How to Update Your Chromebook

A Chromebook is a powerful and easy-to-use machine that runs on Chrome OS, an operating system developed by Google. You can do most of your work using a browser, which requires an internet connection. Therefore, it is crucial to update your Chromebook to keep your device safe and secure.

To ensure the safety and security of your Chromebook, software updates are crucial. These updates provide bug fixes, performance improvements, and the most recent security patches, resulting in seamless device operation. Additionally, it is important to update Linux and Android apps, as the latest Chromebooks support them.

How to Update Your Chromebook

When you update a Chromebook, you also update the Google Chrome browser. Here is a complete step-by-step guide on how to update your Chrome OS, Linux, and Android apps to the latest version.

By default, Chromebooks automatically check for the latest update and install it in the background. However, sometimes it may have issues. You can manually check for the update and install it when you want without affecting your workflow.

To check for and install the updates manually, you can follow the below methods:

1. Update Chrome OS on Your Chromebook

First, let’s discuss how you can update the Chromebook to the latest version of ChromeOS, as it is the main component of the device.

To do so, you can simply follow these straightforward steps:

1Step 1: Click on the App Launcher icon on your device, look for Settings, and open it.

2Step 2: Alternatively, you can also open Settings from the Quick Settings panel.

Screenshot not in the archive: Open Settings from Quick Menu

3Step 3: It will open the Settings window on the left pane; select the About ChromeOS tab.

4Step 4: Here you will find all the information about your Chrome OS, like which version of the Chrome operating system you are using on your Chromebook and more.

Screenshot not in the archive: About ChromeOS

5Step 5: Click the Check for Updates button to check for the latest Chrome OS update and security update.

6Step 6: Here, you can also check for firmware updates.

Screenshot not in the archive: Check for ChromeOS Update

7Step 7: If a new update is available, it will automatically download and install it on your Chromebook. The update process may take time; wait for the update to complete.

8Step 8: After your update process is completed, click on the Restart button to finish the update and wait for the reboot process to complete.

Screenshot not in the archive: Restart to Update Your Chromebook

Once the reboot is complete, you can use your Chromebook with new updates and features.

2. Update Linux on Your Chromebook

Chromebooks also support Linux installation. You can run Linux applications using the Linux Development Environment and play games like Minecraft on a Chromebook. So, running the latest version of Linux on your Chromebook is also important.

Here are the steps you can follow:

1Step 1: Launch the App Launcher app.

2Step 2: Now, look for a Linux apps folder. Open it and access the Terminal app from the app launcher.

Screenshot not in the archive: Opening Linux Terminal

3Step 3: The Terminal will open. Here, run the following command to update all the packages and dependencies:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Note: If you are getting the “dpkg was interrupted” error, you must manually run ‘sudo dpkg --configure -a‘ to correct the problem.

Screenshot not in the archive: Updating Linux on Chromebook

4Step 4: After updating packages, you can also update the Linux distribution to the latest version by running the following command:

sudo apt dist-upgrade -y

Screenshot not in the archive: Upgrading Linux Distro

5Step 5: Once the update process is complete, you can check the current Linux version on your Chromebook. For that, run this command:

cat /etc/os-release

Screenshot not in the archive: Checking Linux Version on Chromebook

3. Update Android Apps on Your Chromebook

The latest Chromebooks also support Android apps through Google Play, and some Android apps come pre-installed. So, it is equally important to update Android apps to ensure smooth Chromebook performance.

Here are the steps to update the Android apps:

1Step 1: Open the App Launcher.

2Step 2: Open the Google Play Store from the app launcher. Using it, you can update outdated applications and keep your Chromebook up-to-date.

Screenshot not in the archive: Opening Google Play Store on Chromebook

3Step 3: Click on your profile icon and select the Manage Apps & Device option.

Screenshot not in the archive: Managing Android Apps on Chromebook

4Step 4: Next, click on the Manage tab and select the Check for Updates option to download all the available updates.

Screenshot not in the archive: Update Android Apps

Conclusion

That’s it! This is how you can update your Chromebook, including updating ChromeOS, Android, and Linux. However, if you are wondering how to update the Google Chrome browser, let me tell you that the Chrome browser is a part of ChromeOS. So, when you update ChromeOS, it will also update the Chrome browser to the latest version.

Now, if you are looking to customize the Google Chrome browser with themes, plugins, and extensions, then you can check out our guide on how to customize Google Chrome on Chromebook to enhance the browsing experience.