The must-have Chromebook apps are apps you should download and install on your Chromebook if it’s a new one or even an old one. Most times when people install new operating systems like Windows, Android, iOS and even macOS, most time the OS comes empty, and then you’ll start installing apps like web browsers, music players, antivirus apps, video players and lots more.
The same goes for Chromebook, there are some popular apps Chromebook users need to have and if you’re one of them, we’ve highlighted the best most used and must-have Chromebook apps in this article you’re reading on NaijaKnowHow.
List of The Best Most Used & Must-Have Chromebook Apps to Install
The following apps that are listed have been trending for a long time and they’re essential apps you’ll need to have on your Chromebook if you want to use it for professional activities.
1. Microsoft 365
Looking for something other than Google Drive for productivity-related work? Then Microsoft 365 is the app for you.
Microsoft has released a series of Chrome apps for its Office suite of products, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. All these apps do not get stored locally and also need an internet connection to work, but they will do everything you need them to and even more.
2. Canva
Here’s an app that won the Best App Award by Apple in 2021, so you know it’s one of the most used and must-have Chromebook apps available for you to use.
Canva is a great app when it comes to editing pictures and creating collages on the go. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro at editing, you can use Canva without encountering issues. With this app, you can make fliers, design logos, and do so much more. Recent updates have brought about some amazing new features like free templates, audio tracks, video suites, etc.
3. WhatsApp Web
WhatsApp is a very popular instant messaging app. With WhatsApp Web, you can use WhatsApp on your Chromebook without needing to have your phone with you or even nearby without breaking the end-to-end encryption.
The multi-link feature on WhatsApp helps you send and receive WhatsApp messages in the Chrome browser. In simple terms, with WhatsApp Web, you can use standalone WhatsApp on your Chromebook without any limitations whatsoever.
4. Squoosh
Squoosh is a wonderful web app that lets you compress images and even resize them without reducing the image quality at all. It uses the MozJPEG algorithm and others to compress images. It is an excellent utility that helps shrink large images. It can also be of help to people who want to upload images to websites without having the quality reduced. Apart from all these, the web app works perfectly with it without a data connection.
5. Squid
Squid is an app for students and educators to help them jot notes just like you would jot on paper. It’s an awesome Chrome OS app and it can help import images, scribble over the images, markup PDFs and do so much more.
Squid partnered with Google to help bring down low-ink latency. It feels exactly like you’re writing on paper and is heavily optimized for the Chromebook operating system.
6. Adobe Lightroom
Adobe Lightroom is an offline app that lets you adjust lighting, saturation, contrast and other parameters. Adobe Lightroom is the best Chrome operating system app in when it comes to doing things in this regard.
If you are a photographer and you need to enhance the look of your photos then Adobe Lightroom is the Chromebook app for you. It allows you to use both mouse and touch-screen controls so you can go deeper and edit your images better with great details.
7. Polarr
Polarr is a free photo editing app that is very extensive and easy to use, It is a very fast and free alternative to expensive photo editing apps like Adobe Photoshop and CC.
Polarr is close to those expensive and free photo editing apps. This app has good features and the photo editor has many of the same tools we’ve come to expect in the other apps. Add on a batch of publishing tools which help you get your photos out to the world, and you’ve got a Chromebook app that simply can’t be beaten.
8. iA Writer
iA Writer is a very popular app when it comes to serving writing purposes. It offers dark mode, dictation and also focus mode. It is popular among Windows and macOS users. The iA Writer app is designed in such a way that it focuses on your writing alone.
9. Google Keep
It’s yet another app that helps in jotting and taking notes for later use. Google Keep is one of the best in this area as it is designed for a bigger screen and also syncs with your Google account without any hassle. It’s also nice to install the Google Keep extension if you want to save websites fast and create tasks even while using the web.
10. Kami
Kami is a total and comprehensive package. It’s a chrome extension that helps students and teachers import any PDFs, documents and images. It also helps in annotating them. Kami has partnered with Google classroom to allow creation and syncing with Google Drive without any problems.
However, Kami isn’t completely free and you have to pay for even the most basic features. Apart from these payments, Kami is the best Chrome OS app available for you to create detailed notes or make videos for the internet.
Conclusion
As a Chromebook user, you should have these must-have Chromebook apps and install them. They’re very helpful regardless of what you use your Chromebook PC for.
