Chrome OS will soon be testing a frequently asked feature, the ability to display the current date and notification icons in the corner of the shelf.
Chromebook owners have been asking for years for the ability to indicate the date in the corner of the shelf next to the current time. In the Chromebook Help community, there are nearly 500 votes in a post in which the date is added.
Google seems to be finally listening to the feedback, because a flag coming soon on Chrome: // flags indicates that Chrome OS is getting the date on the shelf. Along with the date, the shelf will also be able to display ‘important’ notifications.
Enable scalable status area
Show important notification icons and date in the status area when the screen is big enough.
# enable-scalable-status-area
We were able to enable this updated shelf in Chrome OS Canary, and take a look at how the date will appear in the corner. Next to the number of notifications, WiFi strength indicator and battery indicator, you see the current date and time in an abbreviated way, like ’15 February, 1:10 ‘.
The date can only appear if you pin the Chrome OS shelf to the bottom of the screen, not left or right. It is uncertain for the time being whether this is a permanent limitation and whether it will be improved before the function leaves its testing phase.
As for the ‘important notification icons’, Chrome OS considers all notifications that are ‘critical’ important – like a low battery warning. Similarly, any notice that is ‘pinned’, which means that it cannot be rejected, is considered important. The best example of a fixed notification is the Chrome OS Caps Lock indicator.
If you want to be curious about the fact that your screen needs to be ‘large enough’, we’ve dug a little deeper into what that means. If your Chrome OS device has a screen between 800 and 1280 pixels wide, you will only get the important notification icons. Any larger than 1280 pixels wide, and your Chrome OS shelf also gets the date.
Google is working on this “Scalable Status Area” which has been adding to the Chrome OS shelf since January. With that in mind, Chrome OS 90, which would take place in April, would be the earliest that this enhancement could reach the shelf to try out via the above flag.
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