Google’s Chromebook Plus devices get new suite of AI features
Google is powering ahead with AI integration across its entire tech ecosystem, and Chromebook laptops are up next. Google has announced a suite of AI-powered features that will be coming to its Chromebook Plus line, which was announced last October. These would be part of the ChromeOS 125 release.
Chromebook Plus now features a system-wide “Help me write” tool. This functionality goes beyond the basic Chrome browser integration, allowing you to rewrite text across PDFs, websites, and web apps. Whether you need to rephrase a sentence, shorten a paragraph, or inject a more formal tone, this AI assistant is here to help. This is accompanied by AI-Generated custom wallpapers and backgrounds on your Chromebook Plus, where users need to provide a text prompt specifying their desired themes to ensure that AI creates an image tailored to their preferences. By right-clicking on the desktop and navigating to “Set wallpaper & style,” users can create unique wallpapers through AI.
“Starting today, new Google AI and gaming features are available on Chromebook Plus. You can now write like a pro with Help me write, supercharge your ideas with Gemini, edit photos in a snap with Magic Editor, and more — all on Chromebook Plus laptops, starting at $350 USD. All Chromebooks will also have new tools and Google integrations to help make it easier to get things done. And with our wide range of devices, including a few new ones this spring, you can find the best Chromebook for you,” Google noted in its official blog post on the matter. To be precise, the “new ones” teased here refer to Google’s new Chromebook Plus models from manufacturers such as HP, Acer, and Asus.
Previously exclusive to Google Pixel devices and accessible through Google One subscriptions, the powerful Magic Editor is now available on Chromebook Plus laptops. This tool enables users to manipulate photos with ease, allowing them to move or resize objects, adjust the sky, erase parts of a photo and apply contextual presets such as Sky and Golden hour, and more, all within a user-friendly interface. Furthermore, Google’s AI-powered chatbot, Gemini, is now pre-installed on Chromebook Plus devices. This not only provides easy access to Gemini’s capabilities but also sweetens the deal for Chromebook Plus buyers who receive a free 12-month subscription to the Google One AI Premium plan. This premium plan unlocks advanced Gemini features within Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and other Workspace apps. For users who previously subscribed to Google One, this offer still applies, providing significant value through advanced AI capabilities and 2TB of cloud storage.
Google has also rolled out several practical updates to improve overall functionality. The Calendar widget in the Shelf now includes integration with Google Tasks, providing a comprehensive view of appointments and to-do items. The screen recorder feature has been upgraded to support GIF creation, a popular format for quick and shareable content. For gaming enthusiasts, the new Game Dashboard introduces features like Game Capture, which allows users to record gameplay and webcam footage simultaneously. Furthermore, the screen recorder gains the ability to capture footage in GIF format, offering a convenient way to create short, animated snippets for various purposes.
Setting up a new Chromebook Plus has also become easier, especially for users with Android phones. By scanning a QR code, users can effortlessly transfer Wi-Fi credentials and Google Account information to their Chromebook, streamlining the setup process. Looking ahead, Google has teased several upcoming features. Among these is the Gemini-powered “Help me read” feature, which offers summaries of web pages, documents, and PDFs, along with the ability to ask follow-up questions. Google is also developing a new focus tool that integrates Google Tasks and YouTube Music with a countdown timer, alongside several others.
