12 Chromebook Tips And Tricks

Become a geeky power user in no time flat

Chromebooks are popular laptops for web browsing, but they are capable of so much more. Chrome OS supports most Android apps and features a full LinuxVirtual Machinealongside its standard features.

With just a few small tweaks, you’ll get much more from your Chromebook. These 12 tricks and tips should help get you started.

Learn The Keyboard Shortcuts

Chrome OS sharesmany keyboard shortcuts with Windowsand macOS and adds a few completely new ones. Mastering these shortcuts will make your life easier, and help you navigate your Chromebook faster.

For a handy reference to all of the shortcut keys available, press and holdCtrl + Altand press/(forward slash).

Make Better Use Of Screen Space

The ability to quickly split the screen between two different programs was traditionally a feature of Window Managers on Linux systems. Most operating systems offer window splitting and tiling, and Chrome OS is no different.

To bind a window to half the screen, holdAltand press the[key to bind to the left, and the]key to bind it to the right. Where possible, the split point will be in the middle giving you a good view of both screens.

Need to see something full size for a moment? HoldingAltfollowed by=will maximize the focused window. When you are done, hitAlt + =to return it to its side.

Use Virtual Desks

Virtual desks are like extra monitors, each with their own layout. They allow you to separate out different screens for different tasks and cut down on cluttered, overcrowded digital workspaces.

To create a new desk, press theShow windowskey (it looks like a rectangle with two lines to its right). Click the+ New Deskbutton, and a new desk will be created at the top of your screen. Drag which windows you’d like to put on the new desk, and press the Show windows key again to exit.

Now, when you hold theSearchbutton and press], you’ll move to your new virtual desk. You can move back by holdingSearchand pressing the[key.

Phone Unlock

Since Chromebooks are tied to a Google account, you need to enter your Google password at login and when the screen is locked. You can avoid this with another useful Chromebook trick by usingAndroid Smart Lockto unlock your Chromebook via Bluetooth whenever it’s nearby.

If you didn’t set up your phone when you created your Chromebook account, head toSettings > Connected Devicesand clickSet Up. Once your phone is connected, select your device, followed bySmart Lockto enable the feature.

Turn Web Pages Into Chrome Apps

One of the major frustrations with Chrome OS is poor support for someAndroid apps. Discord, Slack, Facebook, and WhatsApp all have issues, making them harder to use than their smartphone counterparts.

Applicationize Mesolves this problem by allowing you to turn any web app into a Chrome App. After using the ‘Applicationizer,’ you can pin apps to the shelf and they will open in a new window when selected.

Change Downloads to Google Drive

While you can keep files locally on a Chromebook, it isn’t advised. The operating system is designed to free up space whenever the internal drive is almost full and will delete old files. If you need to Powerwash your Chromebook to return it to the factory settings you will also lose your data.

A far safer way is to set your Chromebook’s download folder to your Google Drive, so you always have a copy of your work in the cloud. To activate this setting, open the Chrome browser, click the three dots in the top right corner, and selectSettings.

On the left pane, selectAdvanced > Downloads, and under the section labeledLocation, clickChange. Choose yourGoogle Drivefolder as the default download location.

Use Dropbox/OneDrive Instead

If you prefer to useDropboxorOneDriveover Google Drive, a useful Chromebook tip is that you can add them to the Chromebook Files menu. Open theFilesapp, click on the three-dot menu in the top right of the window, and selectAdd New Service > Install New Service.

You’ll find both Dropbox and OneDrive on the list. Once installed, they’ll show as drives in theFilesapp’s left pane. You can combine this Chromebook tip with the previous one to have your Chromebook datasync to your preferred cloud platform.

Use Linux Features

To use the Linux Virtual Machine within Chrome OS, openSettings > Linux(beta). After selectingTurn Onyou’ll be prompted to follow a few steps. This can take a few minutes, but once it’s done you can open theTerminalby opening the Linux app in the application draw.

Get Linux App Store

Chrome OS supports a variety of Linux apps, which you can install from the Terminal. For a more convenient way of finding and installing software, use theGnomeSoftware Center.

Open theLinuxapp and enter the following:

Once installed, you’ll need to enter the following commands:

When they finish, reboot your Chromebook, and you’ll find the Gnome Software Center in your application drawer.

Share your files with Linux

When you runLinuxinside Chrome OS, the filesystems are separated by default. This can be overridden for files and folders you wish to share with Linux.

To enable file sharing, open theFilesapp, and navigate to the file or folder you wish to share with Linux. Right-click the file and selectShare with Linux.Now you can open a LinuxTerminaland type/mnt/chromeosto access the shared files.

Sync Your Linux Files with Google Drive

Backing up Linux fileson a Chromebook takes more steps than on Chrome OS, but it’s possible. Both Rclone and Drive are command-line tools for synchronizing data with Google Drive. Once set up, you can choose how frequently your files are backed up, and which files and folders to ignore.

Install VS Code

Linux’s addition to Chrome OS turned Chromebooks into convenient development machines for web development and general programming. A good code editor is essential, but until recently, there weren’t many options.

Headmeltedprovides community builds of Visual Studio Code targeting almost every platform, including Chromebooks.

Chromebook: Upgraded

These Chromebook tips and tricks will take you from a casual Chromebook user to a Chrome OS and Linuxdual-operating systempower user.

Don’t be scared to experiment to get the perfect setup for you, and remember that if everything goes wrong, you can always Powerwash your Chromebook and start again!

Ian is a British technology writer, maker, and musician living in Berlin, Germany. Obsessed with getting “under the hood” of everything he comes into contact with, you can find him scouring the internet for new and exciting ways to make our lives easier – and more enjoyable – with technology.Read Ian’s Full Bio

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