Chromebook update just stole the best MacBook features — here’s what’s new

Chromebook update just stole the best MacBook features — hither's what's new

Chrome OS M89 just stole some of the best MacBook features — here's what's new

(Image credit: Future)

Chrome Os M89 is a huge step forward in the history of the Chromebook, calculation a ton of features that make information technology more competitive with Macs and PCs. These are primarily productivity-focused features, to brand it easier to get work washed and move seamlessly between your assignments.

The biggest new Chrome Bone M89 features are Nearby Share and Telephone Hub. The former is for fast and secure file transfer (recall AirDrop for Android) and the latter is exactly what it sounds like: improved integration between Android and Chrome OS.

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Chrome OS M89 is coming this month (March 2021) to Chromebooks. Here'southward everything that's new.

Chrome OS M89: Phone Hub

In the Phone Hub, you lot'll be able to bank check your connected Android phone'due south battery life, cellular connection quality and more. Quick actions bachelor to users include enabling hotspot mode, silencing your telephone and sending a ringtone to information technology to help you lot observe it.

Lastly in the Phone Hub, you'll run into your concluding two Chrome tabs on your devices. That way you can easily open pages you were reading on your phone. It's better than, and similar to, Apple'southward Continuity that allows you to open the active folio on your open Apple devices.

The Phone Hub besides allows you to view and respond to notifications from select apps. That way yous can reply to Signal text letters, and other alerts.

Tired of sending yourself email to get stuff from your telephone. Nearby Share (coming "in the coming months,") delivers faster and secure file transfer between Android and Chrome OS.

Available online or offline, yous accept easy sharing of text, files and images between phones and Chromebooks. Personal privacy and visibility settings requite you lot control over who can encounter you.

This may be a better version of Apple'southward AirDrop, which has that annoying problem of beingness too visible in public, as many get unasked for and impolite photos and messages sent to them in public.

Chrome OS M89: Wi-Fi Sync

Chrome OS M89: Nearby Share — (Prototype credit: Google)

Nosotros're all tired of tapping in passwords, and Chrome Bone volition make it easier to avoid this. Now, your Wi-Fi network creds volition sync across your ain Chromebooks and Android phones. This fashion you're but connected and logged in.

On Apple devices, yous become a prompt to confirm if you want your network password shared to your other devices.

Chrome Bone M89: Productivity perks

The system tray in the bottom-right corner is about to become a lot better. There, you'll at present notice a Screen Capture push button, which immediately brings upwardly the power to capture an image or video of what's going on on your screen.

Your screen captures will go to your clipboard immediately, and that brings up another huge change to Chrome Os M89 as the Clipboard is getting supercharged. Now, your clipboard volition store the last five things y'all copied. Hit Launcher Central + V to bring up those five options.

Chrome OS M89 - clipboard — (Image credit: Google)

The screen captures yous accept will also appear in the Tote section, a dedicated space in the shelf for important files (just like the Dock in macOS). Y'all tin can pin files to the Tote as well.

Chrome OS M89 - Tote — (Epitome credit: Google)

Chrome OS is also upgrading Desks, the virtual desktops it introduced in 2020. Now you'll have upwards to viii Desks. This could be helpful for students managing what they're doing in dissimilar classes, and adults managing their piece of work and family lives in dissimilar Desks. Windows and desks are restored and retained later on restarts. You'll also exist able to "send" windows to desks by right-clicking a window and selecting the target desk.

Chrome OS M89 - Desks — (Image credit: Google)

Right-clicking on a term in a web page will show Quick Answers related to terms or other content. This way y'all can easily see definitions, translations and conversions of measurements.

Chrome OS M89 is likewise improving select to speak, with speed and pause settings for the accessibility feature.

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Henry is a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple tree, reviewing devices and services for the past six-plus years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's as well covered the wild globe of professional person wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.