Chrome operating system also called the Chrome OS is designed by Google and it uses the Google Chrome web browser as its primary user interface in devices such as Chromebooks. Derived from the cursor in Chrome OS, which is free software, this OS is based on Gentoo Linux operating system.
Since its launch in 2009, the development of making it available for users in the form of laptops with Chrome OS resulted in the Chromebook in 2011. There are several features unexplored by many users, so in this article, we will be focusing on one such cool feature that allows altering the cursor in Chrome OS which not only looks good but helps to improve efficiency.
If you are planning to change your Chromebook theme then the starting point is more likely to change its wallpaper but the transformation need not stop right there. To improve the style of your Chromebook setup, you can alter the Chrome OS cursor size, change its color, or simply download the cursor of your choice. Apart from styling, the focus following feature of the cursor in Chrome OS is really useful and one of the appreciated features of the Linux browsers.
Change the Chrome OS Cursor Color and Size
The cursor modifications in Chrome OS are not vast when compared to the options or range of colors available in Windows 10. However, one can choose any color from the hex code colors that will apply to all the cursors such as the zoom cursor, text cursor, reposition symbols, etc. There are a total of eight colors from which one can choose or pick the style they want as their Chrome OS cursor color scheme.
These different color schemes are not only for aesthetics but it helps those with vision problems or to simply keep the cursor distinct from the background which is usually black and white in color, hence improving visibility. So, even while browsing among several web pages, the colored cursor will be easily visible.
To modify the Chrome OS cursor size for better functionality, follow these steps:
Step 1
On your Chromebook open the System Settings menu or the Settings option by clicking the gear-shaped icon and search for the Accessibility menu.
Step 2
The Accessibility menu is under the Advanced settings section. Choose the option Manage accessibility features from the new menu, followed by the Mouse and touchpad option.
Step 3
From this menu, you can either choose “Show large mouse cursor”, or the “Adjust cursor size” option to alter the size of the cursor.
Focus Follows Cursor in Chrome OS
This is yet another cool feature that the Chrome OS cursor functioning includes but many do not know about it. This makes this secretive yet helpful feature interesting. Those familiar with the Linux OS will find understanding the ‘Focus follows cursor’ feature easier. Here is the explanation for those who are new to the concept.
This feature improves efficiency and productivity as, unlike the conventional model where one has to click on a window before starting to work on it, this feature allows you to focus on the tools that a particular window houses when the user simply places the cursor on it.
For a better understanding, consider the following scenario, an example where you are working on a particular window or Window 1, which is a web browser, and there is another window or Window 2, which is a Word document.
While working on both these windows simultaneously, you can enjoy typing on Window 2 instead of clicking on it each time to change the focus from Window 1. So, whatever you type in the Window 2 will appear as the Chrome OS cursor supports the ‘Focus follows cursor’ feature rather than the ‘Click to focus’ feature.
The advantage of this unique feature is that it reduces the number of steps to work while transitioning between windows and makes the work efficient. Hence, simply moving the cursor and beginning working is possible. This is so useful that once the user gets the chance to use it they might wonder why other laptops or OS lack it as they would no longer seem as efficient as this.
So, Chrome OS users here are the steps to enable focus follows cursor on a Chromebook:
Step 1
On the Chromebook, open Chrome and type or copy, and paste this on its address bar – ‘chrome://flags/#focus-follows-cursor’. This will open up a window with the Focus follows cursor option.
Step 2
Click on the option to open the drop-down menu and choose the ‘Enabled’ option. One might not find the feature applicable to your Chrome until they restart the Chromebook to apply the change.
All these features are extremely useful and these cool hacks are not utilized by the majority. This allows you to perform efficiently while making the Chromebook stand out from the crowd. Try giving them a shot and choose what suits you the best. Apart from these modifications, one can also download the Chrome OS cursor.
Download Chrome OS Cursor
For Chrome OS cursor download, one requires third-party applications such as Custom Cursor or My Cursor that have huge collections of cursor styles in their libraries. This extends the possibility of finding your right cursor and it requires a Chrome extension for enabling the download in case of Linux or Android user interfaces. However, the cursor in these operating systems might change back to the default ones as these applications are not compatible with extensions in Chrome.
In this article, we have discussed some of the cool hacks that one can try with the cursor in Chrome OS to explore new styles and improve the efficiency of performance. Hope this was useful for you to customize your Chromebook as well as improving the functioning of the usual cursor.
Latest Articles