Chrome OS devices are known to receive updates for way longer than an Android device. A typical Chrome OS device will get software support for about 6½ years. That sure is a pretty long time, right? Google is rolling out a new update out to Chrome OS devices that brings some interesting and useful features, one of which sort of turns your device into a smart display.
The update arrives as Chrome OS 88 and one of the features it brings is support for web sign-in using a PIN or fingerprint that you’ve set up to unlock your Chromebook. This is a useful feature that makes it easier and faster to sign in to a website, provided the site supports WebAuthn. Some of the supported sites are Dropbox, GitHub, and Okta.
Google says that you can also use your PIN or fingerprint as the second factor if you use 2-step verification.
The other major feature that comes with the update is a personalization feature that transforms your Chromebook into a personalized smart display. Just as you can choose to have your Google Nest Hub display photos from your photo album on the lockscreen, you will now be able to show off photos from your Google Photo album or from an art gallery on your Chromebook’s lockscreen too.
Your lockscreen will also show information such as the current weather and what is currently playing. You also would not need to unlock your device to control playback. This setting can be activated under Settings > Personalisation > Screen saver.
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