Google tests launcher for Chrome OS that works well with touchscreens

Google is working on a launcher for Chrome OS that is easy to operate with touch-sensitive screens. The new launcher is still in the testing phase. It is very different from the existing launcher and takes up the entire width of the screen.

The existing Chrome OS launcher shows a square window in the middle of the screen, with a search window in the center and the apps below. An experimental version of Chrome OS shows a new launcher of Google’s operating system with a changed interface.

The launcher, which Google calls “Peek Launcher,” takes up the entire width of the bottom of the screen, covering the underlying desktop with a black window. However, the search window is still centrally located in the middle. Anyone who starts typing will immediately see relevant apps with search results below. According to Google, the home screen is not only optimized for touch, but also offers more space for ‘upcoming applications’.

Below the search window, the OS shows suggestions of already installed apps and below that is a button that makes the window slide up to give an overview of all apps. This window can also be called up by swiping from bottom to top with a touchscreen. The new launcher can only be activated on canary builds of Chrome OS by activating the flag ‘fullscreen-app-list’.

It is not known whether Google intends to bring the design to Chromebooks in its current form. More and more manufacturers are releasing Chromebooks with touchscreens, especially because the OS on many laptops now includes the Play Store and therefore Android apps. Google has reportedly stopped trying to merge Android and Chrome OS. There is a possibility that the developer is focusing on making Chrome OS more ‘touch-friendly’. The developer François Beaufort unveiled the new launcher.