The common misconception about ChomeOS is that it's an uninteresting operating system with minimal app support. This is entirely false. While it's true that ChromeOS is incredibly lightweight and without a lot of frills on the surface, there's a ton of support for excellent web apps, Chrome extensions, Android apps, and Linux apps available. With these apps, you can do just about anything, whether you want to play games, edit photos, or even develop new apps.

Whether you're brand new to ChromeOS or a seasoned veteran, it's always fun to try out new apps on your new Chromebook. There's something for everyone.

1 Google Drive

For cloud storage

If you're looking for a cloud-based storage solution on ChromeOS, Google Drive is the default choice. With Google Drive, you get tight integration with ChromeOS and a simple interface across all of your devices. There's also an Android app for Drive, but the PWA feels spacious on a Chromebook.

• Open Google Drive

2 Google Keep

For taking note of things

Taking notes or saving links is a breeze with Google Keep, another excellent ChromeOS Web app that feels more natural on a Chromebook in web app form. You can organize lists and doodles, and sync it all across devices. Google Keep also supports dark mode as a web app, so you won't need to burn your retinas while using it.

• Try Google Keep

3 Microsoft 365

Office work and more

The best option for running Microsoft Office on a Chromebook is via the Microsoft 365 web app suite. Microsoft no longer allows you to install the Android version of Office on Chromebooks, so this is the go-to way to get Office on ChromeOS. You can use Office for the Web in your browser to create, edit, and collaborate on files from your Chromebook in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Forms, and many more. All of these web apps have limited free functionality, but you'll need to pay for a Microsoft 365 subscription to get the full feature set. If you're a student or teacher, you can likely get Office for free through your school or university.

Those planning to use the web app approach to Office should consider adding shortcuts for the web apps to your app drawer. You can also pin them to your shelf if you want Office just a click away. There's also a nifty Chrome extension for Microsoft Office, allowing even easier access right inside your browser.

• Try Microsoft 365

4 YouTube Music

Enjoy your favorite tunes

There are numerous choices for streaming music on your Chromebook. Pretty much every music streaming service has a PWA, from Spotify, Apple Music, and even Tidal. But YouTube Music is a compelling option for Chromebook users due to the tight connection with Google Services.

• Try YouTube Music

5 Chrome Remote Desktop

Access your PC or Mac on your Chromebook

If you own a secondary PC or Mac system and want to remotely access it on your Chromebook (or vice versa), Chrome Remote Desktop is the way to go. This web app lets you view the screen of your PC or Mac right on your Chromebook (and the other way around, too). Setup is quick and easy, and once you're up and running, you'll have full access to those systems right on your Chromebook. You even can scale the feed to match your Chromebook's screen and make it look like you're natively running those operating systems on your device.

• Try Chrome Remote Desktop

6 Pixlr

Edit photos in your web browser

A popular myth is that ChromeOS has virtually zero options for photo editing. There are actually a number of quality web apps that can help in the photo department. Pixlr is perhaps the most beautifully designed and offers familiar features for those who use Photoshop. You get the ability to use layers, wand, lasso, mask tools, and more. Just note there are daily export limits without a premium plan.

• Try Pixlr

7 Caret

For editing text

Caret is probably the best professional text editor on ChromeOS for programmers, especially if you program in a variety of languages like Java, C++, or Python. You get highlighting for syntax-specific sequences in each language, and there are multiple themes to choose from. If you're switching to ChromeOS, this might be your new favorite text editor.

• Add Caret to Chrome

8 Screencastify

Record your screen

Screencastify is a great tool for teachers and professors at the high school or college level. You can record your screen with picture-in-picture webcam support. This app is perfect for lectures or general tutorial videos if you make YouTube videos. Unfortunately, you need a subscription fee for videos longer than five minutes. You can still use the app for free while recording longer videos, but they'll be watermarked.

• Add Screencastify to Chrome

9 Cog-System info viewer

View system specs and more

ChromeOS makes it relatively difficult to get basic information about your Chromebook's hardware, like its RAM or CPU cores. It's possible, but the information is buried and doesn't have a nice graphical UI like Windows or macOS. Cog is an extension that solves that problem by giving easy access to your system information whenever you want.

• Add COG to Chrome

10 DocuSign

Sign documents

You've probably used DocuSign at some point in your digital life. It's very common to receive official documents for digital signing, and DocuSign is the leader in this area. With this Chrome extension, you can send documents to request a signature, sign documents within Google Drive, and save copies for future viewing.

• Add Docusign to Chrome