The whole point of cloud-based devices like Chromebooks is to give you a window on to the web that's as uncluttered and straightforward to use as possible. That means ChromeOS doesn't come with the masses of software and settings options that you'll find packed into Windows or macOS. However, it still offers a number of settings you can adjust to make it work better for you.

These customizations cover everything from making ChromeOS a little easier on the eyes with themes, to boosting your productivity by putting your most-used apps within easy reach. Spend a little while working on these tweaks, and you'll end up with a Chromebook that feel much more your own.

How to change wallpapers and themes on Chromebook

Wallpaper and screensaver settings. Credit: Lifehacker

Desktop wallpaper is perhaps the most obvious way to customize your computer, and it's not difficult to switch up your backdrop on ChromeOS: Click with two fingers on the touchpad while the cursor is on a blank area of the desktop, then choose Set wallpaper and style from the menu that pops up.

The next screen lets you customize the ChromeOS wallpaper and screensaver in a variety of ways. For the wallpaper, for example, you can pick a new image from your Google Drive or opt for a solid color—and if you're using a Chromebook Plus laptop, you can also use generative AI to create something completely new.

Next, adjust the theme of the Chrome browser in ChromeOS (you can do this in Chrome on Windows and macOS too). Click the three dots in the top right corner of any browser window, then navigate to Settings > Appearance > Themes. These themes change the colors of the Chrome menus, toolbars, tab header bar and more, and you can cycle between them as often as you like.

How to pin your most used apps in ChromeOS

Pinning apps to the shelf. Credit: Lifehacker

Gathering your most-used apps front and center can be hugely useful, saving you a little bit of time every time you access one of them. ChromeOS allows you to accomplish thin using the Pin setting. When you've got an app open on the ChromeOS shelf, click on it using a two-finger press on the touchpad, then choose Pin—that app will henceforth remain available on the shelf, even when it's not open.

You can do something similar with the apps in the app drawer that opens up when you click the circular Launcher button on the far left of the shelf: Click and drag the icons around to change their positions, putting your most-used ones up at the top, perhaps (the apps you've recently used are at the very top by default). You can also create folders by dragging app icons on top of one another.

One other taskbar tweak you might consider is changing where it appears on your screen. Place your cursor over the taskbar and click it with two fingers, then choose Shelf position. This allows you to move the taskbar to the left or right of the screen, rather than having it at the bottom. The Autohide shelf option on the same menu will hide the taskbar, Windows style, when it's not in use.

How to change your touchpad and keyboard settings in ChromeOS

Changing touchpad settings. Credit: Lifehacker

You're spend a lot of time using the touchpad and keyboard while you're operating your Chromebook, so you should customize them to your tastes. Click the time widget down in the bottom right corner, then the gear icon to access Settings and the Device menu, which has entries for the Touchpad and Keyboard.

Under Touchpad you can reverse the scrolling direction—absolutely essential for some, depending on what you're used to—and change the speed of movement registered by the touchpad too. There are also options for changing how a right-click is registered if you find two-finger clicking awkward

Head to the Keyboard menu to find more customization options: You're able to treat the top row of keys as function keys if you'd like, and change the actions that special keys such as Ctrl and Alt help to trigger. The keyboard repeat rate can also be configured from the same screen.

More ChromeOS settings you can adjust

Changing cursor size settings. Credit: Lifehacker

There are various other ways to customize ChromeOS. Click the time widget (bottom right), then the gear icon, then choose Search and Assistant; here it's possible to change your default search engine. Under Security and privacy, meanwhile, you can modify how the lock screen works (your can set Chromebook to automatically lock when the lid is shut, for example).

From the Apps screen, further down in settings, you can opt to have the apps that are open when you close down your Chromebook reappear when you boot it up again. Click Notifications to tailor the alerts that apps and ChromeOS itself are able to show you (and find a full guide to managing notifications on your Chromebook here).

The Accessibility menu has some useful customization options as well. It's possible to change the colors and zoom level used by ChromeOS, bring up an on-screen keyboard, change the size and color of the cursor, and more.

