Chromebooks now have a function to control your Android mobile

Google’s operating system for laptops, Chrome OS, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. In all this time, it has achieved very important things, such as surpassing Apple’s macOS system in terms of market share. And it is that Chrome OS is present in 1 of every 10 PCs that are currently sold, thus being the second most used operating system in the world. The first is Windows, of course, which will be for many more years … However, Google is already repowering Chrome OS to continue growing and make Microsoft tremble.

Advertisement

In the most recent update of Chrome OS, which is version number M89, Google has added a lot of new features to the operating system. The most outstanding without a doubt is the new section called Phone Hub from which you can easily control and review your Android mobile. With this, Google wants the integration between Android and Chrome OS to be much easier and more intuitive for users. This feature is not quite polished yet and has its limitations, but let’s see what it looks like and what you can do with it anyway.

Phone Hub comes to Chrome OS, an easy way to sync your mobile with your Chromebook

Phone Hub comes to Chrome OS,

The idea behind the Chrome OS Phone Hub is similar to Microsoft’s Your Phone feature for Windows 10: control and access your mobile information remotely from your PC. In the case of Chrome OS, to use this function, both your Android and your Chromebook must be connected to the same WiFi and use the same Google account. Once the connection is established, you can enter the Phone Hub and do any of the following:

  • View mobile data such as battery percentage, coverage, etc.
  • Activate functions of your Android such as the WiFi zone, the silent mode, or the alarm to locate the mobile.
  • Manage mobile notifications and reply to messages from messaging apps.
  • View open tabs in Chrome for Android and open them on Chromebook.

Of course, as time goes by, Google will add improvements so that you can do more things in the Phone Hub. Also, it is important to mention that right now the Chrome Phone Hub is slowly reaching all Chromebooks through the M89 version of Chrome OS. That means that to use this new section you must update your laptop.

How to activate the Chrome OS Phone Hub to connect your Android

activate the Chrome OS Phone Hub

 

After updating your Chromebook to Chrome OS version M89 (or later), do the following to connect your Android mobile to activate the Phone Hub:

  • Touch the time on your Chromebook.
  • Press the gear wheel to go to Settings.
  • Go to the Connected Devices section.
  • Press the option to configure an Android mobile.
  • You will see a button where the devices associated with the same Google account as your Chromebook will appear. There, select your Android and press Accept and continue.
  • Enter your Google account password and press Done.
  • Now, under Connected Devices, the name of your phone should already appear. Enter this section again to make sure the Phone Hub feature is enabled.

the Phone Hub feature is enabled

  • Finally, next to the time, you will now see an icon of a mobile. Tap it to enter the Phone Hub whenever you want.

now see an icon of a mobile

That’s all! Do not forget to connect both devices to the same WiFi network and to the same Google account to avoid problems when following this tutorial.

Other new features of Chrome OS M89: share with Nearby, WiFi Sync, and more

new features of Chrome OS M89

Phone Hub is not the only novelty that the latest version of Chrome OS brings us. Check out all the new things coming to Chromebooks with this update below:

  • Nearby Share: An option to transfer files wirelessly between two Chromebooks or between a Chromebook and an Android. By the way, Nearby Share is also available for Android.
  • WiFi Sync: Once you have your Chromebook synchronized with your Android, you can use WiFi Sync to do many things when both are connected to the same network. For example, if one of the two does not have the Wi-Fi password, the other who does can pass it on. Also, you can use WiFi Sync to turn on one of the two devices with the other.
  • Improvements in the multi-desktop system: resume open windows after a restart, option to send a website to a certain desktop, the possibility of naming and organizing the desktops, etc.
  • Tote: a feature to access your most recently used files, as well as screenshots.
  • Quick screenshots feature: it will also allow you to record your screen.

Quick screenshots feature

  • New clipboard: it will allow you to save up to 5 items.
  • Quick Answers: When you select and right-click on a word or phrase, a menu will pop up with the Google Assistant button. If you touch it, it will give you information related to the selected text.
  • Multimedia control in the Quick Settings menu: you will no longer have to use the specific controls of each app or web. Everything that is being played, from any app, you can control from Quick Settings.
  • Parental control improvements: now you can add a school account for children, among other things.
  • Renewed design of app icons.

Chrome OS just keeps getting better, don’t you think? If you have not yet updated your Chromebook, go running to do so to enjoy all this news.