ChromeOS 125 OOBE highlights AI features at initial setup

ChromeOS 125 is here, and if you’re unboxing a shiny new Chromebook Plus or power-washing your device, you’ll notice a few pages during the onboarding setup dedicated to the new AI features available on Chromebook Plus! Google has been improving the OOBE (out-of-box experience) on Chromebooks for a while and these two pages build on that for Chromebook Plus devices and, not surprisingly, bring AI front and center for new users from the moment you open your new device.

If you’re not sure exactly what I’m referring to, the OOBE for Chromebooks is the set of screens that are part of the onboarding walkthrough. It’s designed to help users find their way around the most basic parts of the initial setup for a new device.

For all of those users out there who haven’t been following our full coverage from the Google Chromebook Showcase event and the announcements yesterday, the OOBE is a great place to see some of those new features and all the things you can do on on a Chromebook right from the get-go. So, let’s dive into the new OOBE pages that Chromebook Plus users will now see moving forward.

The first screen is all about using AI to be creative and productive on your Chromebook Plus. The slides on this page highlight Help me write, AI wallpapers, and AI backgrounds. These OS-level generative AI features are here to help you wherever you are on your Chromebook Plus, whether you need help refining a work email, trying to find a one-of-a-kind background for your new device or want a unique backdrop for your next video call.

The next new screen in the OOBE highlights the fact that the Gemini chatbot is now available as an app on the shelf of your Chromebook Plus. Although this pinned PWA doesn’t offer much more than the website does, the quick access convenience of having the app right there on the shelf will certainly encourage users to try it out.

I’m very surprised to see Google not promoting the bigger Gemini news, which is that new Chromebook Plus devices come with Gemini Advanced, Google’s most sophisticated chatbot, free for one year. This perk is part of the Google One AI Premium plan that normally costs $20 per month, so it seems like something that they might want to let new users know about right out of the box. There is a notification that pops up in the corner when you first launch Gemini to claim the perk, but I would think Google would want to highlight this perk in the OOBE since there is a page dedicated to Gemini already.

There you have it – those are the new pages that just showed up in the OOBE this morning with ChromeOS 125. For those who want to explore all of the new features announced yesterday, be sure to check out our in-depth post and video dedicated to software. We’ve been following the development of these OS-level AI features since they were first teased back in October, and it’s exciting to see them finally rolling out with such a prominent place in the setup experience.