Enhance Productivity with Virtual Desks on ChromeOS
For enhanced productivity on your Chromebook, you can create and add virtual desktops, known as “desks” in ChromeOS. This feature is also available in many other operating systems like Windows and macOS.
With desks, you can create different workspaces for work, personal use, social media, and more. ChromeOS saves your desks as you left them, allowing you to move windows between desks, save desks for later, or combine desks. Managing desks is easy with keyboard shortcuts. Let’s explore how to create and manage desks on ChromeOS.
How to Create a Desk
There are two ways to create a desk on a Chromebook: using a keyboard shortcut or a trackpad gesture. Using the keyboard is often the easiest method.
Create a Desk with a Keyboard Shortcut
- Find the Show Windows Key:
- On your Chromebook keyboard, locate the Show windows key (usually the fifth key from the left in the top row).
- Create a New Desk:
- At the top middle of the screen, you’ll see a Desk 1 option. Click the + icon next to it to create a new desk.
- Give the desk a name and click the icon to switch to it.
Create a Desk with a Trackpad Gesture
- Use a Three-Finger Swipe:
- Swipe up from the bottom of the trackpad with three fingers to show your desks.
- Follow the same steps above to create a new desk.
How to Manage Your Desks
Managing desks in ChromeOS is straightforward. You can switch between desks, move windows and tabs to other desks, save desks for later, close desks, and combine desks.
Saving, Closing, and Combining Desks
- Close a Desk:
- Press the Show windows key, hover over the desk icon, and click the X.
- Save a Desk for Later:
- Press the Show windows key, choose Save desk for later. Saved desks will appear in the top-right under a Saved for later section.
- Combine a Desk:
- Press the Show windows key, hover over the window preview of the desk, and click the Combine with button next to the X.
Switching Between Desks
- Switch Desks:
- Press the Show windows key and select a desk from the list.
- Swipe left or right with four fingers on the touchpad.
- Use the keyboard shortcut: Shift + Search + [number].
Moving Windows and Tabs
- Move Windows to Another Desk:
- Press the Show windows key.
- Open the desk with the windows you want to move, drag the window or app to the desired desk icon.
- Alternatively, press the Alt button, right-click the title bar, and choose Move window to desk.
- Move Chrome Tabs:
- Right-click a tab (Alt + right-click) and choose Move tab to another window. Move that window to a separate desk following the steps above.
Keyboard Shortcuts for Desks on ChromeOS
Keyboard shortcuts can make managing desks easier. Here are some useful shortcuts:
| Keyboard Shortcut | Function |
|---|---|
| Shift + Search + = | Create a new desk |
| Search + [ | Switch to the desk on the left |
| Search + ] | Switch to the desk on the right |
| Shift + Search + [number] | Switch to a specific numbered desk |
| Shift + Search + A | Move a window to all desks |
Personal Experience with Desks on ChromeOS
Desks on ChromeOS are incredibly useful. For example, I keep two separate desks for work and social media. My work apps like Slack and AirTable are open on one desk, while my web browser with our content management system is on another. A third desk has my social media feeds and RSS feeds for keeping track of news. Desks are a fantastic feature of the always-updated and fresh Google desktop operating system.
