Tag Archives: Chromebooks

Look closer and take better notes with your Chromebook

With the latest update to your Chromebook, we’re introducing a note-taking app, features that improve screen magnification and more. Whether you’re using your laptop for work or fun, these handy features will help you get things done your way.

Take better notes with Cursive

Say goodbye to taking notes with pen and paper. Last year, we launched Cursive on select devices and now we’re excited to roll it out to all Chromebooks that work with a stylus.

The Cursive app makes it easy to capture, edit and organize handwritten notes on your Chromebook. Beyond just handwriting, you can also sketch out drawings, or paste images within your notes. And you can keep related content together by sorting notes into custom notebooks for different projects. When it's time to share your idea with others, you can quickly copy and paste it into another app or send a PDF.

If you write a sentence that fits better on a different part of the page, that’s not a problem – easily move it by circling the content on the page and dragging it to wherever you like. Didn’t quite perfect your drawing the first time? Erase it by scribbling over it with your stylus. And if you need to add more notes to the top of the page, just draw a horizontal line and drag your content down to free up more space. Try doing that with a pen and piece of paper!

In the coming months we’ll also introduce features for more personalization, like more easily changing the thickness, style and color of the stylus stroke.

Cursive will be preinstalled on all eligible Chromebooks – just tap the Everything Button and search for the app – or you can download it by going to cursive.apps.chrome and tap “install” in the toolbar. Check out this list of most stylus-enabled Chromebooks and see if you can try out Cursive.

Animation of the Cursive app in action. A stylus circles then drags to move one word, then scribbles out another word to remove it.

The Cursive app makes taking and editing notes easy.

Improvements to magnification and panning

We zoomed in on your feedback and are rolling out magnification customization on Chromebooks. Currently, the docked magnifier feature creates a split screen: the bottom half is your standard screen, and the top half is the zoomed in version of your screen. This is especially helpful if you have a vision impairment and want to zoom in on just part of your screen.

With our new update, you can control the size of the magnified portion of the screen. You can make it larger if you want to see more zoomed in content, or smaller if you want to see more of the standard screen. You can adapt it to fit your preferences, or adjust based on the content you’re looking at.

Animation of a resizing the docked magnifier. The user grabs the bar at the bottom of the magnified area and drags it down so that a larger part of the screen is shown magnified.

Now you can resize the docked the magnifier so you can see just the part you want.

Recently, we also made updates to the panning experience. With continuous panning, when you move your cursor the rest of the screen will follow it. And if it’s more convenient, you can also use your keyboard to control panning by pressing ctrl + alt + arrow keys.

Alerts for USB-C cables with limited functionality

We’ve all been there before. You try to use a spare USB-C cable to connect a docking station or monitor to your laptop and it just doesn’t seem to work. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have a faulty cable. Many USB-C cables look identical, but function differently.

Now you can get your extra monitor up and running with less headache. Eligible Chromebooks will notify you if the USB-C cable you're using won’t support displays, or isn’t performing ideally for your laptop. You’ll also get a notification if the cable you’re using doesn’t support the high performance USB4/Thunderbolt 3 standards that your Chromebook does.

To kick things off, this feature is available on Chromebooks with 11th or 12th generation Intel Core CPUs with USB4 or Thunderbolt capability, with more devices to come. You can learn more about the best cables to use with your device in the support center.

A notification on a Chromebook says “Cable may not support displays. Your USB-C cable may not connect to displays properly.”

You’ll now get a notification if the USB-C cable you’re using doesn’t support your displays.

We hope you like using these new features as much as we do. We’ll be back soon with more updates.

Helping every student learn how they learn best

Editor’s note: Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day. We’re also sharing how we’re partnering with people with disabilitiesto build products and a newAndroid accessibility feature.

I often think about what Laura Allen, a Googler who leads our accessibility and disability inclusion work and is low vision, shared with me about her experience growing up using assistive technology in school. She said: “Technology should help children learn the way they need to learn, it shouldn’t be a thing that makes them feel different in the classroom.”

As someone who has spent years building technology at Google, I’ve thought a lot about how we can create the best possible experience for everyone. A big part of getting that right is building accessibility right into our products — which is especially important when it comes to technology that helps students learn. Ninety-five percent of students who have disabilities attend traditional schools, but the majority of those classrooms lack resources to support their needs. The need for accessible learning experiences only intensifies with the recent rise of blended learning environments.

  • Teacher working with a student on a Chromebook

    An educator works 1:1 with a student

  • A teacher sitting with a student with intellectual disabilities. The teacher's cane is leaning on the table nearby.

    An educator sits with a student working on a Chromebook.

