Chromebooks are underrated. Google’s Chrome OS has grown immensely over the previous few years, and it’ll solely get higher every year. Whereas there are many new options coming to the OS in future updates, the OS is already fairly polished and does loads of issues that Home windows and macOS can. In the event you personal a Chromebook, I adopted these 11 ideas and tips to get essentially the most out of it, which you’ll too!
One of many Chromebook’s use instances might be in case you already personal a strong PC at house and need a transportable machine for leisure and getting a number of duties finished. Chromebooks are extremely well-suited for energy customers in addition to those that love looking the net, watching movies, and dealing with workplace functions like Sheets and Docs. For instance, chances are you’ll be engaged on a doc however discover the general workflow to be sluggish. You should utilize the keyboard shortcuts to shortly navigate to different elements of your Chromebook.
Why give attention to productiveness?
Once I received my first Chromebook, coming from Linux and Home windows, I used to be fairly shocked by how polished the expertise felt. Nonetheless, the one factor that bugged me was that my productiveness dropped considerably on Chrome OS in comparison with Home windows and Linux.
A part of the explanation was that loads of issues are finished in another way on Chrome OS. Therefore, we’ve created quite a few guides, and how-tos targeted on how to use Chromebooks and their features. After following these 11 ideas, I used to be in a position to virtually double my productiveness.
Attempt these 11 Suggestions & Tips and get essentially the most out of your Chromebook
However why do you have to allow them? Whereas a few of these options add extra performance to Chrome OS, they’ll make you spend time in your machine doing productive issues.
1. Customise it
Wish to get extra productive proper after unboxing your new, shiny Chromebook? Begin customizing to make it really feel like house. Chrome OS has many customization choices, which we’ve already coated in this article.
Lengthy story quick, you possibly can add or take away apps from the shell, change the orientation, change the wallpaper and the system-wide theme, and plenty of different issues. Talking of customization to get extra productive, one of many different finest Chromebook tricks to get extra productive is by enabling Google Assistant.
2. Activate the Google Assistant
Do you know that Chrome OS comes with Google Assistant? For starters, Google Assistant is without doubt one of the finest voice assistants on the planet proper now, and it’ll make your life simpler. The icing on the cake is that many GA features on Chrome OS sync up completely along with your Android gadget, like establishing reminders, conferences, and so on.
Assistant is out there on most Google gadgets. Like Apple’s ecosystem, Google has additionally created a compelling ecosystem that’s nonetheless increasing. Utilizing the ecosystem options could make you extra productive, and right here’s find out how to use it.
3. Use the ecosystem benefit
Talking of sync, your Android gadget can connect with a Chromebook, permitting you to do many issues. Whereas the Google ecosystem is much from excellent, it does convey a number of options that ought to enhance your general productiveness.
On the subject of productiveness, Smartphones are one of many main culprits. Enabling Telephone Hub ought to enable you maintain your cellphone linked at a distance whereas nonetheless being notified. Right here’s what you are able to do by connecting your Android gadget to a Chromebook.
- Sync chats and obtain cellphone notifications
- Share information utilizing Nearby Share.
- Unlock Chromebook along with your cellphone utilizing Smartlock.
- Teather your cellphone’s community to Chromebook utilizing a non-public connection.
In one of many current developer conferences, Google stated that the function the place on copying textual content in your Android gadget, the identical can be despatched to your Chromebook clipboard. Search + V is the keyboard shortcut to entry the keyboard.
Talking of keyboard shortcuts, they let you shortly change between app home windows and get work finished. Chrome OS comes with loads of keyboard shortcuts, and right here’s find out how to use them.
4. Use the keyboard shortcuts
The easiest way to shortly navigate by means of the OS is through the use of keyboard shortcuts. Each OS has its personal set of keyboard shortcuts, and Chrome OS isn’t any completely different. To look in any respect the accessible keyboard shortcuts, use the important thing mixture Ctrl + Alt + ?.
The easiest way to memorize keyboard shortcuts is to make use of them regardless that you don’t really feel comfy, and it slows you down. When you get used to the shortcuts, your productiveness will skyrocket.
As soon as, I arrange a manufacturing server utilizing Chrome OS, and Git pushed the fallacious code. Nonetheless, because of maneuvering shortly with shortcuts, I might cancel the push operation earlier than it went by means of.
Keyboard shortcuts are good, however touchpad shortcuts are even nicer. They make switching between app home windows really feel a lot smoother and might enhance your productiveness by a big margin. Listed below are Chromebook ideas for utilizing them
5. Trackpad gestures are your finest buddy
Gestures are one of the vital underrated options in an working system. Many individuals use gestures and get uninterested in them quickly or neglect them. Nonetheless, I really feel like they’re an incredible deal as a result of they make navigating between home windows and workplaces on Chrome OS a lot smoother and faster.
