ChromeOS 127 is now available for Chromebooks and brings some minor but important changes that aim to improve accessibility options and deliver productivity gains. While the update may not be the most eye-catching, it’s always nice to see a company continually updating its accessibility options.
Below we've listed the most exciting changes coming to your Chromebook at some point in the next few weeks.
We’ll start with one of our favorite updates in ChromeOS 127: improved PDF accessibility in the Gallery app on Chromebooks. This comes courtesy of an AI-powered OCR (optical character recognition) reader that makes PDFs more accessible for blind or low-vision users. Essentially, this feature intelligently organizes the PDF to make it easier for users to understand via ChromeVox, the built-in screen reader for Chromebooks.
You'll also notice a new feature called Read Aloud in Chrome's Reader mode. As the name suggests, this feature allows the user to have the content of the web browser read aloud. This is helpful for visually impaired users and those who need help understanding long articles.
Personally, this would be perfect for those long nights of research where I need to read large blocks of text while taking notes or even just to make it easier to listen to my favorite articles or stories while multitasking.
As for productivity improvements, the Gallery app has another update that will let you delete or reorder pages in your PDF documents with keyboard and mouse shortcuts. Chromebook users with Bluetooth headsets should note that ChromeOS 127 finally adds support for call control buttons on compatible hardware, so that’s great news — assuming your headset has the capability.
Finally, Chromebook users will no doubt be pleased to know that the firmware update app has been modified to offer clearer instructions for updating their peripherals. Additionally, the Classroom Glanceables widget will allow you to quickly view and access your upcoming class assignments with just one click on your Chromebook's home screen.
Through Chrome unboxed
