A new feature in Chrome could increase laptop battery power — potentially solving one of the biggest problems with using Google‘s web browser on mobile.
According to the About Chromebook website, there’s a new flag in Chrome OS 105 that prevents JavaScript from running in the background on websites you’ve opened in a tab but aren’t viewing.
This expands on a feature added in Chrome OS 88 that sets a five-minute timer to prevent scripts from running immediately. The thinking at the time was that these scripts would be CPU-intensive, and the more the laptop’s processor was used, the faster the battery drained.
If you have a lot of tabs open that are running JavaScript, this can have a big impact on your laptop’s battery life.
Analysis: what this means for you
It appears to have been successful since the “fast intensive timer limit for loading background pages” feature was added in Chrome OS 88, leading Google to consider reducing the “conservative” grace period of five minutes to a few seconds.
In a post on the Chrome Platform Status page, it was reported, “This is expected to improve battery life. An experiment on the Canary and Dev channels did not show any regression to our guidance metrics, and when all tabs are hidden There was a [sic] significant improvement in CPU time (~10%) when silent and silent.”
As a hallmark of Chrome OS, this feature is expected to primarily benefit Chromebooks running the operating system. It’s based on the Chrome browser and uses multiple tabs, so we’d expect Chromebooks to have better battery life.
But does that mean non-Chromebook users are out of luck? Not necessarily, as we imagine this feature is also coming to the Chrome web browser, so if you’re using it on a regular laptop, you can also expect to see your device last longer on battery – and it’s all free.
This is still an experimental feature at the moment, so it’s not enabled by default, but you can turn it on by going to chrome://flags and finding it there. Hopefully after a while of testing to make sure it doesn’t cause any issues, it will be added to Chrome OS and Chrome in the near future.
When you stream Netflix on your Chromebook, you can easily listen to music or get better sound through headphones. But if you don’t like being tangled in wires, Bluetooth earbuds like Apple’s AirPods are a great option. Here, we’ll show you the steps you need to follow to connect your AirPods (or other Bluetooth headphones) to your Chromebook.
Can I use any bluetooth headset with my Chromebook?
Yes. If they use Bluetooth to connect to the device, they’ll happily use their Chromebook. However, some features may not work, especially if you have AirPods.
Controlling Siri, for example, is impossible because the Apple digital assistant resides on the iPhone and communicates with the AirPods, rather than “in” the earbuds themselves.
AirPods can be paired with multiple devices — thanks in part to iCloud — but they can only handle one active Bluetooth connection at a time. So make sure they are not connected to your iPhone (or Android phone) when trying to set them up on your Chromebook, as this can cause problems.
The easiest way to test this is to turn off the bluetooth on your phone while connecting them to your Chrome laptop by following the steps below.
How do I connect AirPods and other Bluetooth headphones to my Chromebook?
Connecting wireless earbuds to your Chromebook is easy. Here’s what you need to do:
1. Click the time displayed in the bottom right corner of your Chromebook.
2. In the menu that appears, click the Bluetooth icon to turn it on, then click the down arrow to open the Bluetooth settings.
3. Open the case on the AirPods or press the pairing button.
You should see the headset appear in the list of Bluetooth devices detected by your Chromebook. ChromeOS will then automatically connect the earbuds and you’ll see a message letting you know this has happened.
To disconnect your AirPods from your Chromebook, go back to the Bluetooth settings and click the settings “cog” icon in the upper-right corner of the window.
You’ll be taken to the main settings page and you’ll see the Bluetooth earbuds listed as connected. To the far right of its name, click the three dots and select Disconnect.
Taking screenshots on your computer is helpful for many things. From quickly showing someone a problem you’re solving, to getting ideas for your next big project, to helping a friend or family member by showing them how to do something. However, the actual screenshots taken vary by device, operating system, and operating system. This includes Chromebooks and Chrome OS.
The Snipping Tool on Chromebooks has historically been relatively basic, only available via keyboard shortcuts, and not particularly noticeable. In early 2021, though, Google introduced a screenshot tool that lets you take photos and video clips of your Chromebook’s screen. Here are two ways to launch the screen capture tool, let’s take a look!
To launch the Screenshot Toolbar, you need to press the three-key shortcut: Shift+Ctrl+Show Windows. The Show Windows key is on the top row of the keyboard, and its icon looks like a window with two windows behind it. Just press these three and the toolbar will pop up at the bottom of the screen.
Also, if you just want to quickly capture the entire screen, not a specific area or window, you can simply press Ctrl+Show Windows.
I’m having a hard time remembering shortcut keys, so I’ve been looking for another option. Luckily, Google added a shortcut button for taking screenshots in the Quick Settings panel so I didn’t have to think about what keys I needed. On Chrome’s bookshelf, click the time to bring up the quick settings menu. Just click or tap the screen capture and the toolbar will launch.
How to use the Snipping Toolbar
The Screen Capture toolbar not only allows you to take screenshots, it can also be used to capture screen recordings. On the far left of the toolbar is a toggle switch from stills to video. On the right side of the toggle, you can choose to take a full-screen screenshot, a partial screenshot with a specific area you define, or a screenshot of a specific window. These work for photos and videos. Additionally, clicking the settings gear on the toolbar lets you turn the microphone on or off while recording your screen, making it easy to add narration to your captures.