  • One autistic student and one student with Downs Syndrome working together in classroom on a Chromebook

    Students in their special education class working together in their classroom

We want students to have the tools they need to express themselves and access information in a way that works best for them. Here are a few recent ways we’ve built accessibility features directly into our education tools.

  • You can now add alt-text in Gmail. This allows people to add context for an image, making it accessible for people using screen readers and helping them better understand exactly what is being shared.
  • We’ve improved our Google Docs experience with braille support. With comments and highlights in braille, students reading a Google Doc will now hear start and end indications for comments and highlights alongside the rest of the text. This change makes it easier for people using screen readers and refreshable braille displays to interact with comments in documents and identify text with background colors.

We added new features to dictation on Chrome OS. Now you canspeak into any text field on the Chromebook simply by clicking on the mic icon in the status area or pressing Search + d to dictate. The dictation feature can be helpful for students who have trouble writing — whether that's because of dysgraphia, having a motor disability or something else. You can also edit using just your voice. Simply say “new line” to move the cursor to another line, “help” to see the full list of commands, or “undo” to fix any typos or mistakes.

Accessibility in action

We see the helpfulness of these features when they’re in the hands of teachers and students. My team recently spoke with Tracey Green, a teacher of the Deaf and an Itinerant Educational Specialist from the Montreal Oral School for the Deaf (MOSD) in Quebec. Her job is to work with students with hearing loss who attend local schools.

She and Chris Webb, who is a teacher at John Rennie High School and also a Google for Education Certified Innovator and Trainer, have been using Google Classroom to support students throughout distance learning and those who have returned to the classroom. For example, they integrate YouTube videos with automatic captioning and rely on captions in Google Meet. Their efforts to improve access to information during school assemblies kicked off a school-wide, student-led accessibility initiative to raise awareness about hearing loss and related accessibility issues.

Benefiting everyone

One phenomenon that underscores how disability-first features benefit everyone is called the “Curb-cut Effect.” When curbs were flattened to allow access for people with disabilities, it also meant greater access for bikers, skateboarders, and people pushing strollers or shopping carts. Everyone benefitted. Similarly, accessibility improvements like these recent updates to our education tools mean a better experience for everyone.

We see this similar effect time and time again among our own products. Take Live Caption in the Chrome browser for example. Similar to Google Meet captions, Live Caption in Chrome captions any video and audio content on your browser, which can be especially helpful for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. It can also be helpful when people want to read content without noise so they don’t disrupt the people around them.

When we build accessible products, we build for everyone. It’s one of the things I love about working for Google — that we serve the world. There’s a lot of work ahead of us to make sure our products delight all people, with and without disabilities. I’m excited and humbled by technology’s potential to help get us closer to this future.

Stay up-to-date on the latest accessibility features from Google for Education.

Celebrating update 100 with new Chromebook features

Thanks to regular automatic updates, Chromebooks are always stepping up their game. Each Chrome OS update helps your laptop (and you) get things done faster, easier and more securely.

And you might have noticed we’ve had a lot of them. In fact, Chrome OS officially hit update 100 this week. In celebration of the big 1-0-0, we’re sharing a few announcements to improve Chromebooks for everyone — whether you’re using them to work, learn, manage a business or just kick back and relax.

Find more with the new Launcher

With a quick press of the Everything Button on your keyboard or the circle icon on the bottom left corner of your screen, Chromebook’s Launcher has made it easy to search for your apps and files — and even find answers online. And now, Launcher is getting an updated design and enhanced search functionality to help you more easily find what you’re looking for.

First, you’ll notice that Launcher will open on the side of your screen instead of from the bottom — leaving more space for any windows you have open. You’ll also be able to organize your apps by name or color, or manually arrange them in any order you like. And when you download a new app, it will follow the same organizational style.

Searching with Launcher is also getting easier. Looking for that celebrity name on the tip of your tongue? Before, Launcher would show you a short preview of your search result. Now, it will show even more information — so you can check the weather or find that celebrity name, all without leaving Launcher. You can also quickly search for Chromebook shortcuts, like how to take a screenshot or turn on caps lock.

GIF of new Launcher UI zooms in to show the Launcher activated on the left side of the screen, then scrolls through a grid of apps. User types “Steph Curry” and more information about the basketball star appears right in the interface.

Launcher now provides even more information when you search

If you work with a lot of Chrome browser tabs and windows open (no judgment), it can be difficult to find the exact one you’re looking for. Instead of sifting through your tabs for that crossword puzzle you started this morning, a quick search in the new Launcher will direct you to the right open tab.

Keep an eye out for the new Launcher, rolling out to all Chromebooks soon.

