Chrome OS 79 Adds Media Controls, More

Google revealed today that the new version of Chrome OS is adding music and podcast controls, plus improved app settings management.

“With the latest Chrome OS update, we’re continuing to make Chromebook secure, fast and intuitively simple,” Google’s Alexander Kuscher announced. “Now you can control your music or podcasts from the lock screen, and manage your privacy settings across apps more easily.”

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Here’s what’s new:

Music and podcast controls. Chrome OS will now display a floating music and podcast player to the lock screen when content is playing so that you can quickly control playback if you’re signed out. “Now, if you’re hosting a party and are using your Chromebook as a speaker, you can quickly skip to the next song or pause content without needing to unlock your device,” Kuscher says. “This new feature works with YouTube Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, dozens of other apps, and any media played through Chrome browser.”

Improved app settings. A new “Manage your apps” button in Settings provides access to all of your app settings—for Play Store apps, web applications, system apps and more—in one place.

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Conversation 4 comments

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    17 December, 2019 - 2:55 pm

    <p>I look forward to seeing this in CloudReady soon! ?</p>

  • MikeGalos

    18 December, 2019 - 1:27 am

    <p>Wow. That's up to the Multimedia PC specs from 1991. </p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    18 December, 2019 - 3:39 am

    <p>They also removed the "www" from the world wide web – if you go to "www.thurrott.com", Chrome will now display "thurrott.com" in the omni-bar, so if you are debugging, you can't tell whether you are at http://www.thurrott.com or thurrott.com, if you are using Chrome.</p>

    • IanYates82

      Premium Member
      19 December, 2019 - 8:54 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#499326">In reply to wright_is:</a></em></blockquote><p>I think you can turn this off using a flag?</p><p><br></p><p>(or just switch to new Edge?)</p>

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