If you recently switched from a Mac or PC to ChromeOS, you've probably noticed the setup is a bit different. It's natural to want a few tips and tricks when migrating to a new operating system and UI. The good news is ChromeOS is incredibly user-friendly and very powerful. Whether you're a developer or a casual user, the customization available is truly impressive. Some of the basics like taking a screenshot or setting up notifications are also a bit different on your Chromebook.
In this article, we'll take a look at how to set up your Chromebook, Chromebox, or tablet running ChromeOS from start to finish.
Basic ChromeOS setup
Before we get started, make sure your Chromebook has a full battery. If you don't have much charge on your Chromebook at the moment, it's worth connecting to a power outlet. The steps below detail the full initial boot menu, and includes some additional tips for after you exit the walkthrough.
- Power on your Chromebook.
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Press Get Started.
- Connect to a Wi-Fi network by selecting it from the list and pressing Connect.
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Choose how you want to use your Chromebook. There will be options for Personal use, For a child, or For work or school. In this case, we're selecting For personal use.
- Press Next.
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If a software update is available, your Chromebook will download it. You can skip it by choosing Skip and remind me later.
- Sign into your Chromebook with your Google Account. Complete any two-factor authentication to finish the login.
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Accept the terms and conditions. You can choose to send diagnostic data, back up Android apps, use location for Android apps, and more.
- At this point, you'll be offered the opportunity to review what automatically syncs to your Chromebook. We recommend checking the Review sync options following setup option.
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If you want to set up a PIN, enter one. You might also be prompted to scan your finger if your device has a fingerprint reader.
- You can review more features to set up. You can change the scrolling direction, change the display and text size, and select a light or dark theme. On Chromebook Plus, you also can select to have Google Drive files offline.
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Click through each one accordingly and press Next.
- Complete the setup for each of the features you selected previously. When finished, click Get Started.
That concludes the initial setup, but there are quite a few more options and settings to explore. You can choose to take a tour of your new machine, or exit and look at the settings manually.
Other setup steps
Chromebooks come with some Android apps pre-installed, and these need updates. Here's the second set of steps you can run through to get these apps updated if they're not updating automatically already.
- Click on the launcher on your Chromebook. It's the circle icon to the left of the screen.
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Search for Google Play Store.
- Click on your profile icon at the top right of the app.
- Click Manage apps & device.
- Click Updates available.
- Allow the Android apps to download and update. You can manually click the Update button, too.
Once these apps are updated, you can search for new ones. Just click the back button or close the Google Play Store app and reopen it. Then, in the search box at the top, type in the name of the app you're looking for. It will install and add to your ChromeOS launcher automatically.
Be sure to log into all of your favorite social media apps or Chrome extensions, and you should be good to go for basic use. That's all there is to it. Setting up a new Chromebook out of the box is incredibly simple and intuitive. The main things you need to get going are a Google account and an internet connection. Make sure to use your preferred cloud service for backing up any necessary files for work or school.
If you want to customize your settings a bit more, check out our full guide to ChromeOS settings and our full guide to ChromeOS keyboard shortcuts. You can also grab some sweet new Android apps to get started using your Chromebook in style. And you also can get started with Linux apps, too.