Discover your next Chromebook

Our partners HP, Lenovo, Acer and ASUS recently announced several powerful Chromebooks to help you make the most of Chrome OS now and in future updates. Check out a few of our favorites, available for purchase in the next few months:

  • HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook: Designed for a premium productivity experience, with features like a haptic trackpad, an integrated privacy screen, 5G and support for a wirelessly chargeable magnetic Stylus pen
  • Acer Chromebook Spin 513: The first Chromebook to feature the MediaTek Kompanio 1380 processor, bringing together power and efficiency with up to 10 hours of battery life
  • ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5: Made for productivity and entertainment with 12th Gen Intel Core processors, a 16-inch nano-edge display and Harmon-Kardon certified speakers
  • Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook: Built with productivity in mind and comes with powerful processors, a 1080p webcam and a stunning 14-inch 16:10 FHD display

Four Chromebooks are shown in a row on a white background. They are labeled, from left to right: Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook, HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook, Acer Chromebook Spin 513, ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5

Recently announced Chromebooks from Lenovo, HP, Acer and ASUS

Make edits with your voice

You might already use the Dictation feature, where you can dictate text anywhere you would normally type on your Chromebook — like in an email or on your browser. Now, you can also edit using your voice. Simply say “delete” to delete the last letter, or “move to next character” to adjust where your cursor is on the screen. Or, if you’re not sure what command to use, say “help” and your Chromebook will give you ideas. Once you’ve enabled “Dictation” in Settings, try it out by pressing the Everything Button + D.

A zoomed-in Chromebook screen shows the text “Hello! How are your.” The letter “R” is highlighted and an on-screen command indicates this letter is about to be deleted using voice dictation.

Use your voice to edit dictated text on Chromebooks

Create and share your own GIF

Instead of digging through the internet to find that perfect GIF, you can now make your own right in the Chromebook Camera app. Simply open the Camera app, select “Video” and flip the toggle to “GIF.” Record a five-second video and when you’re done, it will automatically convert to an animated GIF. Share it through email and other apps on your Chromebook, or send it to your Android phone using Nearby Share.

Grab a friend, or a pet, and make your own GIF on the Chromebook Camera app

Continue learning at home

Thanks to new Chromebook updates, students can easily review what they learned at school that day. With school accounts for Family Link, parents and guardians can add a Google for Education account for kids to access Google Classroom and other school resources on supervised Chromebooks at home. And with so many teachers sharing educational YouTube videos during class, parent supervision to YouTube is now available for Family Link users on Chromebooks. Plus, a new YouTube app for Chrome OS allows offline playback, so students can keep up with their lessons even without access to Wi-Fi at home or on long car rides and flights.

YouTube video describing how Family Link works with school Google accounts
10:25

See more device insights

We’re also making it easier for IT administrators to keep their organization’s devices running smoothly.

Within Google Admin console, we’ve added a new report for a quick look at which devices need attention. Meanwhile, the new Chrome Management Telemetry API provides more detailed information about device performance so you can create your own personalized report. This complements the existing Chrome Policy API, which allows IT admins to quickly apply policies across a fleet of devices.

Go cloud-first and reduce e-waste

Chrome OS Flex is a new, free-to-download operating system that brings the speed, simplicity, manageability and proactive security of Chrome OS to PCs and Macs. Built for businesses and schools, it allows you to modernize PCs and Macs with a cloud-first operating system and reduces e-waste by extending the lifespan of older devices. Since early access availability in February, we’ve verified more than 100 devices to work with Chrome OS Flex and brought it into beta. Try it out and share your feedback.

We’ll be back to share more Chromebooks and features to help you personalize your laptop and work even better across multiple devices. And of course, we look forward to bringing you the next 100 Chrome OS updates.

The Chromebook repair program: A sustainable fix for schools

Did you know that using a Chromebook can help reduce your carbon footprint? In fact, Chrome OS devices made by our manufacturing partners consume up to 46% less energy than comparable devices and are designed with sustainability in mind — from their durable shells to their scratch-resistant glass. And we’ve worked with these same partners to make Chromebook components interchangeable, reusable and safely disposable.

Graphic showing two stats: “Chrome OS devices consume up to 46% less energy than comparable devices” and “Switching 1,000 devices to Chrome OS can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90%.”

Sustainable features like these are particularly helpful to the education world, with 50 million students and teachers using Chromebooks made by our manufacturing partners. With such a large community of Chromebook users, we want to work with our partners to build towards a more sustainable device ecosystem — starting by helping schools find information about repairable devices. Today, we’re taking the first step by creating a Chromebook repair program for schools, beginning in the United States.

Animation showing tools , with text explaining the benefits of a student-led repair program — including faster and more cost-effective repairs.

