ChromeOS is at the center of Google’s ecosystem and the default option for many users seeking a cloud-based experience. It has tight integration with Google services and offers a low-maintenance design, making it an attractive choice for students, educators, and casual users.
Every update for Chromebooks gets better, and ChromeOS 133 is the latest to hit your computer. It’s set to roll out today. Interestingly, the release notes were published early on chromeOS.dev a day earlier. Here’s everything new to come.
Welcome to a fresher start with ChromeOS 133
The key features highlighted in ChromeOS’ 133th update include Bluetooth Microphone Super Resolution tweaks. This setting typically upscales low-quality audio for Bluetooth microphones, so you might notice that your voice sounds funny during online calls.
The problem is that older Chromebooks using narrow-band speech (NBS) codecs restrict the sampling rate to 8 kHz, which means the highest frequency the microphone can capture is only 4 kHz.
Since many older Chromebooks have hardware limitations, you have had to manage this issue. With the new update, you can tweak a setting to improve audio quality. However, the toggle will only appear when you have a Bluetooth headset connected to your Chromebook. If you don’t have one or if your device doesn’t support the feature, you won’t see it.
ChromeOS is also getting an upgraded Welcome Tour to bring a more interactive onboarding experience for new Chromebook users. It’s an introductory feature you’ll bump into when setting up your computer. It’ll help you get familiar with the operating system and key features, set up your Google account, and customize settings.
It’s unclear yet how it works, but it may be the same as the Getting Started Checklist spotted in the update’s Developer Channel. The Checklist provides a list of tasks for you to complete when setting up the device. It’s part of the Explore app, and because that app pulls from the web, it’s easy to update and roll out.
Rounded window corners were also spotted in the Developer mode a month ago. It’s a small change, but it makes the interface look more modern.
Accessibility, multilingual support, and more
In addition to the updates mentioned, Google is upgrading the bounce keys accessibility feature on ChromeOS 133. This feature ignores repeated keystrokes within a set time. So, if you struggle with shaky hands, it ensures that only the first press is registered, even if you press it multiple times within the set delay period.
It will add to Sticky Keys to broaden accessibility. Sticky Keys have been available on Chromebooks for some time, and you can easily use keyboard shortcuts by pressing one key at a time in sequence rather than holding down multiple keys at the same time.
Finally, there’s now expanded language support for screencasts, with over 50 languages available. English (US), English (Australian), English (UK), French, German, and more are included. You can create screen recordings and presentations with transcription and subtitles in a much broader range of languages.
To update your Chromebook and see these changes, ensure it’s connected to the internet. Then click the time in the bottom-right corner to open the system menu. From there, go to Settings > About ChromeOS > Check for updates. ChromeOS 133 should start downloading automatically.
