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Just a week after Chrome 88 launched on the desktop and mobile platforms, Google is rolling out Chrome OS 88 to the Stable channel, the first major update for 2021. Like the old major milestone, the new software update improves Chrome OS with several new features and improvements to improve the user experience. Here are some of the things Google announced today that will be offered to qualifying devices.
Screen savers
After more than a year of development, Google is turning your Chromebook’s lock screen into a personalized smart screen. When enabled, the screen saver plays a slideshow that features your favorite Google Photos photo albums or hundreds of Chromecast backgrounds. The screen saver feature also offers a visible clock and weather widget, a label of the currently playing music, and a media controller so you can pause or skip songs without unlocking your Chromebook.
Smoother virtual offices
Virtual desktops are a powerful productivity tool that lets you organize multiple windows and desktops for better multitasking. In previous versions, switching from one workspace to another was awkward due to the rigid animations used during the transition. With Chrome OS 88, virtual desktops are faster and more responsive, letting you quickly switch to another workspace with trackpad gestures or keyboard shortcuts.
New “Camera” folder in the Files application
The Chrome OS Camera app has slowly improved over the past two versions, implementing changes like moving video recordings to a more recognizable file extension. In Chrome OS 88, the Camera app saves photos and videos in a dedicated Camera folder under My Files, making it easy to share them with friends and family.
Magnifier and ChromeVox improvements
Google’s accessibility team has worked hard to make Chrome OS more usable for everyone. The screen magnifier function, for example, magnifies the content on the screen to improve readability. In the new update, you will be able to use your keyboard to control the magnifying glass by pressing Ctrl + Alt and the arrow keys.
The Text app has received a small update to help the visually impaired. When set to reader mode, ChromeVox will announce the words written in the app.
WebAuthn using fingerprint and PIN code
Chrome can already auto-fill your passwords, but in Chrome OS 88 you’ll have the option to require a PIN or fingerprint before doing so. Also, you’ll be able to use your Chromebook as a second factor for authentication, so you won’t have to use your passkey or phone to verify your identity for 2FA anymore. To do this, Chrome OS uses the Web Authenticator API (WebAuthn), using established protocols to make signing easier and more secure. Google says your Chromebook PIN and fingerprint “are never shared with websites requesting verification of your Chromebook.” Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) will be supported in a future release.
Better autocorrect UI and touchpad gestures
AutoCorrect is a handy feature that lets you spend less time checking spelling and focus on the creative aspects of writing. Chrome OS’s AutoCorrect Failure feature gets a UI improvement in version 88 – there is now a visual indicator that AutoCorrect has been applied, as well as convenient ways to override it.
Touchpad gestures have also seen improvements in this release cycle. Unlike before, touchpad gestures will behave more consistently if your scrolling preference is set to inverted.
The features highlighted in Google’s official announcement only scratch the surface of what’s new in Chrome OS 88. I’ll dig even more into new experimental features, like the clear theme and native screen recording, in the next articles. Chrome OS 88 may take a few days to reach your device, but overall it’s an exciting release and well worth the wait.
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