One of many nice issues about Chromebooks is that the gestures work in Chrome tabs and let you change between tabs utilizing easy swipes simply.
Touchpad gestures and keyboard shortcuts remind me of Pop!_OS. It’s a Linux distribution with a number of keyboard shortcuts and nice touchpad shortcuts that made it to our best Linux distros list. Talking of Linux, do you know that you would be able to allow Linux in your Chromebook? Right here’s how.
6. Allow Linux
Belief us. You’re not taking full benefit of a Chromebook until you enable Linux. Though Google has added Android app assist through Google Play Retailer, Chrome OS continues to be missing relating to app availability. Nonetheless, the most effective issues about Linux in Chrome OS is that it lets you set up desktop apps from sources like Flatpak and even Apt, because of the Debian container.
For instance, the one strategy to run Firefox on Chrome OS with out enabling Linux can be by putting in the Android app. Nonetheless, the Android app of the identical could be very completely different from its desktop counterpart. Therefore chances are you’ll need to set up the Firefox desktop app. For that, you’ll must allow Linux, set up Flathub, and set up Firefox. A complete tutorial of the identical might be found here.
Bear in mind the ecosystem factors that we talked about? One of many apps that combine completely between Android and Chrome OS is Google Drive.
7. Use Google Drive within the information app
Chrome OS integrates Google Drive in its information app. In case your job includes juggling information on the cloud, particularly on Google Drive, the Google Drive integrations might be of nice assist. For instance, if in case you have a file in your cellphone that you simply need to ship to your Chromebook, you possibly can both share it utilizing Close by Share or add it to Google Drive through the Android app. You’ll be able to then go to Information > Drive and entry the file you uploaded out of your smartphone.
Google permits solely 15 GB of free storage per account, which might be sufficient for normal customers. Nonetheless, in case you’re a hardcore Google’s workplace suite and Pictures person, you’ll quickly discover the 15 GB storage measly. In the event you don’t need to purchase the Google One subscription, storing your photographs on an SD card is all the time an choice.
8. Add an SD card to the combo
Working out of storage isn’t a very good feeling. Though trendy Chromebooks include high-capacity SSDs, in case you’re utilizing a finances Chromebook with 32GB or 64GB storage, chances are high, it’ll refill in a blink of an eye fixed. Nonetheless, most Chromebooks additionally include SD card slots to develop the storage.
Due to the rising semiconductor trade and flash storage turning into extra prevalent, SD playing cards have turn into extremely low cost. You will get an incredible SD card for very low cost. Though, we wouldn’t recommend you go bonkers over shopping for a better capability SD card.
9. Don’t shut down. Simply shut the lid
Probably the greatest issues about Chrome OS is that it’s light-weight, runs on fewer assets, and consumes much less battery. A typical Home windows machine, when not shut down, should eat loads of battery even when put to sleep. Therefore, many individuals find yourself shutting down their laptops to save lots of energy. Nonetheless, because of Chrome OS being extra of an “All the time linked gadget,” you possibly can all the time shut off the lid and never lose a lot energy till you activate the machine subsequent time.
Chrome OS’s candy optimization and quick sleep restoration make Chromebooks among the best gadgets to work with. No extra closing and reopening apps every time you shut your laptop’s lid.
10. Use Chrome Flags
In the event you’re a Chrome person, you might have heard in regards to the time period “Chrome Flags.” For laypeople, Google ships experimental options with every Google Chrome construct for the builders or the knowledgable to check out among the proposed, upcoming options. The identical applies to Chrome OS. The Chrome browser on Chromebooks homes a number of flags you possibly can tinker with and get new options earlier than they’re launched.
Nonetheless, allow us to warn you that the majority Chrome Flags are unstable and should typically even break your Chromebook. Therefore, we wouldn’t advocate you mess with it until you realize what you’re doing.
11. Get a mouse and a keyboard
We are able to all agree that trackpads suck. We find yourself losing loads of time through the use of them, and they are often annoying at occasions. Now, the trackpad of our Spin 713 might be unhealthy, however the resolution to make use of a trackpad is fairly subjective. As a PC person, I despise it. Therefore, shopping for a Bluetooth keyboard and a mouse is a good concept. I’m positive this alone will up your productiveness by important notches.
Closing ideas: Find out how to be a greater Chrome OS person
These are among the issues you are able to do to enhance your productiveness on a Chromebook. Some issues from the listing that labored wonders for me and elevated my productiveness had been getting a mouse and keyboard, enabling Linux, keyboard shortcuts, and pairing my Android gadget to the Chromebook.
What are your ideas about this? Are there another methods you managed to get work finished sooner on a Chromebook? Tell us within the remark part beneath. When you’ve got a buddy who not too long ago bought a brand new Chromebook, share this text with them.
