Best Chromebook apps and Chromebook extensions

Your Chromebook is a safe, inexpensive, and simple portal to the internet but it can do so much more. Whether you want to get productive, have a little fun, or keep in touch you’ll find an app to help do it in the Chrome Web Store or through a Progressive Web App (PWA).

Here’s the short — and ever-changing — list of ones we think you have to try whether you have one of the best Chromebook models out there or an entry-level one. There are also a bunch of great Android apps for Chromebook that you’ll want to check out as well.

Hunker down and get some work done

Everyone needs some type of task management system. The days of just putting sticky notes everywhere are long gone, but thankfully, there are plenty of apps to pick and choose from to make sure you don’t forget the milk. There are also new and extremely useful tools for those who need more than just a list and want to focus more on “project management” instead of individual tasks.

Tools you didn’t know you needed

ChromeOS is an interesting adventure for everyone, and unless you dive into every nook and cranny, there are still tools that you didn’t know you needed. We’ve found some of the most useful options which range from showing basic system information to annotating those screenshots you keep sending your buddies.

Edit those photos

ChromeOS offers so much versatility now, especially with recent updates and the ability to use the built-in touch screen on certain Chromebooks. That makes photo creation and editing much easier to use, and there are plenty of options to pick from if you need to do some touch-ups, or are editing a library of pictures from start to finish.

Keep in touch

While RCS continues to roll out to more Android users, the rest of us are stuck using different platforms for keeping in touch with friends and family. There are plenty of messaging services to meet the needs of just about everyone, and there is a great selection of apps and PWAs that assist with keeping in contact.

Catch up on the news that matters most

Nobody likes to just sit in front of a TV waiting for some new story to make its way across the tube. Plus, you have to wait through different coverage angles until the news piece that you care about arrives. With the plethora of “news” and RSS apps available, you’ll never have to wait again — just refresh the page.

Sit back and let the words flow

Not everyone is a writer, but the art of pen and paper is slipping further and further out of grasp for many. That’s why word editors, markdown editors, and other word-processing apps are so popular. All of them have something different to offer, and in some cases, you can use one in your browser, without downloading anything, and have your documents synced in the cloud to pick up at a different time or different computer.

Don’t forget to entertain yourself

Whether you work 60 hours a week or just the standard 35-40, you need time to sit back and relax. Regardless of which format you prefer (music or video), there’s an app for you to either download from the Chrome Web Store or install from your favorite streaming service. There are even dedicated ChromeOS apps that allow users to watch movies stored locally or in a server on the network that you’re connected to.

Keeping it social

Social media leads the world today and it would be a difficult task to find someone who doesn’t use it in some capacity. Some of these apps used to be available in the Web Store but were transitioned to becoming a PWA in favor of being lightweight and fast. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to keep up with your favorite social media platform with the following apps.

More than just chatbots

AI is all the rage nowadays, and it’s all thanks to OpenAI. Since ChatGPT exploded onto the scene, new AI apps and extensions have been released on what seems to be a daily basis. However, not every app or extension is the same, so we’re rounding up just a few trusted options.

The list will continue to grow

In 2022, Google closed the doors on its old Web App Store, which looked very outdated and didn’t match the aesthetic of Google’s other services. In late 2023, the new Chrome Web Store was introduced, sporting a Material You redesign, while also making it much easier to browse and discover new extensions or themes.