10 Chromebook productivity tricks to use if you're trying to be more efficient - CNET

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Google's ChromeOS is present much than a decennary old and a batch has changed. In the past mates of years, Google revved up what you tin bash with a Chromebook, dramatically improving oregon adding tools to assistance summation your productivity, whether you're moving oregon learning from home, school, the bureau oregon determination successful between. Android users get other benefits to marque it easier to leap betwixt a Chromebook and an Android phone, and connected Android you tin also share your Wi-Fi connection. 

New Chromebook users and veterans alike tin larn immoderate caller tricks to boost productivity successful Chrom OS. Read connected for 11 features that marque your beingness much businesslike connected a Chromebook.

Read more: Chromebook vs. Laptop: What Can and Can't I Do With a Chromebook?

Scan documents with the webcam

chromebook-scan-documents Josh Goldman/CNET

Your Chromebook's webcam tin beryllium utilized for scanning documents. Open up the Camera app and on with photograph and video options you'll spot Scan. Select it and you'll person the enactment to scan a papers oregon a QR code. For documents, conscionable enactment what you privation to scan successful beforehand of the webcam and your Chromebook volition find it and observe the document's edges. Tap oregon click the big, achromatic shutter merchandise connected the close broadside of the interface and it volition seizure your scan. If you similar what you got, you tin prevention it arsenic a JPEG oregon PDF. 

Admittedly, the results are amended with an outer webcam than the built-in camera unless you hap to person a Chromebook with front- and rear-facing cameras. But it inactive works OK with conscionable the webcam supra your Chromebook's show if you request to make a speedy PDF to email. Just marque definite you person plentifulness of airy truthful you tin seizure a crisp image.

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Edit PDFs with the Gallery app

Need to motion oregon signifier oregon amusement idiosyncratic wherever to motion a form? Google eliminated the request to people and scan PDF documents with editing features built into your Chromebook's Gallery app. The PDF exertion lets you capable retired and motion forms, item substance and adhd substance annotations.   

Pan, tilt and zoom your outer webcam

chromebook-ptz.png Screenshot by Josh Goldman/CNET

If you usage an outer webcam with pan, tilt and zoom enactment with your Chromebook, determination are controls successful the Camera app to fto you determination and zoom with the camera. With the outer camera connected to your Chromebook, unfastened the Camera app and prime your outer webcam utilizing the camera power icon astatine the little near of the interface. Just supra that icon is simply a diamond-shaped icon with a ellipse astatine its center. Click connected that icon and it'll unfastened a power sheet with zoom, cookware and tilt controls. What's truly convenient, though, is the camera settings you usage volition instrumentality erstwhile you permission the Camera app. That means you tin leap into a Google Meet chat and person the camera space acceptable up conscionable however you similar it.

Phone Hub

m89-01-control-your-android2x Google

Android users tin entree their phones from Chrome's Shelf. The hub lets you spot the past mates of tabs you viewed connected your phone, spot its artillery level and wireless transportation spot and get notifications from chat apps. It tin besides beryllium utilized to find your telephone by mounting disconnected its ringtone, and it tin soundlessness your telephone entirely. 

Wi-Fi Sync

Wi-Fi Sync lets you stock your web settings betwixt devices. This means if your telephone connects to a harmless Wi-Fi network, your telephone tin stock the web password with your Chromebook truthful you're acceptable to enactment erstwhile you assistance the lid. No much reentering passwords oregon having to hunt them down again to connect.

Screen Capture 

chrome-os-screen-capture Josh Goldman/CNET

Can't retrieve the key combo to instrumentality a screenshot? From the Quick Settings connected Chrome's Shelf, you tin prime Capture. The instrumentality not lone lets you instrumentality screenshots but tin beryllium utilized to seizure surface recordings arsenic well. The instrumentality tin seizure a window, a harvest of a circumstantial country of your surface oregon the full screen.

Also, if you privation to make a screencast to record, presumption and stock transcribed videos and presentations for a demo oregon how-to video oregon a virtual lesson, there's a Screencast app that's portion of ChromeOS. Just click connected the Launcher successful the little near country of your surface and hunt for it. 

Tote 

chrome-os-tote Josh Goldman/CNET

Google added a holding spot connected the Shelf called Tote. It's wherever you'll find your astir caller screenshots. But you're besides capable to spot downloads without having to motorboat the record browser. You tin pin files to Tote, too, which means you tin support an important papers readily disposable to unfastened without searching for it. 

Clipboard 

Alongside the Tote diagnostic is an enhanced Clipboard. It's present capable to store the past 5 things you saved to it. To presumption what's available, property the Everything button positive V. 

Desks 

chrome-os-desks Josh Goldman/CNET

Desks lets you make abstracted workspaces for antithetic projects you're moving on. Google added a right-click enactment to nonstop an unfastened model to a antithetic Desk than the 1 it's in, oregon each of your Desks if necessary. A four-finger swipe crossed your touchpad volition fto you power betwixt Desks, too. 

Also read: How to Turn connected Caps Lock connected a Chromebook

Quick Answers 

Need to person a measurement from imperial to metric oregon request the explanation of a connection you're reading? Just item immoderate it is and right-click connected it and you'll beryllium fixed a definition, conversion oregon translation on with your different options. This tin beryllium toggled connected and disconnected successful the settings paper nether Related Info. 

Also read: Best Chromebook 2023: 8 Options to Fit Any Budget

Nearby Share

Nearby Share is the Android version of Apple's AirDrop. It lets you and your contacts rapidly stock photos, files, links and much straight to different Android instrumentality oregon a Chromebook. Search the Settings connected your Chromebook for Nearby Share and you tin toggle the diagnostic connected and off. You'll person to crook connected Nearby Share connected the sending/receiving device, arsenic well.

To usage it, erstwhile you've turned it on, prime what you privation to nonstop from your device, pat the Share icon (it's the 1 with 3 dots with 1 dot joined to the different 2 by azygous lines) and Nearby Share should look arsenic an option. Tap Nearby Share and it volition hunt for disposable devices which should see your Chromebook. Select it, and you'll get a notification connected your Chromebook to judge oregon cull it. 

In the marketplace for a caller Chromebook? These are the best Chromebooks for 2023. Plus, here's how to reset your Chromebook to marque it tally similar new, and why that inexpensive Chromebook mightiness beryllium excessively bully to beryllium true.

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