Easily find repairable devices

Many Chromebooks have been repairable for years, with some repairs already covered under system warranties and managed by authorized service providers. But it’s been challenging for school IT administrators to find information about which devices they can repair. As part of the Chromebook repair program, we’re partnering with companies like Acer and Lenovo to spotlight more Chromebooks that are repairable. On our new site, schools can easily identify which Chromebooks have commonly repaired components, like the keyboard, display and palmrest. Online manufacturer guides will also show how to repair the devices, find tools to safely fix them, get replacement parts, find training and get system update access if needed. This is just the first step, and we’re looking forward to hearing feedback to help grow and improve the program.

Start your own school repair program

Some Chromebook manufacturers, like Acer, provide training for schools to perform their own repairs. So, many schools have already created Chromebook repair programs, working alongside teachers and IT teams to repair their devices (shout-out to some of our favorite names, like “Chromestop” and “Chrome Depot”). Some even offer Chromebook repair as an elective course. In-school programs like these are not only eco-friendly, they can significantly reduce turnaround time, save on costs and help students learn valuable skills.

"Acer designs its Chromebooks for the education market with both durability and ease-of-repair in mind,” says James Vick, Vice President, Customer Service, Acer Pan America. "On campus repair programs enable students to help their own school by conducting safe and rapid repairs of Chromebooks, while also teaching them a valuable transferable skill that can help them pursue a career in the IT field. Acer supports valuable programs that give students an opportunity for hands-on learning beyond traditional curriculum.”

We’re inspired by schools around the world that are creating their own Chromebook repair programs — like Jenks Public Schools in Oklahoma, whose in-school repair service led to faster turnaround time for Chromebook repairs and stronger IT skills in graduates. To help others get started, we’ve created a playbook for setting up a Chromebook repair program in your school, with input from IT administrators. Keep an eye on our page for more resources and sustainability-focused devices best suited for a repair program.

Looking for a sustainable way to reuse other devices? Schools can also revive and extend the lifespans of PCs and Macs by converting them to deliver a Chrome OS experience using CloudReady.

Acer designs its Chromebooks for the education market with both durability and ease-of-repair in mind. On campus repair programs enable students to help their own school by conducting safe and rapid repairs of Chromebooks. James Vick
Vice President, Customer Service, Acer Pan America
Three images of students at school with Chromebooks, repairing devices and participating in a Chromebook repair program

Students at Jenks Public Schools in Oklahoma run their own student-led repair program for Chromebooks

Educate the next generation

Preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s environmental challenges is also key to our commitment to sustainability. As we aim to run on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030, we’ll continue to share Google’s best practices with the education world. And we’ll keep developing sustainability courses in our Teacher Center and through programs like Science Buddies, Your Plan, Your Planet, Google Arts & Culture Expeditions, Experiments with Google and Google Earth Education.

The Chromebook repair program: A sustainable fix for schools

Did you know that using a Chromebook can help reduce your carbon footprint? In fact, Chrome OS devices made by our manufacturing partners consume up to 46% less energy than comparable devices and are designed with sustainability in mind — from their durable shells to their scratch-resistant glass. And we’ve worked with these same partners to make Chromebook components interchangeable, reusable and safely disposable.

Graphic showing two stats: “Chrome OS devices consume up to 46% less energy than comparable devices” and “Switching 1,000 devices to Chrome OS can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90%.”

Sustainable features like these are particularly helpful to the education world, with 50 million students and teachers using Chromebooks made by our manufacturing partners. With such a large community of Chromebook users, we want to work with our partners to build towards a more sustainable device ecosystem — starting by helping schools find information about repairable devices. Today, we’re taking the first step by creating a Chromebook repair program for schools, beginning in the United States.

Animation showing tools , with text explaining the benefits of a student-led repair program — including faster and more cost-effective repairs.

Easily find repairable devices

Many Chromebooks have been repairable for years, with some repairs already covered under system warranties and managed by authorized service providers. But it’s been challenging for school IT administrators to find information about which devices they can repair. As part of the Chromebook repair program, we’re partnering with companies like Acer and Lenovo to spotlight more Chromebooks that are repairable. On our new site, schools can easily identify which Chromebooks have commonly repaired components, like the keyboard, display and palmrest. Online manufacturer guides will also show how to repair the devices, find tools to safely fix them, get replacement parts, find training and get system update access if needed. This is just the first step, and we’re looking forward to hearing feedback to help grow and improve the program.

Start your own school repair program

Some Chromebook manufacturers, like Acer, provide training for schools to perform their own repairs. So, many schools have already created Chromebook repair programs, working alongside teachers and IT teams to repair their devices (shout-out to some of our favorite names, like “Chromestop” and “Chrome Depot”). Some even offer Chromebook repair as an elective course. In-school programs like these are not only eco-friendly, they can significantly reduce turnaround time, save on costs and help students learn valuable skills.

