The latest version of ChromeOS (M124) has been launched, bringing some practical upgrades, including faster split-screen settings and new network traffic priority management functions.
ChromeOS welcomes M124 update
ChromeOS’s new “Faster Split Screen Setup” feature should look familiar to Windows users. After pinning an app window to one side of the screen, previews of other apps will pop up on the other side. Select one to pin it. Before this update, users would need to go to another app and repeat this side-pinned action, but the new feature could simplify this process. The relevant settings can be found in Settings > System Preferences > Window & Desktop.
Google has also added Wi-Fi Quality of Service (QoS) features to ChromeOS. Similar to a router’s QoS feature, Chromebooks prioritize activities like video calls and online gaming when a user’s Wi-Fi network is congested.
Finally, the update also brings a redesigned ChromeOS Settings app that adopts Google’s Material You design style and is structured more like a smartphone’s settings menu. Additionally, new two-finger trackpad gestures can be used to swipe to clear notifications, and ChromeOS now supports enabling digital pan, tilt, and zoom features on Chromebook webcams that don’t support Super-Res Zoom.