Skip to main content

Arrival of Android apps for ChromeOS forces introduction of new storage manager

chrome os gets storage manager
Image used with permission by copyright holder
No idea how much space is left on your Chromebook? An upcoming update will give you a quick way to check, which could prove useful in a world where users are all installing way too many Android apps.

Google employee François Beaufort posted a screenshot of the new Storage Manager on his Google+ page yesterday. The feature will prove crucial as Chromebooks become more capable of running local applications, thanks in no small part to Android app support on the platform.

Recommended Videos

The simple window lets users see how much space the internal hard drive offers, and how much is currently in use. There’s also a breakdown of what’s taking up the space, downloaded files, and files synced from Google Drive for offline access. Presumably another section will be added for Android apps.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Anyone using the Dev channel of Chrome OS updates can find the new feature by typing “chrome://flags” in the address bar and hitting enter, then toggling the “#enable-storage-manager” flag. Restart Chrome and a “Storage” button will be added to the Device section of the settings.

For a long time internal storage on a Chromebook was an afterthought, the devices being mostly intended for web browsing. The idea was that everything would be stored on Google’s cloud, with only a few files synced for offline usage.

Because of this, many Chromebooks offer very little hard drive space. 16GB is a typical base hard drive. But with support for Android applications posed to become widespread, more and more users might start filling their local hard drives with games and other applications.

So while it may seem strange that Chromebooks didn’t offer a storage manager until now, its addition points to a future where Chromebooks run a lot more local software. And if you’re looking to buy a Chromebook soon, it might be a good idea to pay attention to the hard drive space.

Justin Pot
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Justin's always had a passion for trying out new software, asking questions, and explaining things – tech journalism is the…
macOS Ventura launches with Stage Manager and redesigned apps
Stage manager in macOS Ventura.

Many months after being announced at WWDC 2022, macOS Ventura has now exited beta and is available to download for all.

In addition to a bright orange new wallpaper, the update comes with a number of new features, including Stage Manager, Continuity Camera, and a host of redesigned apps.

Read more
The Pixelbook dream may finally be gone for good
Google Pixelbook Go keyboard

Google's flagship Chromebook may finally be dead and gone, even before the line could make its official comeback.

A recent report from The Verge cites an unnamed source that claims Google has canceled work on a new Pixelbook and shut down the team working on the product. Pixelbook team members have supposedly been transferred to other positions. Google hasn't commented on the rumor; however, CEO Sundar Pichai's memo in July 2022 stated the company planned to slow hiring and cut some projects.

Read more
Chrome just added a great new way to protect your passwords
The Google Chrome logo on a black phone which is resting on a red book

Chrome will soon let you use biometric data to autofill forms online, according to Chrome Unboxed. This is something Safari has allowed for years on Mac, but if you use Chrome, you must confirm the details by reentering your password or receiving two-factor authentication notifications on another device.

The password flag was spotted in the Chromium Gerritt repository as an alternative way to authenticate yourself when autofilling your passwords stored in Chrome. It's not meant to be a replacement, and when it does roll out to the public, it appears to be a setting you need to turn on. That could change between now and then, of course.

Read more