And one final customization worth mentioning: Click Advanced and Date and time from Settings, and you can switch between a 12-hour and 24-hour clock.

Google currently sells two smart displays, the second-gen, seven-inch Nest Hub and the first-gen, 10-inch Nest Hub Max—both are filled with so many functions that you may not have gotten around to using them to their full potential.

If you've been using your Nest Hub or a Nest Hub Max to simply check the time and weather, watch YouTube clips, and chatting with Google Assistant about random trivia, read on to learn a few useful commands to add to the rotation. (These were tested on the second-gen Nest Hub, but should also work on the Nest Hub Max, except where stated.)

1. Wake up gently

One of the reasons you might want to set an alarm on your Nest Hub rather than your phone is that you get more options for a gentle wake up: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen, tap the alarm icon (the clock symbol), then choose Set an alarm and pick a time.

On the next screen you can choose a gentle alarm tone, but there's also a Sunrise Alarm menu. Open that, and you can select a soothing gradient effect shown on the display (and any connected smart lights), as well as enabling a soothing pre-alarm sound.

2. Cast any media

Your Nest Hub will show up as a casting destination. Credit: Lifehacker

Your Nest Hub has Chromecast functionality built right in, so you can beam just about any kind of video and audio over from your phone, as long as both devices are on the same Wifi network. Just tap the cast button in your app of choice on your phone—you could send over movies from Plex, for example, or podcasts you're playing in Pocket Casts.

3. Use gesture control

Sometimes it's more convenient to use gesture controls, maybe when you're dozing in bed or have stuff all over your hands. In the Google Home app on your phone, tab on the hub, then tap the gear icon (top right) and Quick Gestures to get everything set up.

To pause media playback, for example, hold your palm up (Nest Hub Max) or tap the air in front of the display (Nest Hub). Alarms can be dismissed with a palm up (Nest Hub Max) or a wave (Nest Hub). You'll see a full list of supported gestures inside the Google Home app.

4. Broadcast a message

You can broadcast messages from the Communication screen. Credit: Lifehacker

If you've got a bunch of Nest speakers and displays at home, you can broadcast a message (like "dinner's ready" or "we leave in two minutes") to all of them at once. From your smart display, open Communication and choose Broadcast, then speak your message. If you want to talk directly to a specific speaker at home, choose Call another room instead.

5. Get your hub to recognize you

Set up voice recognition (Nest Hub) or face recognition (Nest Hub Max) to get personalized results—for questions about your Google Calendar schedule perhaps, or for listening to your own YouTube Music playlists. It's handy if you live with multiple people who all share the same hub.

This can be configured through the Google Home app by tapping on the Nest Hub you want to work with, tapping the gear icon (top right), and then choosing Recognition and sharing. You can choose which Google accounts get linked, and how recognition works.

6. Enable dark mode

Dark mode can be enabled manually or automatically. Credit: Lifehacker

Your Nest Hub comes with a dark mode you can make use of, if you find it easier on your eyes. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen, tap the gear icon for settings, and then choose Display. You can pick from Light, Dark, or Auto—that last one will automatically adjust the screen based on the time of day and the lighting conditions in the room.

7. Connect to your other smart devices

Any Google Assistant-compatible device that you can add to the Google Home app can also be controlled via your Nest Hub. If you head to the Home control screen on your smart display, you'll see all of your connected devices and their controls available.

You don't get quite as much control as you would in the individual companion apps for these devices, but there's still a lot to play around with: In the case of smart lights, for example, you can turn them on and off, and change their brightness levels and colors.

8. Create a digital photo frame

You've got several options for using the hub as a photo frame. Credit: Lifehacker

To turn your hub into a digital photo frame, select the device in the Google Home app, then tap the gear icon (top right) and choose Photo Frame. Here you'll be able to choose the images shown on your smart display: You can pick from images curated by Google, or from pictures stored in your Google Photos library (sorted by album or particular people).

