Google adds ‘Chrome OS’ mode to Chrome for Windows 7

Google incorporated a simplified Chrome OS mode into the latest experimental Canary release of Chrome for Windows 7 users. It is not yet clear whether the feature will also be available in stable builds in the long term.

In Chrome build 39.0.2144.2 on Windows 7 it is possible to activate the option ‘restart Chrome in Chrome OS mode’ in the main menu. The browser activates a maximized window after the restart and then displays an interface that is almost identical to Google’s desktop operating system Chrome OS. For example, an application launcher can be seen with which various Google services can be started. However, the Windows taskbar remains visible.

According to Google, the Chrome OS mode of its desktop browser offers a ‘pleasant user experience’ in Windows 7. It is unclear whether Google will eventually implement the experimental feature in a later stable release of the browser.

Google already activated a similar mode for Windows 8. Chrome uses the option to start the browser in the Modern UI environment, previously known as Metro. The user must then have Chrome activated as the default browser.