"Acer designs its Chromebooks for the education market with both durability and ease-of-repair in mind,” says James Vick, Vice President, Customer Service, Acer Pan America. "On campus repair programs enable students to help their own school by conducting safe and rapid repairs of Chromebooks, while also teaching them a valuable transferable skill that can help them pursue a career in the IT field. Acer supports valuable programs that give students an opportunity for hands-on learning beyond traditional curriculum.”

We’re inspired by schools around the world that are creating their own Chromebook repair programs — like Jenks Public Schools in Oklahoma, whose in-school repair service led to faster turnaround time for Chromebook repairs and stronger IT skills in graduates. To help others get started, we’ve created a playbook for setting up a Chromebook repair program in your school, with input from IT administrators. Keep an eye on our page for more resources and sustainability-focused devices best suited for a repair program.

Looking for a sustainable way to reuse other devices? Schools can also revive and extend the lifespans of PCs and Macs by converting them to deliver a Chrome OS experience using CloudReady.

Acer designs its Chromebooks for the education market with both durability and ease-of-repair in mind. On campus repair programs enable students to help their own school by conducting safe and rapid repairs of Chromebooks. James Vick
Vice President, Customer Service, Acer Pan America
Three images of students at school with Chromebooks, repairing devices and participating in a Chromebook repair program

Students at Jenks Public Schools in Oklahoma run their own student-led repair program for Chromebooks

Educate the next generation

Preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s environmental challenges is also key to our commitment to sustainability. As we aim to run on 24/7 carbon-free energy by 2030, we’ll continue to share Google’s best practices with the education world. And we’ll keep developing sustainability courses in our Teacher Center and through programs like Science Buddies, Your Plan, Your Planet, Google Arts & Culture Expeditions, Experiments with Google and Google Earth Education.

Supporting education with a new line of Chromebooks

Chromebooks play an important role in the classroom, helping 50 million students and teachers learn and collaborate from wherever they are. So as the education world adjusts to new changes, especially when it comes to virtual learning, our devices should too. Teachers need more powerful machines to help them plan and share lessons, manage student performance and teach both remotely and in person; IT teams need devices they can easily repair, repurpose and upgrade; and students need ones that keep their personal and school data safe, and can easily fit into a backpack.

So today, we’re introducing a new line of more secure and sustainable Chromebook devices — plus updated programs, resources and Chrome OS advances — built entirely for education.

Discover more device options

We know there are many types of Chromebooks out there, and it can be hard to find the right match. On our new Chromebook discovery page, you can easily search for device capabilities like graphic design and lesson planning. You can also find which Chromebooks have features like LTE connectivity, improved video conferencing and camera-based document scanning.

Gif of three enterprise grade Chromebooks rotating

New teacher-inspired Chromebooks — like the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook and Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook — have improved stylus capabilities, design and performance. And with the same OS as their students, teachers can easily help them troubleshoot and navigate the latest updates. New student devices — including the HP Fortis 14 G10 Chromebook, ASUS Chromebook Flip CR1, Dell Chromebook 3110 and Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go — also have greater durability and updated connectivity capabilities. And like all Chromebooks, each one has a cloud-based operating system that keeps apps and documents securely backed up, even if devices are damaged or lost.

With these new, more powerful devices, schools can continue helping students plan their futures. Read how the Chester Upland School District in Pennsylvania is using Chromebooks to deliver design software programs like Adobe to prepare their students for design and engineering jobs.

Repair, revive and future-proof your devices

The best way for schools to drive sustainability while cutting costs is by extending the life spans of their devices. We just announced the Chromebook repair program, where we’re working with partners like Acer and Lenovo to share more information about Chromebooks that schools can easily repair themselves with proper training. As part of the program, we’ve also introduced new resources and best practices like setting up a student-run IT shop.

Animation showing tools , with text explaining the benefits of a student-led repair program — including faster and more cost-effective repairs.

For more about these updates, visit the revamped Chrome Enterprise and Education Help Center. You can also register for our upcoming virtual event, Teach With Chrome Series, to hear from teachers and other educational leaders using Chromebooks in the classroom.

Supporting education with a new line of Chromebooks

Chromebooks play an important role in the classroom, helping 50 million students and teachers learn and collaborate from wherever they are. So as the education world adjusts to new changes, especially when it comes to virtual learning, our devices should too. Teachers need more powerful machines to help them plan and share lessons, manage student performance and teach both remotely and in person; IT teams need devices they can easily repair, repurpose and upgrade; and students need ones that keep their personal and school data safe, and can easily fit into a backpack.

So today, we’re introducing a new line of more secure and sustainable Chromebook devices — plus updated programs, resources and Chrome OS advances — built entirely for education.

