Find & organize apps

If you've installed apps from the Google Play Store or the Chrome Web Store, here are tips to quickly find and organize them.

Find Apps for your Chromebook

Find an app

To search for an app on your Chromebook:

  1. On your keyboard, press the Search key  or the Launcher key .
  2. Enter the name of the app you want and find the app in your search results.

Open an app

  1. In the corner of your screen, select the Launcher .
  2. Find an app that you'd like to open.
    • Choose an app from your recently used apps
    • Scroll to find all of your apps
    • Use the Launcher to search for apps
  3. To open the app, select the app icon.
Tip: You can also share content from apps. Learn how to share files with nearby Android and Chromebook devices.

Manage how your apps open links

To control whether links open within your app or in a new browser tab within Chrome:
  1. At the bottom right, select the time.
  2. Select Settings and then Apps and then Manage your apps.
  3. Select an app.
  4. Under “Opening supported links,” select whether you want links to open in the app or within Chrome.
If you can’t change this setting or it’s dim, your app is set to open links within Chrome. To have your app open links within a new app window:
  1. In the corner of your screen, select the Launcher .
  2.  Right-click the app icon.
  3. Select New tab and then New window.

Use app shortcuts

Some apps offer shortcuts to a specific feature or action within the app.

Find app shortcuts:

  1. In the corner of your screen, select the Launcher .
  2. Right-click on the app. Find app shortcuts from the Down arrow Down arrow.
    • For example: When you right-click on YouTube YouTube, you find Subscriptions . When you select Subscriptions, you go to your Subscriptions page on YouTube. 

Use search for another way to find app shortcuts:

  1. In the corner of your screen, select the Launcher .
  2. Enter keywords in the search box. If a shortcut is available, it appears just below the search box.
    • For example: When you enter "trending" in the search box, you find what videos are trending on YouTube.

Organize your apps

Put apps in folders
  • Put apps together in a folder: Drag an app on top of another app.
  • Name a folder: Click the folder.
Move apps around
Click and hold an app, then drag it.
Reorder apps by name or color
  1. In the corner of your screen, select the Launcher .
  2. Right-click in the launcher or on the app you want to reorder.
  3. Select Sort by and then Name or Color.

Manage app notifications

  1. At the bottom right, select the time. 
  2. Select Settings Settings and then Apps and then Notifications
  3. Turn on or off Notifications for your apps. 
Tip: To silence all app notifications, turn on Do not disturb. To silence all app notifications another way, select the time and then Notifications.

Learn more about apps

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