Google Chrome OS will finally be getting the Material You dynamic theme feature in the latest Dev version 114, but there’s a catch: you have to turn on the flag to use it as of now.
According to Android Police (opens in new tab), you can create four different accent color schemes by activating the #jelly-colors and #personalization-jelly flags. This feature is unique because those color schemes are based on your wallpaper color, better matching the text and icons so that both are easier to view.
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Material You is a feature that Android has had for years under the ColorsOS name, one that Google is also bringing to its Chrome browser, specifically, the Canary v114 build. Unfortunately, unlike Android, Chrome OS doesn’t get a set of themes that are distinct from wallpapers, so if you wanted an interface that stands out from your background, you’re out of luck.
Chrome OS could be getting a huge refresh
There’s a good chance that Google could announce a massive Chrome OS revamp during its Google I/O 2023 event, which will be kicking off on May 10. With all the features that are currently being tested for both Chrome OS and the general Chrome browser, the conference would be the perfect time to reveal a design overhaul.
The event, which you can watch through YouTube as well as Google’s official website, is expected to reveal other major products. The Google Pixel Fold has already been confirmed for launch at the event as well as other announcements like the Android 14 OS, Google Pixel Watch 2, enhancements to Google Bard, and more.
It’ll be interesting to see if Google reveals any other new features and tools for Chrome OS. One such feature would be Material Design 3, which is currently for Google Workspace. It’s a refresh of the previous version that gives some of its most popular tools a more modern look to deliver a simpler, more streamlined UI, which helps users work more efficiently. Having such a tool for the best Chromebooks, which are meant to be pure work machines in the first place, would be brilliant.
At the very least, it would be nice to see the tech giant focusing on expanding what Material You offers to Chrome OS. Currently, it only has the four color palettes like Android 12, versus the 16 different color derivation methods that Android 13 offers.