Discover more device options

We know there are many types of Chromebooks out there, and it can be hard to find the right match. On our new Chromebook discovery page, you can easily search for device capabilities like graphic design and lesson planning. You can also find which Chromebooks have features like LTE connectivity, improved video conferencing and camera-based document scanning.

Gif of three enterprise grade Chromebooks rotating

New teacher-inspired Chromebooks — like the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook and Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook — have improved stylus capabilities, design and performance. And with the same OS as their students, teachers can easily help them troubleshoot and navigate the latest updates. New student devices — including the HP Fortis 14 G10 Chromebook, ASUS Chromebook Flip CR1, Dell Chromebook 3110 and Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Go — also have greater durability and updated connectivity capabilities. And like all Chromebooks, each one has a cloud-based operating system that keeps apps and documents securely backed up, even if devices are damaged or lost.

With these new, more powerful devices, schools can continue helping students plan their futures. Read how the Chester Upland School District in Pennsylvania is using Chromebooks to deliver design software programs like Adobe to prepare their students for design and engineering jobs.

Repair, revive and future-proof your devices

The best way for schools to drive sustainability while cutting costs is by extending the life spans of their devices. We just announced the Chromebook repair program, where we’re working with partners like Acer and Lenovo to share more information about Chromebooks that schools can easily repair themselves with proper training. As part of the program, we’ve also introduced new resources and best practices like setting up a student-run IT shop.

Animation showing tools , with text explaining the benefits of a student-led repair program — including faster and more cost-effective repairs.

For more about these updates, visit the revamped Chrome Enterprise and Education Help Center. You can also register for our upcoming virtual event, Teach With Chrome Series, to hear from teachers and other educational leaders using Chromebooks in the classroom.

CES 2022: Better together with Android and beyond

Editors note: Google planned to attend CES 2022 but pulled out due to concerns over COVID-19.

The average U.S. household had 25 connected devices in 2021, up from 11 in 2019. If you’re like me, you want to pick and choose the devices that work best for you regardless of brand. You also want to easily set up and move from one device to the next throughout your day, and without having to pull up the same song or task over and over again.

Android was built for everyone, everywhere and to give people more choice in devices, whether it’s based on the design, features or overall value. Over the years, we’ve evolved Android to support more devices in your life such as watches, tablets, TVs and even cars. And beyond Android, our work at Google includes laptops, headphones and speakers, smart home devices and much more.

That’s why we’re building on our efforts and introducing more simple and helpful ways to make your devices, from Android’s ecosystem and beyond, work better together.

Quickly set up and connect your new devices

It can be fun and exciting to get a new device — but that can turn into a headache when you start setting it up. We’re making this process a little less daunting with pairing support for more devices.

Fast Pair has already helped people connect their Android phones with Bluetooth accessories over 100 million times. It enables instant set up and device pairing, bringing up the companion app for installation and transferring your Google credentials. We’re continuing our work with partners to further extend Fast Pair’s functionality beyond audio connectivity with wearables, headphones, speakers and cars and extending it to TVs and smart home devices, so you can instantly start using all the devices in your life.

Starting in a few weeks, when you turn on your Fast Pair-enabled headphones, your Chromebook will automatically detect it and pair with it in a single click, letting you stay focused when studying or working wherever you are. If you get a new Chromebook later this year, you can use your Android phone to quickly set it up and get immediate access to all of the information you’ve already saved, like your Google login and your Wi-Fi password.

Log in credentials transferring from a side by side Android phone to a red Chromebook laptop.

In the coming months, you’ll be able to set up your headphones for when you need to watch quietly with your Google TV or Android TV OS device at home. And with built-in support for Matter on Android, you’ll be able to use Fast Pair to quickly connect new Matter-enabled smart home devices to your network, Google Home and other accompanying apps all in just a few taps.

A phone showing the process of connecting a smart bulb into the Google Home app with Fast Pair for Matter-enabled devices

Lock and unlock your devices

Today, you can already unlock your Chromebook with your Android phone to quickly get right to work. In the coming months, we’ll bring this feature to your paired Wear OS smartwatch so you can instantly unlock and access your Chromebook and Android phone or tablet when you’re close by.

A phone unlocks next to a watch face motioning through a passcode

And with a digital car key, you can now use your compatible Samsung or Pixel phone to lock, unlock and start your supported BMW vehicles from your phone. Starting later this year, on phones with Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology, you won’t even have to take your phone out to use it as a car key. You’ll also be able to securely and remotely share your car key with friends and family if they need to borrow your car. We’re working to bring digital car keys to more Android phones and vehicles later this year.

