linux app compatibility you tin consort many of your favorite apps, or find alternatives such as Libre Spot in place of Microsoft Good Book—though you can run the Android versions of Office if you prefer.
To activate Linux, fall into place happening Linux (Beta) in the lefthand rail of the Settings app. On the next screen, click the Turn on button at the top, then follow the instructions. Installation takes few proceedings, but once it's done you'll be able to rivulet Linux apps.
This boast isn't entirely user-intimate, as it's meant for developers. The go-to-meeting way to install Linux apps on your Chromebook is through and through the command line and the Innovative Computer software Tool (APT). You can also download and put in Debutante files directly, only APT is the easier elbow room to go because it can automatically handle dependencies (utilities your target application requires).
Here's a solid tutorial on how to utilisation APT.
BONUS: Get to know the Extras
IDG The Google Assistant running on Chrome Bone 76.
On the far side the basic functionality there are a bunch of nice supernumerary features that some users might enjoy. First, there's the Night Light, which can make up put to hinge on and off with sunset and sunrise. To activate this characteristic attend Settings > Displays > Night Light. Here you can work IT on, besides as schedule it to feed last to sunrise or with a custom time setting.
Google Assistant is likewise in stock on Chromebooks, for those times you wishing to do a quick web search or get the weather. The take in is that Assistant connected Chromebooks doesn't use the "OK Google" statement every bit it does on phones. To save battery power, "OK Google" works only when your Chromebook is plugged in. You could set it to Always on, just be warned it Crataegus laevigata enfeeble your battery faster than you'd like.
When "Very well Google" isn't working, you put up tap the microphone image in Google Assistant from the launcher. To get started with Assistant go off to Settings > Hunting and Assistant > Google Assistant.
Finally, if you care the idea of a Chromebook, but you don't want to be searching on Google away nonpayment, you rear change that. Attend Settings > Search and Assistant > Search engine used in the address bar to select options such as Yahoo, Bing, and DuckDuckGo.
Wrapping up
Those are the ten things (plus combined) we advise other Chromebook owners to drive care of to get the best experience on their laptop. If you ever run into a problem or need to know how to doh something, open the intrinsic Get Help app. This is a basic guide that can give you tips happening victimisation your Chromebook.
Finally, if you're looking for online tools to use happening your Chromebook, be sure to check up on PCWorld's guide to 12 powerful websites that tail end replace your PC software. The web's mighty potent these days.
Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/411999/how-to-use-a-chromebook-10-must-know-tips-tricks-and-tools-for-beginners.html
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