Following last week’s desktop update, Chrome OS 88 launches today. There are a handful of improvements in usability in this version, which will be available in the coming days.
Chrome OS Screen Saver lets you turn your Chromebook’s lock screen into a personalized smart screen.
The great feature of Chrome OS 88 makes your idle device a very basic Smart Display. This “screensaver” can move through your Google Photos library, with the ability to select specific albums. Users can alternately select the “Galleries” or “Earth and Space”.
The time is shown on the bottom left, while the weather (condition and temperature) is shown on the right. Meanwhile, Google will take note of playing music in the top right corner. The bottom edge of the screen notifies you of the battery, Wi-Fi status and how many unread notifications you have. There is also the “Log Off” button.
We see the option directly on a Pixelbook version 88 under Chrome OS Settings> Personalization> Screensaver. It activates “when your screen is empty”, and Google calls it a way to “beautify your space with a personalized lock screen.”
On supported websites, WebAuthn allows you to use your Chromebook’s PIN or fingerprint instead of passwords. Your unlocking method on the device is never shared with the web service, but it can also be used for two-step verification to replace security keys and phones.
To get started, sign in to a supported website such as Dropbox, GitHub or Okta, and you will be asked to switch to WebAuthn for future sign-ups.
Other specific changes in Chrome OS 88 include:
- The Camera app now saves photos and videos in a new “Camera” folder in the My Files app. Previous shots will remain in Downloads.
- You can move between virtual desktops by double-tapping the + [ or + ] shortcut.
- Instead of having to visit drive.google.com/drive/settings, Docs, Sheets and Slides can be made available offline through the Files application.
- The auto-correction UI has been enhanced with better visual feedback when a correction has been made, while there is a new method of undoing.
- The Chrome OS magnifier can now be controlled with Ctrl + Alt and the arrow keys.
- Google has improved the consistency of touchpad gestures based on whether natural or inverted browsing is set.
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