With all the excitement surrounding the Google IO 2022 keynote, you’d be forgiven if you missed IO’s second day events, which included a “What’s new in Chrome OSKeynote where he showed the upcoming features of the system.
Under the “Better Together” theme, many upcoming features focus on improving interconnectivity between apps, devices, and Chrome OS. Be aware that none of what was shown has a set launch day. All that has been said is that they will be released “soon” or “later this year”.
Going down the list, the first change is the inclusion of Quick pairing which will allow you to connect compatible headphones and earphones to Chrome OS with just one click. Your headphones will appear in your Google account where you can access their settings or check the battery life.
Chromebook users will have the ability to stream communication apps from their Android phones to their computers. A new window on Chrome OS will appear where you can access the app’s chat feature. However, the phone should work Android 13 or higher to use this feature. The platform update is expected to launch around October 2022.
The Chrome OS launcher will also be less intrusive as it will no longer take up the entire screen and its search functionality will have new sorting options to make finding apps less of a pain.
And the last major feature is the introduction of an app finder. The service uses machine learning to learn about your preferences and user behavior to start recommending apps. In addition to that, it will teach you how to install the app properly even if the instructions are not on the play store.
LumaFusion is coming to Chrome OS
Towards the end of the keynote, Google revealed that critically acclaimed video editing app LumaFusion will be making its way to Chrome OS.
LumaFusion is TechRadar’s favorite editing app and even won iPad App of the Year for 2021. The reason LumaFusion is so popular is that it takes normally complex features and reworks them to be more accessible.
LumaFusion allows users to process multiple 4K media files with access to multiple effects, color correction tools, and audio mixing functions. Plus, it’s a one-time payment instead of a subscription plan like the one required by Adobe for its Creative Cloud suite of apps that includes Adobe Premiere Pro.
Like the rest, LumaFusion on Chrome OS doesn’t have a launch date, but we can’t wait to fall in love with the app on another platform.