A phone over an outlined graphic of a car and an unlock motion

Complete tasks and share media across devices

To amplify your visual and audio experiences, your devices should instinctively know which of them you want to use and when. We’re building a technology for Bluetooth-enabled headphones that will enable them to automatically switch the audio to whatever device you’re listening to. So if you’re wearing headphones to watch a movie on your Android tablet and you receive a phone call, the movie will pause and the headphone audio will automatically switch to your Android phone and then switch back to the movie when you’re done. Spatial audio on your headsets will make you feel like you’re really there by adapting the sound based on your head movements, positioning the audio in the space all around you. These features will be available in the next few months on supported headphones.

A video of a movie with dancers playing on a tablet, with a phone on next to it receiving a phone call

We’re also making it easier to move and manage your content across any device. With Chromecast built-in, your Android phone already allows you to share videos to displays and TVs as well as audio content to select speakers from Nest and others. To help you cast music and podcasts you’re listening to from your Android phone to more of your speakers, we’re bringing Chromecast built-in to more brands, starting with all Bose smart speakers and soundbars in the next few months.

A phone above a Bose soundbar showing a cast connection

Whether you’re at home or on the go, we’re also adding features to Phone Hub on Chromebooks later this year that help you accomplish more across your devices. Today, you can use your Chromebook to view and respond to chat notifications, toggle Do Not Disturb, set off the ringtone to find your phone or continue browsing recent Chrome tabs. Later this year, if you’re working on your Chromebook and your Android phone is out of reach (such as charging in a different room), you’ll be able to stay in touch by accessing chat apps from your phone directly to your Chromebook –without needing to install them again on your Chromebook. We’re also excited to add Camera Roll to the Phone Hub, which makes access to your most recent photos and videos as easy as one click.

A phone receiving a text message, with the message appearing on a red laptop for responding

Today, you can already use your voice while driving to close the garage door, turn off the kitchen lights, turn down the thermostat and check if you locked the front door. You’ll soon be able to ask Google for help even before you leave the front door. With remote actions, you can use your voice to warm up and cool down your car, lock and unlock and get information (like how much battery you have left) on all Assistant-enabled devices. These capabilities are coming first to vehicles from Volvo Cars in the coming months, with more to follow.

Do more with Android and Windows PCs

For the first time with Android, we’re also focused on building for other platforms, like Windows, whether it's in gaming, productivity or other areas. For example, by connecting your Android phone to your Windows PC with Fast Pair, you’ll be able to quickly set up Bluetooth accessories, sync text messages and share files with Nearby Share. We’re working with Acer, HP and Intel to bring these experiences to select Windows PCs first later this year.

An HP Windows PC laptop next to a phone showing Nearby Share as a feature for sending files

These features will be rolling out throughout the year. Moving forward, you’ll continue to see us invest in more helpful ways for your devices to work better together.

Supporting digital education in Europe

The way we teach and learn has changed. We have all seen the world shift beneath our feet during the pandemic, as homes became classrooms and teachers found new ways to connect with their students while using technology in new ways.

While schools around the world are now moving back towards in-classroom learning, the importance of access to digital tools has been brought into focus, not only to support hybrid learning practices but also to ensure students are equipped with the tools and skills that set them up for success in building the future they want for themselves.

We’re excited to see that many EU member states, guided by the Digital Education Action Plan, have allocated a significant portion of Recovery and Resilience Facility funds towards national digital education transformation plans. However, large-scale projects in digital education sometimes struggle to deliver expected benefits or outcomes, and investments in digital equipment for schools are often under-utilized. To address this challenge and to support countries with their digital education transformation plans, Google is thrilled to announce the €15 million Google for Education EU Digital Support Fund.

Working with SMEs to support digital education

The Google for Digital Education Fund is designed to foster the development of a high-performing digital education ecosystem, including the provision of infrastructure, connectivity and digital equipment, enabling digitally competent and confident teachers, and training staff. The Fund is open to local SMEs who are supporting national education projects funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility program. They can apply for funding from Google for the duration of the program (or until the funds have been exhausted) to cover Google's digital equipment and software. In this way, the Fund will contribute to addressing key digital education priorities in the EU by stimulating local innovation ecosystems in education and training.

A picture of a teacher wearing a mask teaching children in a classroom who all have their laptops open

The fund can be used towards supporting teacher training to help them leverage the most out of devices in the classroom

What does that look like in practice?

We have already seen impactful ways this could work across the EU region. The Municipality of Plovdiv in Bulgaria exemplifies the type of digital education transformation program that the Google Digital Education Fund intends to support. The aim of the Municipality of Plovdiv’s program was to successfully implement a cloud platform in order to deliver on the “digitalization and modernization of the learning process” and elevate the digital skills of educators and learners in all 77 of the schools in the Municipality. This program was delivered over three years from 2017-2019 and was the first digital education program of its kind in Bulgaria. Plovdiv’s School in the Cloud program has become the benchmark for all of Bulgaria and has led to widespread use of the Google for Education platform, with more than 10,000 teachers trained (over 1,000 of them certified by Google), and thousands of Chromebook devices being used across the country in accordance with acceptable use policies established by the Ministry of Education in Bulgaria.