9. Discover the Google Assistant

Don't neglect the tab on the far right of the Nest Hub home screens, which is titled Discover. It showcases some of the useful questions you can ask Google Assistant: You can bring up recipes, find nearby restaurants, open your photo library, and more.

These are just suggested examples though. Say "hey Google" and then ask anything you want to know—from how long it will take to drive somewhere, to what time sporting events start—and the Google Assistant will give you an answer right on screen.

10. Pair a bigger speaker

The hub can connect up to other speakers too. Credit: Lifehacker

The Nest Hubs have decent built-in speakers, but you can also pair them with bigger Bluetooth speakers if you need more audio oomph. Swipe up from the bottom of the display, tap the gear icon to open settings, then choose Bluetooth to pair a new device. You'll need to put your separate speaker in pairing mode in order to make the connection.

11. Track your sleep

This one only applies to the Nest Hub, because it has a tiny, built-in radar that can keep track of your tossing and turning in bed. To get started, tap Calibrate your device to get sleep data on the Wellness screen, and then follow the instructions for setting it up.

The Nest Hub does have to be fairly close to your bed for this to work, so a bedside table is ideal. Over time, you'll be shown details of your sleep duration, schedule, and quality—areas where you can improve your sleep routine will be highlighted for you.

Most of us will have all kinds of audio pumping out through our Windows PC speakers (or headphones)—but you don't necessarily want your background lo-fi chill-out mixes at the same volume level as the video calls, or your notification sounds playing quite as loudly as the podcasts you're listening to.

That's where individual app volume control comes in. Right out of the box, Windows has its own built-in options for making your own volume mix on your desktop or laptop. There are also third-party tools you can turn to, if the controls available in Windows aren't quite what you're looking for.

If you use macOS as well as Windows, you can control individual app volumes on Apple's desktop operating system too—we've written about that here.

Controlling volume levels in Windows

Volume slider options in Windows. Credit: Lifehacker

You've got a few choices when it comes to controlling the overall volume level in Windows: You can click on the volume icon on the far right-hand side of the taskbar and adjust the slider that pops up, or if you've got function keys you can hit F6 for volume down, F7 for volume up, and F5 for mute.

Plenty of keyboards come with dedicated volume keys as well, so you might be able to make use of those. Then of course you've got the volume controls on your speakers, your monitor, or your headphones—these physical dials can sometimes be the easiest and quickest way to turn down or turn up everything at once.

When it comes to controlling the volume of apps separately, you need to right-click on the volume icon on the taskbar, then choose Open volume mixer (you can get to this from System > Sound in Settings as well). You'll see volume sliders for each app you've currently got open, which you can adjust as needed. Click Reset to undo your changes and go back to the default levels.

You can even change which input and output device each program is using, by clicking on the little arrows to the right of each app name. You could have your music playing through your headphones, perhaps, while leaving system notifications and other audio to go through the speakers built into your monitor.

If you've got a hankering for the old Windows 10 volume mixer, it's still there in Windows 11 at the time of writing—you might prefer it if you've just upgraded. Search for "control panel" from the Start menu, launch it, then click Hardware and Sound and Adjust system volume to bring up the sliders.

Controlling volume levels with third-party apps

Volume slider options in EarTrumpet. Credit: Lifehacker

With Windows having its own built-in options for controlling volume levels, there's not so much of a need for third-party tools, but there are some out there worth mentioning. One is EarTrumpet, which you can download and use for free: It simply gives you individual volume sliders for every app that's running.

Once the utility is installed, you can click on its icon in the Notification Center (in the bottom right corner), to bring up the sliders. Right-click to get a few options and settings: You're able to adjust the volume levels from all of your connected audio outputs, as well as set up keyboard and mouse shortcuts for EarTrumpet if you need them.

Then there's another free app called Sound Lock. It's not quite the same in terms of functionality as EarTrumpet and the built-in Windows options, but it's along similar lines, and you might want to consider installing it if you need more control over volume levels—especially when it comes to a maximum volume.

