ChromeOS users, discover how to utilize these hidden web browser window controls, and learn why you’ll want to utilize them.
ChromeOS offers a number of methods to efficiently position windows, which suggests for numerous functions you will not require to manually move or resize web browser windows or Android apps. The controls let you quickly make a window complete screen, half-screen, partial screen or float in front of other windows. While these controls work for all internet browser windows, not all Android apps resize smoothly. If you utilize Android apps, you’ll require to experiment to learn which ones you can position and size as desired.
The sections below cover various ways to control ChromeOS windows on your Chromebook, followed by typical usages for each setup.
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How to pick a window position on ChromeOS
Your Chromebook lets you manage internet browser or app positioning with a dedicated secret, a combination of secrets, drag-and-drop snap controls and a somewhat hidden positioning option.
1. Devoted ChromeOS full-screen secret
Use the ChromeOS full-screen key to make a window or app full screen (Figure A). Tap again to go back to the prior window positioning.
Figure A
Make a window or app
full screen with a tap of the full-screen secret on a Chromebook keyboard. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic 2. Keyboard controls Press alt+[
to snap a
![Hold alt+[or alt+]to snap the selected window to the left half or right half of the screen, respectively.](https://www.techrepublic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/tr-2023-11-14-b-ChromeOS-KeysSnapHalf-202310-770x450.jpeg)
window to the left half of the screen, or alt+] to snap a window to the ideal half of the screen( Figure B). Figure B Hold alt + [or alt +] to snap the chosen window to the left half or ideal half of the screen, respectively. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic 3. Window drag-and-drop Place your cursor throughout the void in a web browser tab(e.g., between the + symbol to add a new tab and the down-arrow that allows you to browse tabs), click and then drag the window to the extreme left or ideal
side of the screen( Figure C, leading and lower left). Release when a shadowed gray location appears, and the window will resize to fill the selected half of the screen(, lower right ). Figure C Select anywhere in the void of a window (e.g., the location of the red rectangular shape), then drag the window to the side of the screen up until the gray part screens. Release, and the window snaps to the left-side, as displayed in the lower right. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic 4. Window snap controls Move the cursor over the window control icon (Figure D). 4 choices display screen:
- Split, which provides two equal-size window placement options: left or right.
- Partial, which provides two window alternatives, with the left one bigger than the ideal one.
- Full, which makes the window complete screen.
- Drift, which resizes the window to a relatively little size and places it in front of other windows.
Move your cursor to any of the six readily available positions, then click or tap to select it. The active window will resize as picked.
Figure D
Place your cursor over the window control icon, then select any of the gray panel locations displayed to resize and rearrange the active window. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic How to choose the window size that fits your work on ChromeOS offers various window options that appropriate for a range of tasks, whether you look for the smallest window size (a drifted window)or the
largest(a full screen ). Try a full-screen window for
concentrated work Some tasks– such as composing in Google Docs (Figure E), creating a service model in Sheets or preparing a presentation in Slides– provide themselves to single-screen work. A full-screen window displays only the task you require to complete, which can lower the temptation to switch to another tab or window. The visual presence of tabs with Gmail, Facebook, X or news sites can be distracting. Switch to complete screen to remind yourself that you must not do anything else at the minute however deal with the task in front of you. (And, yes, complete screen windows also work well when you wish to view a video or play a video game.)
Figure E
Full-screen windows work well for focused activities. Screenshot: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic Split screen works well for contrasts and reference Split-screen windows on a Chromebook can be valuable when one consists of an active app and the other displays recommendation product(Figure F). This can be practical for tasks such as composing, research study or analysis, where you work on a document on one side and refer to information in several browser tabs on the other half of the screen. Split screen might likewise be handy for project-related activities, with a calendar or task supervisor app open in one window and email in another.
Figure F
< img src ="https://www.techrepublic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/tr-2023-11-14-f-ChromeOS-SplitScreenReference-202310-770x433.jpeg"alt ="A split screen setup lets you work in one window while referencing content in another. "width="770 "height="433"/ > A split screen setup lets you work in one window while referencing content in another
. Screenshot: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic Partial window features one activity more plainly than another More Google news & tips The partial window choice offered has a left-side window that fills roughly two-thirds of the screen, with a narrower window to the right. Like the split-screen choice, this configuration is most beneficial when you wish to display an app and reference content side-by-side.
The partial window arrangement can be helpful for conferences. When involved in a web conference, it can be beneficial to put Google Meet in the larger, left-side window, with notes or a referral document in the window to the right (Figure G). This setup not just stresses the visual nature of your meeting however also guarantees relevant material is available at a glance.
Another usage of the partial window setup is when you require to use a website that doesn’t completely operate when half-screened. Sadly, even in our modern age, some sites require a wider window to display all available information or menu alternatives. In this case, place that site in the larger portion of the window to the left and work with another active application or note app in the narrower right-side window.
Figure G
The partial window setup makes one window larger than the other, as
shown here with a Google Meet window(left )and a Google Docs window (right). Screenshot: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic Drift a window for email or notes When you pick the float window choice, you get a little window that “floats” in front of other windows. This can be useful for note-taking with an app like Google Keep or for drafting an email as you refer to material in the background browser window. With Google Keep, simply choose float and you can deal with your notes– for Google Keep either online or the Android app– in the float window.
Figure H
You can make the Gmail compose window into a float window: Hold down the shift key and choose the pop-out arrow( left ), then select the window control icon and select float (right). Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic For Gmail, there’s a two-step procedure: Select Compose as normal, then hold the Shift key to” pop “the window out(Figure HFigure I, left). Next, move your cursor over the window control icon and then choose Float (, right). You may now write your email in the window as it drifts in front of other windows on your Chromebook ().
Figure I
With the Gmail make up float window open, you might browse to and open other websites in thebackground. Image: Andy Wolber/TechRepublic Reference or message me onMastodon (@awolber) to let me understand how you utilize the different ChromeOS window controls for work.
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