Looking to the future

Our goal is to provide the information, tools and services that help students build knowledge, fuel curiosity, and prepare for what’s next. We are proud and excited to support the European Digital Education Action Plan, and look forward to helping EU Member States deliver successful digital education transformation programs.

The Google for Education EU Digital Support Fund is available to qualifying SMEs that are supporting EU Member State national digital education transformation programs funded through the Recovery and Resilience Facility and related to the provisioning of Chromebooks (with the associated Chrome Education Upgrade license) and Google Workspace for Education. Click here to learn more and to apply.

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7 apps we couldn’t live without in 2021

As 2021 draws to a close, our Chromebook Apps team is taking the time to reflect on all the ways Chromebooks have helped us tackle another year of doing just about everything from home. This year, we’re starting a new tradition: sharing a few of the many apps we couldn’t live without, from our team to you.

Designing holiday cards

Pixlr. ‘Tis the season to create memories that bring smiles to friends and family. But capturing a photo of my family of five, including toddlers, is no small feat. Pixlr lets you edit photos and create great designs right in your browser. I combined a few photos into one to give the appearance of a calm and serene group, while giving the background a perfect blur. – Maria Lundahl Schmidt, Chrome OS Apps Partnerships

A card that reads “Happy Holidays” with four photos of children playing outside

Maria’s family holiday card created with Pixlr

Staying entertained with Cloud gaming

Stadia. Gaming played a crucial role in keeping me entertained (and sane!) in 2021. This year I have been all about cloud-gaming and Celeste is the first game that sold me. Latency was my main hesitation with cloud gaming, so I put it to the test with a pixel-perfect platformer. I had played Celeste locally, so I knew that any delay in responsiveness would render one of my favorite indie games unplayable. To my delight, I didn’t notice any lag when playing on Stadia. –Sam Richard, Chrome OS Developer Advocate

Nvidia GeForce NOW. And for those looking for a new game that can show off the graphical capabilities of cloud-gaming, be sure to check out Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy on NVIDIA GeForce NOW. RTX support means it can be played with beautifully ray traced graphics (available on Chromebooks that support 4K), turning your Chromebook into the ultimate high-fidelity gaming rig! – Greg Nemeth, Chrome OS Games Partnerships

Painting with my kids during shelter in place

Krita. Sheltering in place in a cabin outside of Sweden has given my family some extra time to embrace our creative side. Krita – which is in beta – has been an amazing tool for us, and we have been able to create a plethora of princesses, unicorns and cat-like creatures. Krita is designed primarily for digital painting and 2D animation; it is open source and completely free of charge. The name "Krita" is inspired by the Swedish words krita, meaning "crayon," and rita, which means "to draw," so it made perfect sense for us to use this wonderful tool for digital artists. – Maria Lundahl Schmidt, Chrome OS Apps Partnerships

Connecting virtually with family and friends

Rave. When my kids are asleep, I use Rave, a watch party app, with my friends to text and voice message while binging Netflix and watching YouTube videos together. We even hosted a few karaoke nights with our friends who live outside of California. It became the weekend highlight for us. – Sanj Nathwani, Chrome OS Product Manager

Zoom. Making sure my 2 and 4-year-olds and I can spend virtual time with our loved ones has been important for my family. Zoom’s new progressive web app (PWA) for Chromebooks makes it incredibly easy to join any call with a single click. It works in Chrome browser on any operating system — so I never need to worry about whether my friends or family will be able to access a group meeting. – James Wagner, Chrome OS Apps Program Manager

Unleashing my creative side

Sumo. One of my resolutions this year was to get into painting again. When I started using the web-based app Sumopaint, it was impossible to miss the other tools they have — like making music, 3D modeling, coding or editing photos and videos. My favorite part: how easy everything was to learn, and how you can share assets between apps in the suite through a common asset library. – Neel Kshetramade, Chrome OS Apps Program Manager

A colorful painting of Inara, her parents and her little brother

Painting by Neel’s daughter, created using Sumopaint

Hopefully you’ll have some down-time over the holidays. Some of the ways my team plans to spend that time is watching their favorite holiday movies — like Home Alone or The Nightmare Before Christmas on Disney+, or learning to code as a family with Piper Make, or making music with Cubasis 3’s custom Chromebooks app.

We hope you and your family enjoy these apps as much as we do. Give them a spin during the holidays. Be sure to check out the Perks page to find special offers on some great apps — created exclusively for Chromebooks.