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ChromeOS Device Settings

The ChromeOS Device Settings menu primarily focuses on the hardware of your ChromeOS Device instead of software settings.

Mouse and Touchpad Settings

The Mouse and Touchpad Settings will allow you to adjust how your mouse or touchpad work. You can adjust the following settings from this screen.

  • Enable Tap To Click - Tap to click will allow you to simulate a click when you lightly tap your finger in a touchpad without the need to press down firmly enough to trigger a click on the touchpad sensor.
  • Enable tap dragging - Tap dragging allows you to lock an icon to your mouse cursor with a tap on the item and move it to a different location. You release the icon by tapping in the area you wish to move it to. This is best supported in the ChromeOS File Manager when moving files between folders.
  • Enable touchpad acceleration - Touchpad acceleration will let your machine try to determine if you are trying to move large distances on your device touchpad and artificially speed up the cursor.
  • Touchpad Speed - You can adjust the touchpad movement speed via this slider to match your preferences.
  • Enable Reverse Scrolling - Reverse scrolling reverses the direction of gestures on your touchpad when it comes to moving through documents. This is often preferred on touchscreen devices or devices with touchpads. This setting also applies to a scroll wheel on an attached mouse.

Keyboard

ChromeOS allows you to remap some of the keys on your keyboard to change the behavior. Many people who struggle with the ChromeOS keyboard layout often report that the lack of a caps lock key is a pain point. Via the ChromeOS keyboard options, you can change the behavior of the "Search" button to act like a Caps Lock key if you wish.

ChromeOS also allows you to modify delays between repeat keys and repeat rates with simple sliders. The key repeat settings may help those who are touch typists and those with dexterity problems in their hands,

Selecting "View Device Shortcuts" will allow you to view the available keyboard shortcuts available to your device. This will launch the ChromeOS help system.

Change Input settings is a shortcut to the ChromeOS "Language and Input Settings" panel.

Stylus

If your device supports an active stylus, you will see the ChromeOS Stylus Settings option. This will allow you to choose if you wish to have the Stylus Tools present on the ChromeOS System Tray. You can also choose a default notes application, which will allow you to take notes directly from the ChromeOS lock screen without the need to unlock your device first.

Displays

The ChromeOS Display Settings will allow you to control how the display is set up on your device. This includes the following options.

  • Mirror Built-in Display - If you have multiple displays connected to your ChromeOS Device, you will see the option to mirror the built-in display. When this option is checked, all content on the screen will be displayed on both displays. This also limits your screen resolution to match the maximum resolution of the display with the lowest resolution. If you disable mirror mode, you will be able to control each display independently.
  • Screen Rotation - You can adjust the rotation of the screen if you have an external display mounted in an unconventional way or are using your device for digital signage/kiosk.
  • Screen Resolution - You can adjust the screen resolution of each display connected to your device.
  • Night Light - If your device and display support dynamic screen dimming, you will see the option to enable Night Light. This will lower the brightness of your display in relation to the ambient light in the room to cause less eye strain,

Storage Management

The ChromeOS Storage Management interface will show you the current disk usage of your ChromeOS Device and how much available space is remaining. The storage management screen will also perform a breakdown showing how the space is being used on your device if you wish to reclaim storage space.

Directly under the storage breakdown is an option for "External Storage preferences". If you wish to grant the ChromeOS Android Runtime the ability to access a Micro SD Card, SD Card or other external options, you will need to whitelist the device in the "External Storage preferences" before Android can access it.

Power

The ChromeOS Power Management panel gives you a place to adjust power settings of your ChromeOS Device and view the battery levels if your device has an internal battery.