Chrome OS 79 update brings lock screen media playback control, app management and more

Google will release Chrome OS updates every six weeks as usual. Recently, Google updated it to Chrome OS 79. If nothing else, this update is the last update in 2019. This update brings features such as media control and a unified application management center.

First, now you can control your media playback on the lock screen. Similar to iOS and Android, you can pause, play, and switch songs without unlocking your device. This function has been adapted for YouTube Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio and other applications. At the same time, this function also supports adjusting the audio played by the Chrome browser. Although Google said that it can only be used to adjust the audio, it is speculated that it should also be able to adjust the video sound.

Secondly, Google also added a unified application management page in Chrome OS, where you can view all the applications you have installed, and you can enter the settings interface of each application to modify permissions and notifications. This feature is almost the same as that on Android, and Google also said that it will make more improvements to Chrome OS’s application management features in the future.

Now you can use the Chrome OS Task Switcher on your tablet to scroll through all your open apps instead of displaying them all on one screen as before. Virtual desktops now support opening links you open on the current desktop only on the current desktop, rather than jumping to another desktop.

Google Chrome now supports tab freezing, which saves resources by freezing tabs that have been inactive for more than five minutes or longer. Google has also begun implementing HTTPS-based DNS to enhance the security of DNS connections, but it is currently only available to 1% of users.

Chrome OS 79 is expected to be rolled out to all supported devices in the next few days.