You can't control the volume by app, but you can control it based on a channel (like stereo or 5.1), and you can control it based on an output device. If you don't want your external speakers going above a certain volume, for example, or need your headphones to be quieter than your speakers, Sound Lock can help.

It's also worth double-checking the software that comes with your computer, monitor, headphones, or speakers (or that's available as a download, if it's not already installed). Quite often, especially with more expensive headphones, you'll get custom utilities for controlling the audio mix of the output.

Notifications are an inescapable part of modern life at this point, but they can vary from the important to the irrelevant. Striking the right balance is key, so that you're not going to miss the alerts you need to see, but aren't bombarded and distracted by the ones you don't.

Phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, smart speakers, and more can all ping us with notifications, so it's worth taking some time to configure these interruptions in a way that works for you—whether it's on Android, on an iPhone, or whatever gadgets you have.

Here I'm going to dive into notification management on Chromebooks. While ChromeOS is essentially just a browser, any website you've visited can trigger a notification, as can any Android app you've installed, as well as ChromeOS itself. Here's how to stay on top of it all and keep Chromebook notifications under control.

Website notifications

Notifications can be on or off for specific sites. Credit: Lifehacker

Many websites will want to ping you with alerts about new articles, special offers, and more besides, and you'll sometimes see a request to allow notifications when you visit a site for the first time in ChromeOS, just below the address bar—choose Block or Allow on the dialog as you prefer.

To change permissions for a site, click the three dots inside a browser tab (top right), then Settings. Open the Privacy and security page, then select Site settings and Notifications. You'll see sites allowed to send notifications, and sites blocked from sending notifications—click Add at the top of either list to enter a new URL, if there's a site you specifically do or don't want to hear from.

For existing sites in the list, click the three dots next to the site name, then choose either Allow, Block, Edit, or Remove—so, for example, if you need to tweak the URL for the site you're stopping notifications from, you can do this here. If you remove a site from either of the lists, then you might get prompted to allow notifications again from that site.

At the top of the list you can set the default behavior when it comes to sites asking for notifications. You can choose to have these requests hidden if you want to, which means you'll specifically need to seek them out: If a site is asking for permission to send alerts, you should see a small bell icon in the address bar you can click.

You can also get to a site's notification settings via the icon on the far left of the address bar (it looks like two toggle switches)—click this to find a Notifications toggle switch (if alerts have been enabled or disabled). Follow the Site settings link for more options for the website—as well as notification settings, you're also able to set permissions such as location and camera access, as well as manage how pop-ups and ads are handled.

App notifications

App notifications are handled separately to websites. Credit: Lifehacker

When it comes to any web apps or Android apps you've decided to install on your Chromebook, the notifications for these are handled separately: Click the time widget down in the lower right corner, then the gear icon to bring up the main Settings panel. From there, select Security and privacy on the left.

Select Notifications to see a list of all the apps installed on your Chromebook, whether they're web apps you've pinned to the ChromeOS app drawer, or Android apps installed through the Play Store. Next to each app you can see a toggle switch—use this to control whether or not the app can send notifications.

At the top of the list you've got a Do not disturb toggle switch, which can be used to turn all notifications on or off—that covers websites, apps, and system messages sent by ChromeOS. You can still view notifications at any time by clicking on the small notification button to the left of the time and date on the ChromeOS shelf—it'll either be labeled with the number of unread notifications, or show the do not disturb circle icon, or not be there at all (if you've got no notifications).

Bear in mind that individual apps may have their own notification settings too, which can be managed inside the apps themselves. Instagram, for instance, gives you a wealth of options when it comes to which events trigger an alert: From your profile page, click the three horizontal lines (top right), then Notifications to make changes.

It's also worth noting you can find a Do not disturb tile on the panel that pops up when you click on the time (in the lower right corner). Once you've worked through notification settings for both websites and apps, you should be in a more manageable position in terms of only seeing what you want to see on your Chromebook.