The Latest ChromeOS Update Is All About Customization
Google officially released the ChromeOS 123 update this week, and it’s a good one. If you have a Chromebook, you now have four different ways to personalize your experience. Additionally, the update adds two more key features that are worth paying attention to.
ChromeOS 123 gives you more control
ChromeOS 123 is all about customization, and that’s a good thing. The best part of working with personal computers is customizing the operating system to suit your workflow, so the more ChromeOS can behave like Windows or macOS, the better.
Create custom keyboard shortcuts
First, you can now create your own keyboard shortcuts . This is a fantastic addition because you no longer have to rely solely on the shortcuts that Google says are best for everyone. If you have a specific shortcut that you’d like to use on a traditional Mac or PC, you’ll be able to transfer it to perform a similar function on your Chromebook.
Custom keyboard shortcuts are not enabled by default in ChromeOS 123, but you can enable them using the feature flag. Go to chrome://flags , then find and enable #enable-shortcut-customization and #enable-shortcut-customization-app ( courtesy of Chrome Unboxed ). From here, restart Chrome, then go to Settings > Device > Keyboard > View Keyboard Shortcuts . Here you will be able to click on the pencil icon to adjust it. Google says this setting will become the default when ChromeOS 124 releases.
Customize your mouse actions
You can also customize what your mouse buttons do if your mouse supports it. This is enabled by default: if you go to Settings > Device > Mouse > Customize Mouse Buttons , you can assign one of eleven actions to additional mouse buttons, not counting the left or right mouse buttons. If you need one button to play or pause media, one to bring up the emoji picker, and one to take a screenshot, you can do that.
Set language preferences for specific applications
Finally, Google has added the ability to customize language settings on a per-app basis. This is a great feature for anyone who speaks multiple languages and is commonly found in other OSes. You can set the language you prefer to use for any specific application without having to constantly change the language for your entire computer.
Other ChromeOS 123 features
The latest ChromeOS update isn’t just a tweak. Plus, you can now use your Chromebook as a hotspot for your other devices—provided you have T-Mobile. If yes, go to Network Settings and enable Hotspot .
You’ll also find that ChromeOS 123 has more natural-sounding text-to-speech, and they all work offline. You have a choice of voices in 31 languages.