Chrome OS is not an OS that is filled with several options, however, there are a few things that can be done to make your Chromebook’s desktop appear and function exactly how you want. Let’s break it down nicely for you:
How Can I Customize My Chromebook’s Wallpaper?
Before anything else, let’s discuss your desktop’s basic appearance:
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- Right-tap anywhere on your Chromebook’s desktop and choose “Set wallpaper” from the menu that will be visible.
- Click through Google’s categories to choose a picture or tap “My Images” way down on the list to select an image from your personal local storage.
- If you need your wallpaper to change to a fresh image every single day, tap the “Daily Refresh” toggle that is seen on the first thumbnail of any of Google’s categories. (That option, sadly, is not currently available with your own pictures.)
How Can I Customize My Browser’s Background?
It is also possible to customize the page that pops up whenever you open a fresh tab in your browser:
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- Open a fresh tab in Google Chrome and tap “Customize” (or the pencil icon) in the browser’s lower right corner.
- Choose “Chrome backgrounds” to select a picture from Google’s collection or “Upload an image” to select a picture from your local storage, then adhere to the instructions to find and confirm the picture you want.
How Can I Customize My Browser’s Theme
Google has pledged that you will soon be able to tap “Customize” to choose a custom theme that will change the colors of your browser’s tab and toolbar area. Till that happens, though, to use a theme for your browser, you will need to download it from the Chrome Web Store. Right now, just:
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- Tap the “Themes” section of the Chrome Web Store.
- Locate a theme you fancy, tap it, and then tap “Add to Chrome.”
How Can I Customize My Chromebook’s Shelf?
Finally, you can also personalize the Chrome OS shelf — the dock-like row of shortcuts way down on your screen. Begin by choosing precisely which icons will be visible in that area:
- Access your application drawer (by tapping the circle icon in the lower-left corner of the display and then tapping the upward-facing arrow on the partial drawer that is visible). Right-tap any item in the list and choose “Pin to shelf.”
- If you wish to add a site, open the website, tap the three-dot menu icon in Chrome’s upper right corner, and then choose “More tools,” then “Create shortcut.”
If you need the website to open in an app-like window, without the regular browser elements on top, tap “pen as window” in the “Create shortcut?” pop-up window you will see. Then tap “Create.”
- Drag and drop any of the icons on the shelf to alter their position.
- If you do not even want the icon on your shelf, Right-tap on the icon and choose “Unpin.”
There you have it – a comprehensive tutorial on how to customize your Chromebook’s desktop. If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comment section below.