Chromebooks are now well-established in the computing space. While they were once seen as glorified web browsers, they are now full-fledged computing devices competing with Windows and macOS devices. The most premium Chromebooks even have great AI features, powered by Google Gemini, that outpace Windows and macOS in functionality. This guide looks at the Gemini AI features offered on Chromebook Plus devices and how to use them.
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Help me write
Have you ever written something and couldn’t figure out what to write next? Do you feel like you’ve written something that you worded too aggressively? This is where the Help me write feature comes in. Help me write can help you complete a thought, improve your writing, or word a document differently to convey your message better. This feature has been available in Gmail and other Google services for a while and recently made its way to Chromebook Plus devices.
With a Chromebook Plus device, Help me write is just a right-click away. When you turn on the feature, go to any open textbox on your device and right-click. You can right-click a blank text field or highlight the text you wrote and right-click it. When you right-click your text or the open text box, you’ll see an option to Help me write. You can write a prompt for the AI to help you write or change your text. When you’re done with your prompt, select Enter, and you’re shown a few responses to choose from.
To turn on the feature:
- Open a Chrome window.
- Tap the overflow menu (the three dots) in the upper-right corner.
- Select Settings at the bottom of the list.
- Tap Experimental AI on the left.
- Turn on Try out experimental AI features.
After activating this, Help me write appears when you need it.
Magic Editor
Magic Editor debuted on the Google Pixel 8 series and became available to all Google Photos users in June 2024. Magic Editor allows you to manipulate photos by erasing or moving people or items. It includes other features like changing the sky or filling in photos to make them rectangular if you rotate them. To use this feature, download the Google Photos app from the Play Store to your Chromebook. Then, follow the steps below to use the feature.
- Launch the Google Photos Android app on your Chromebook Plus device.
- Select a photo.
- Tap the Edit button (shaped like some sliders) at the bottom.
- Select the Magic Editor button in the upper-left corner.
- You may be prompted to download additional data to use the feature. Confirm the download and select Try now when prompted that you’re trying experimental features.
- To erase something, highlight or circle it and select Erase.
- To move something, select it and click and hold until it’s highlighted. Then, move it to where you’d like on the screen.
- To modify images, tap the modify button and add or subtract from the selected element.
AI-generated wallpapers and video call backgrounds
We like to customize our devices, which Google makes easier with Material You theming. This theming takes colors from your background (or a color you select) and themes your device’s menus and UI elements around these colors. You need a great wallpaper to make the most of this feature. While Chromebooks come with many wonderful wallpapers by default, you may want something more. That’s where AI-generated wallpapers come in.
Chromebooks can use Gemini AI to generate a background based on a prompt you give it. Say you want a background with a “cabin on a peaceful New England beach.” Gemini uses this prompt to generate a few wallpaper options for you. To generate wallpapers:
- Right-click your current wallpaper.
- Select Set wallpaper & style.
- Select Wallpaper.
- Choose Create with AI.
- Tap Got it on the prompt that pops up.
- Select a style for your wallpaper from the list provided.
- When you select a style, you’re given an initial prompt. You can choose any underlined words and select from a preset list of options. Change the part of the prompt to the options that best suit what you’re looking for.
- After choosing your prompt, select Create. A list of options appears. If you don’t like the options, select Recreate to have Gemini generate a new list of options.
Now, you’ll have a new AI-generated wallpaper that you can change anytime. You can also select Inspire Me to display a random prompt with options. Since you can only edit these given sentences, it isn’t a fully-fledged way to create AI wallpapers. Still, it works well for what it does.
You can also use this feature to create backgrounds for meetings you participate in. Tap the arrow next to the video icon on the right of your shelf and select the Image option. After selecting this option, you’re brought to the same screen you use to generate a wallpaper.
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Access Gemini from your shelf
The last and perhaps simplest AI feature available on Chromebook Plus devices is access to Gemini from your Chromebook’s shelf. The Chromebook’s shelf is the persistent area at the bottom of your screen where you can pin apps and websites for quick and easy access.
Chromebook Plus devices now have Google’s Gemini AI pinned to the shelf automatically. Tap the Gemini icon, shaped like a blue star in the middle of a white background, and your Chromebook pulls up the Gemini app, just like how you can access it on your browser.
You can use this app to ask questions and generate text for things like a workout plan or an email. Chromebook Plus devices also come with a free year of the Gemini Advanced model, which you can toggle between in the upper-right corner.
Chromebooks, now with AI superpowers
Chromebooks are great productivity and entertainment devices used by students, professionals, and people in their homes for everything from work to watching Netflix. With a Chromebook Plus, these AI features can help you get work done quickly and efficiently and can help you customize your device and experience to make it feel a little better. Try our ChromeOS multitasking features to be even more productive with your Chromebook.
