As someone who uses multiple operating systems as part of my work, I do have my preferences regarding which ones to use. There are a lot of great Chromebooks, ChromeOS tablets, and Windows laptops, but I've never really used my Chromebook much because the experience always felt a bit too limiting. Windows always felt better for things like multitasking, plugging in with other cloud services from Apple or Google, and even using an Android phone with the operating system.
So, in using ChromeOS more in the past year, I found some areas that could use some improvements. Yes, Google has finally addressed the fact that Chromebooks can't be used for gaming or video editing, but there's still more work to be done. There are five things in particular that I'm hoping Google can tweak heading into the future.
1. Overhaul the Files app
Topping the list is an overhaul for the Files app in ChromeOS. Right now, the default ChromeOS Files app experience is too basic. You get a downloads folder, and that's pretty much it. If you want to organize your files by photos, videos, and documents, you'll have to create subfolders in the Files app manually and then navigate to them by using the sidebar.
Windows 11's File Explorer does this for you automatically with areas for Pictures and Videos. It even gives you a visual indicator with unique folder icons whenever it's time to save or download something in an app. I wish this were the case on a Chromebook. It'd make navigating and finding files so much faster.
On top of that basic change, there are some additional features from Windows 11's new File Explorer that might be useful in ChromeOS. It'd be cool to see a tabbed experience, where you can open tabs in the Files app for your various folders. In my specific workflow where I'm opening a lot of photos, this would help cut down on the need to open multiple windows when hunting down a specific file. I can have all the folders I need right up front in one browsing session. Even macOS has this feature, and you can add it to Linux pretty easily, so it's time for Google to catch up!
And perhaps Google can come up with a way to label or group files, so you can quickly find them. MacOS does a good job with this with a tag feature and even a feature that lets you add a color to the file. Google Drive already lets you change the color of a folder to better identify it, so it'd be great to see this ported over to ChromeOS in some way.
2. A traditional right-click with a trackpad, please
Chromebook hardware is simple and efficient, but one hardware issue I hate is the way the right-click on the trackpad works. You can configure ChromeOS so that right-click works by tapping the trackpad with two fingers on the right side, but this isn't quite natural for Windows users, where a standard right-click doesn't need two fingers. It takes a little bit of extra thinking.
As a workaround, you can simulate that natural right-click on the lower part of the trackpad by first pressing the Alt key and then clicking on the right of the trackpad, but that requires an awkward keyboard combination. Why can't we just right-click as we do on other operating systems? After all, you can do this fine if you have an external mouse connected, so this appears to just be a trackpad issue with the hardware.
3. Deeper integrations with other cloud services
Right now, Google Drive is the best way to go if you want to use cloud storage on ChromeOS. It makes sense since Google Drive is a Google product, but I'd love to see deeper integration with other cloud services, too. Even though you can already download Microsoft OneDrive and view your favorite files from OneDrive directly in the Files app, you can only read those files. OneDrive on ChromeOS has no write permissions, meaning you can't save files there through the Files App.
I know that Google is working with Microsoft on Office app integration in the Files app, making it easier to open Office files on a Chromebook, so this might change soon. There's no need to be so competitive, either. Windows 11 lets you use other cloud services, and so does macOS. It's time for Google to wake up and stop being a closed system.
4. Deeper Android integration with Phone Hub
Phone Hub is a very useful feature on Chromebooks if you own an Android phone. You can check your phone's cellular connectivity and battery, silence the phone, browse Chrome tabs from Android on the Chromebook, see notifications, and download recent photos.
But some missing features you can get in the Windows 11 Phone Link app. On Microsoft's operating system, you can fully mirror your Android phone's apps (select phones only) and make phone calls on your PC. Google owns Android and ChromeOS, so I'd love to see this functionality come to Phone Hub, too. It'd make it easier to avoid pulling an Android phone out of a pocket while using a Chromebook for work.
5. More ways to personalize Chromebooks
Windows and macOS are very customizable operating systems. You can tweak wallpapers and, in the case of Windows, download an app like Start11 that gives you complete control over aspects of the OS like the Taskbar and the Start Menu. This is something that I'd love to see on ChromeOS.
Right now, you only can personalize your Chromebook by tweaking the Google Chrome theme and the wallpaper, moving the dock, or changing the way apps are listed on the shelf or in the launcher. There are so many ways you can tweak Android — themes, icon packages, alternate launchers — and maybe one day this can come to ChromeOS. I'd love to see a way to change the color of the shelf, change app icons, and even make the shelf a different size or shape. Why not give users the ability to change custom wallpapers each day instead of relying on Google's built-in ones?
While I would love to see these features implemented in ChromeOS, I understand the system is supposed to be more lightweight than Windows or macOS since it's browser-based. It doesn't need the complexity you see on other operating systems. These changes could take quite a while to implement, but there is hope that it's possible. Google, just like Microsoft with Windows, is always listening to feedback. Whether it's implementing support for a video editings app like LumaFusion or even Steam in beta, Google has moved ChromeOS quite far since it first hit the scene. Knowing a Material You redesign is coming soon, I'm looking forward to what's next.