A smartphone and a laptop – many of us have these two devices in our lives. If they happen to be an Android phone and a Chromebook, the Phone Hub feature makes them work together. Let’s show you how it works.
The “Phone Hub” feature was introduced in Chrome OS 89. It allows you to move easily between the phone and the laptop. This includes synchronized notifications and control of certain things on your phone from your Chromebook.
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First, you’ll need to connect your Android phone to your Chromebook through your computer’s Settings menu. To do this, click on the clock on your Chromebook’s navigation bar (known as “Shelf”) to open the Quick Settings panel. Select the gear icon to open Settings.
In the Settings menu, go to the “Connected devices” tab in the sidebar.
You will see “Android Phone” listed here. Click the “Configure” button to start the process.
A new window will open with a drop-down menu that lists the active Android devices associated with your Google account. Select the one you want to use and click “Accept and continue”.
Enter your Google account password and click “Done”.
If your devices communicate and authenticate correctly, the two will be connected. Click “Done” to return to the Chromebook Settings menu.
Your phone’s name will now be listed in the “Connected devices” section. Select it to continue.
Here are all the settings that belong to your connected Android device. First, make sure that “Phone Hub” is activated.
There are two toggle buttons on the “Phone Hub” for additional features. Enable the ones you want to use.
- Notifications: Notifications for “chat apps” on your connected device will appear on your Chromebook.
- Recent Chrome guides: If you use Chrome on your Android device, your recent tabs will appear in the Hub.
With the steps above completed, you’ll see a phone icon appear on your Chromebook’s shelf. Click on it to open the Phone Hub.
There are some things going on at the switchboard, so let’s look at them. Starting at the top, you can see your Android device’s name, signal strength and battery level. The gear icon will take you directly to the settings we discussed earlier.
The middle section has some action buttons that can control your connected Android device.
- Enable Hotspot: If your phone is compatible and you have enabled instant tethering on your Chromebook, your computer will connect to your phone’s Internet.
- Mute phone: Mutes the ringer and notification sounds on your Android device.
- Locate your phone: It rings your phone loudly so you can easily find it.
Finally, the bottom section shows the two most recent tabs you’ve accessed in the Google Chrome browser on your Android device. Just select one to open the page on your Chromebook.
That’s all there is to do! You’ll receive notifications from your Android device on your Chromebook, and all of these tools are just a click away. We hope Phone Hub helps you not have to pick up your phone so often when using your Chromebook.
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