Google is rolling out a new version for ChromeOS, dubbed ChromeOS 128 which brings a slew of new features, as well as improvements to Google’s OS for its Chromebooks. New features include Snap groups, privacy control reminders, OCR in camera app, and much more.
ChromeOS 128: What’s New?
ChromeOS 128 is now rolling out with Snap groups which allow you to group windows on ChromeOS. A snap group is formed when you pair two windows for a split-screen. You can bring the windows back together, resize them simultaneously, or move them both as a group.
Next, the update makes it easier for users to be aware of the states of the privacy controls and provide actionable reminders on the ChromeOS Apps settings page so that users have a smoother experience. To view the ChromeOS Apps settings page, one can head over to Settings >Apps > Manage your Apps, and select the desired app.
Next, from ChromeOS 128 onwards, Google will store aggregated vitals data for one-year retention to better track the progress over time. Vitals data includes Android App performance metrics, such as crash rate, and these metrics will help us improve Android app performance on ChromeOS devices.
Read More: Google: Android Essential for AI Development in ChromeOS
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is also being added in ChromeOS camera app, enabling text extraction from images captured in the ChromeOS Camera App by integrating an ML-powered text extraction service. ChromeOS 128 supports 77 languages; it also supports both horizontal and vertical detection.
This allows copying and searching text from images, speaking text from images by screen reader, and creating searchable PDFs from images. By default, text detection in Photo mode is disabled and can be enabled from Settings > Text detection in preview.
Magnifier following ChromeVox is also being added, and is designed for people who are blind or have low vision. When you read text aloud using ChromeVox, the screen magnifier now automatically follows the words, so you never lose your place.
ChromeOS 128 adds support for Auto Gain Control (AGC) which allows apps, such as video calling apps, to automatically optimize microphone volume for best audio quality. When auto gain control is enabled and in-use, a message appears in the quick settings panel to inform the user that the microphone gain slider is being overridden. AGC is enabled by default in ChromeOS 128.
For ChromeOS cellular-enabled devices, Google has made it easier to view, manage, and add Access Point Names (APNs). Finally, ChromeOS 128 significantly differentiates the visual look of pinned notifications from typical notifications to reflect their significant difference.