How to Use a Chromebook: A Beginner's Guide

Chromebooks are incredibly popular, and with good reason. These lightweight laptops can be used to do almost everything you might need from your PC or Mac, from online banking to watching movies, and the growing list of Chromebook-specific apps allows you to work on documents and spreadsheets wherever you have access to the internet, even if that’s just on your phone or tablet. Still, there are some things that might take a little getting used to as far as using a Chromebook is concerned, especially if you haven’t used one before.

Logging In

When you first open up your Chromebook, the login screen will appear. It will ask for your email and password; these are the credentials that you'll use to log in to your account. Below the field where you enter your email and password, there is a small box labeled Remember me. If you check this box, then every time you log in again (whether it be after restarting or turning off your device), it'll automatically remember who you are and won't ask for your username and password again.

The Chrome Browser

To open up your browser, click on the icon at the top right corner of your screen (or press Ctrl+T). This will open up a new tab and make it so that you are not in your previous window.

Customizing Your Chromebook

When you first start your Chromebook, you will be asked to sign into your Google account. This is necessary because all of the data on your Chromebook is synced with the Google account that you are signed in with. Once you have signed into your account, it is time to customize! There are various ways that you can personalize your device so that it matches how you work and live. The following steps will show you how to customize your Chromebook for beginners: 

-First thing in the morning, set up a new tab by clicking on New Tab at the top of the browser window.

Chrome Apps and Extensions

Chromebooks are so intuitive, you don’t need any technical knowledge to use them. That being said, there are still some Chrome apps and extensions that can make your life easier. For example, you can use the Google Drive app to upload files from your computer or phone and access them anywhere with an Internet connection. You can also create folders with different levels of security for storing confidential information such as passwords and bank account details.

The Cloud

A Chromebook is an inexpensive, lightweight laptop that is primarily used online. It doesn't have the typical Windows or OS X operating system and instead runs Google's Chrome operating system. The advantage of this operating system is that all of your information can be stored in the cloud. This means that you don't need to worry about backing up your computer or losing data if your computer crashes. You'll also never need antivirus protection because viruses are virtually unheard of on Chrome OS devices. The downfall, however, is that you won't be able to run popular Windows software like Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop on your Chromebook because it simply doesn't support those programs. If you just want a laptop for browsing the internet, checking email, and writing documents then this may be perfect for you!