If you find yourself knee-deep in open apps and windows on your Chromebook, you may want some help to find what you need. Chrome OS has a similar feature to “Task View” on Windows 10 and 11. Chrome OS calls it “Overview.” Let’s use it.
The “Overview” screen on Chromebooks is part of the “Virtual Desktops” feature. It’s simply a way to literally zoom out and see all the apps and windows you have open. From there, you can jump to one of the windows or switch to a different virtual “Desk” as well.
There are actually three different methods for launching the “Overview” screen: keyboard shortcut, trackpad gesture, and touchscreen gesture. We’ll show you all three.
If your Chromebook has a keyboard, there’s a dedicated key in the top row for “Overview.” Simply tap the key with an icon that looks like a square followed by two vertical lines. Tap again to leave “Overview.”
The second method uses the trackpad. With three fingers, swipe up from the bottom of the trackpad. Perform the gesture again to leave “Overview.”
The third and last method is for touchscreen Chromebooks. Swipe up from the line in the taskbar and hold for a second in the middle of the screen. Lift your finger to see the “Overview” screen.
That’s it! These three shortcuts will get you in and out of the “Overview” screen in a hurry. It’s a nice little trick to take a step back and see what’s going on. Chromebooks have a lot of shortcuts and gestures you may not know about.