When you take a screenshot or record, it’s instantly accessible from the clipboard, which stores the last five things you saved to it. To see what’s available, just press the Everything button (aka the Search key) plus V.
Your Chromebook also has a storage spot on the shelf called the Tote. You can find the latest screenshots there. You can also pin files to Tote, which means you can always open an important screenshot without having to search for it.
Screenshots that are no longer saved on the clipboard can be found in your files. Just open the Files app on your Chromebook and you’ll find screenshots in the images folder and screen recordings in the videos folder.
I’m sure there’s still one thing you can’t use on Chromebooks: installing Windows or Mac software directly on them. That’s a big hurdle for people considering switching from a traditional Windows laptop or MacBook to a Chromebook. Especially if you want or need to use Microsoft Office, as the desktop version cannot be installed on Chromebooks.
Also, while Chromebooks have access to the Google Play Store and can run millions of Android apps, Chromebooks no longer support Android versions of Microsoft Office, Outlook, OneNote, and OneDrive. However, when Chromebooks stopped supporting Android apps, another option—and, in my opinion, a better one—replaced them. You can find Microsoft Office 365 PWAs including Outlook and OneDrive that work well on Chromebooks. Find and install them here so you can still use Office on your Chromebook.
Sign in to Office 365
Open a Chrome browser and go to Office.com, the landing page for Microsoft Office 365 Online. You can use any personal email you want for your account, and setting it up is a simple process: enter your email, set a password, verify your email, and prove you’re not a robot.
Install Office 365 PWAs
After you sign in to Office 365 in Chrome, the installation icon will appear in the upper right corner of the address bar. It looks like a computer monitor with a down arrow. Click on it and it will pop up a prompt to install Office 365. Also, if you only want one application, like Word or Outlook, the same installation options will appear in the address bar when you point your browser to a specific application. Installation is quick and takes only a few moments; a window opens that looks exactly like the online version of Office 365. It’s essentially a browser window, but with the functionality of the Microsoft Office mobile app.
ready to work
Because PWAs behave like installed software, you can do things like pin them to the taskbar, get notifications, work offline, and easily resize. The rest of the experience is the same as using the web version. Now, if you’re missing the look, feel, and tools of desktop software after using PWAs, you still can’t install them directly on your Chromebook. However, you have other options for running Windows software on your Chromebook.
Chromebooks work out of the box and have multiple layers of protection to keep your files and personal information safe and prevent malware and viruses from infecting them. From running individual websites and applications in the sandbox to containing threats to automatically encrypting important files on your Chromebook, you always have built-in defenses—no additional apps or subscription fees are required. In addition to the built-in security features, you can also enable some features to add some extra protection to you and your Chromebook. So whether you just bought a new Chromebook or spend some extra time using it this holiday season, you can take the following steps to keep you and your data safe. Here are five methods, let’s take a look!
Open your Google account 2FA
One of the advantages of Chrome OS and Chromebook is that Google can easily use your Google account to sync between devices. Sign in to any Chromebook with your account and personalize it in minutes, from bookmarks to apps to desktop wallpapers. This also means that strong and unique passwords are essential for strict security.
You should enable two-factor authentication (2FA), which is the second step to verify your login. Go to the “Security” section on the Google account page. Scroll down to the Signing in to Google box and click 2-step Verification. There, you can choose different methods to verify your identity, such as sending a text message to your phone, using Google’s authenticator app, or generating a backup code.
Keep Chrome up to date
Google will automatically send updates to your Chromebook and download them in the background without interrupting your work. However, you need to restart your Chromebook to install the update. When your Chromebook is ready to update, you will receive a pop-up notification of available updates, and you will see an arrow icon in the upper right corner of the browser toolbar. Choose Restart to update and you are done.
You can also check for updates yourself. Go to “Settings” and look for “About Chrome OS” at the bottom of the left panel. Under the Google Chrome OS heading, click the Check for Updates button. If an update is available, it will download and then you can choose to restart to install it immediately, or you can install it later.
Turn on guest mode
If you share your Chromebook with friends and acquaintances, you need to be familiar with guest mode. Not only can it prevent them from accessing your data and files, but it can also prevent them from messing up your settings. The visitor’s browsing history, cookies, bookmarks, and downloads will be deleted after you finish using your Chromebook and you exit guest mode and log in to your account again.
Guest mode should be enabled by default, but to make sure it is enabled, you can go to “Settings” and then in the “People” section, click “Manage others” and check if “Enable guest browsing” is turned on. To activate guest mode, log out of your account and click Browse as guest at the bottom of the screen. You can go a step further and enable restricting the login of the following users. This setting is also listed under Manage others and will only allow accounts that you have given permission to log in to your Chromebook.
Switch to sleep lock
It is set to lock when sleeping and ask for a password when waking up. Go to Settings and click “Screen Lock and Login” in the “People” section. Next, enter your password and turn on Show lock screen when waking up from sleep. If you don’t want to enter a long and complicated password every time you wake your Chromebook, choose a PIN or a password, then click the Set PIN button and choose a six-digit PIN instead of the password to unlock your Chromebook.
Add HTTPS Everywhere for everyone
Created by the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Tor Project, this Chrome extension will use the HTTPS version of the site when available. Many sites use unencrypted HTTP by default, and HTTPS Everywhere will request the HTTPS version. If using an extension destroys the site you are trying to visit, you can click its button to disable it. For those who are super security conscious, you can check a box to block all unencrypted sites.
