Google just announced a handful of new features for its diverse Chromebook lineup, including two new models that push the limits of what we expect from a Chromebook device: one with a detachable display, and another with a vibrant OLED screen.
All Chromebooks will now have access to Gemini, come loaded with Google One AI Premium plan for free for three months, have new customizable Focus modes to silence notifications, and a brand-new Welcome Recap feature that lets you bring up all the apps and windows you had up in a previous session.
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But the flashiest features were saved for Chomebook Plus devices, which have some unique AI-powered perks that set them apart — certainly giving Windows’ Copilot a run for its money.
There’s Live Translation, which works with anything on your screen, a text summary feature called Help me read, a better recording app that can summarize and transcribe audio, and a new Quick Insert feature baked into the ChromeOS that’s like a quick-access control panel. Here’s a closer look at the major features Google just announced.
1. The Quick Insert key
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New Chromebooks will come with a special key (located in the Caps Lock position – previously occupied by the launcher key) called Quick Insert. Hitting this key will bring up a small menu that acts as a sort of mobile control panel, allowing for various commonly used actions where you’d typically need to navigate to another window.
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For example, you can activate the other new AI features like Help me write, view recently visited websites, access files from Google Drive, or bring up tactical tools, like the calculator or calendar apps. When I tried out this feature first-hand at a recent Google demo event, I went in with some skepticism. But after playing around with the feature, I quickly saw its intended use case: a quality-of-life improvement that affords even more nimbleness to ChromeOS.
Even though the new Samsung Galaxy Chromebook will be the first device to have the dedicated Quick Insert key, any other Chromebook can activate the menu by hitting Launcher Key + F.
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2. Live Translation comes to Chromebook
AI has boosted translation, allowing for an explosion of features across different mediums this year. Even the new Meta Ray-Ban smartglasses have a translation feature. But perhaps more practical to our day-to-day needs, Google Chromebook Plus models will be able to translate anything on your screen in real-time, whether it’s a video, audio, or live videoconferencing.
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Live Translate currently works in over 100 languages and, when activated, provides captions on the screen instantaneously. During a demo, I watched the feature at work during a live Zoom call, demonstrated specifically to show that the feature exists at the OS level, not within Google Meet software.
This gives Chromebook Plus devices a built-in functionality that is accessible with a single click, useful for anyone working with multiple languages.
3. Help me read: One-click summaries
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