Chromebook for Seniors — Your First Week

What a Chromebook Actually Is

A Chromebook is a computer that is mostly one thing: the Chrome web browser. That single idea is the secret to why it is so easy.

On an older Windows computer, you installed lots of separate programs, and any one of them could act up. A Chromebook leans on the web instead. Your email, your photos, your video calls, and your documents mostly live online and open right inside the browser.

• Less to break: fewer programs means fewer problems.
• Fewer viruses: Chromebooks are built with strong protection and rarely catch them.
• Automatic updates: it quietly keeps itself current.
• Fast start: it wakes up in just a few seconds.

Unboxing and Knowing the Parts

Let's get familiar with the machine in front of you. There are only a few parts to know, and none of them are scary.

Along the sides you will find a few small slots called ports. These are for the charger, headphones, or a USB stick. You do not need to use them to get started.

Turning It On and Signing In

The first time you open the lid, the Chromebook walks you through a short setup. Take it slow; there is no rush.

A Google Account is simply a free email address (ending in gmail.com) plus a password. It is your key to the Chromebook, and it keeps your email, contacts, and photos in one safe place.

• Choose your language and click 'Get started'.
• Connect to Wi-Fi (next page explains this).
• Type your Google email and password to sign in.
• No account? Click 'Create account' and follow the steps.
• Agree to the terms and you are in.

The Desktop, Shelf, and Launcher

Once you sign in, you see the desktop. Here are the three spots you will use most.

Click the Launcher circle to see every app you have. Click the time and battery at the bottom-right to open Quick Settings, where you control Wi-Fi, sound, and brightness.

Connecting to Your Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is how your Chromebook reaches the internet without any cables. You connect once, and it remembers your home network from then on.

Your Wi-Fi password is usually printed on a sticker on the back or bottom of your internet box (the router). It is not the same as your Google password.

• Click the time and battery at the bottom-right.
• Click the Wi-Fi symbol (it looks like a fan of curved lines).
• Find your network name in the list and click it.
• Type the Wi-Fi password exactly, capital letters and all.
• Click 'Connect'. The symbol fills in when you are online.

The Touchpad and Keyboard

The touchpad is the smooth rectangle below the keys. It moves the arrow, called the cursor, around the screen. These few moves are all you need.

The keyboard is mostly familiar. One nice change: where the old 'Caps Lock' used to be, there is a Search or Launcher key that opens your apps.

Opening the Web and Saving Favorites

Chrome is your window to the whole internet. Let's open it and save the sites you visit most.

A bookmark is a saved shortcut to a page you like. Click the little star at the right end of the top bar, then click 'Done'. Your bookmarks appear in a row for one-click return.

• Click the Chrome icon (a round red, yellow, green, and blue ball).
• Click the long bar at the top and type a site, like weather.com.
• Press Enter. The page loads.
• To search for anything, just type your question there instead.

Gmail and Web Email

Email on a Chromebook lives in the browser, so there is nothing extra to install. If your account ends in gmail.com, you already have Gmail.

Have an email address from your provider or Yahoo instead? You can still read it in the browser by going to their website and signing in there.

• Open Chrome and go to gmail.com.
• Your inbox appears; new messages are in bold.
• Click a message to read it.
• Click 'Reply' to write back, then click 'Send'.
• Click 'Compose' to start a brand-new message.

Installing Apps from Google Play

Most of what you need already works in the browser, but you can add extra apps from the Google Play Store, the same shop used on Android phones.

Good starter apps include ones you may know from a phone, such as a weather app or a card-game app. Free apps are marked 'Install'; paid ones show a price.

• Open the Launcher and click 'Play Store'.
• Type the name of the app you want in the search bar.
• Click the app, then click the green 'Install' button.
• Wait a moment; it appears in your Launcher when done.

Updates Happen on Their Own

One of the best parts of a Chromebook is that it keeps itself up to date quietly in the background. You rarely have to do a thing.

When an update is ready, you may see a small arrow near the clock. You can click it and choose 'Restart to update', or simply let it install the next time you turn the machine off and on.

• They add small improvements and fix little glitches.
• They keep your safety protection current.
• They are free and made by Google, so they are safe to accept.

Making Text Bigger and Easier

You do not have to squint. A Chromebook has friendly settings that make everything larger and clearer, and they are quick to turn on.

To find these, click the time at the bottom-right, then the gear for Settings, then 'Accessibility'. Turn on 'Always show accessibility options' to keep them handy.

Battery and Charging

A Chromebook runs on a battery, like a phone. Most last most of a day on one charge, so you can carry it from room to room.

It is perfectly safe to leave it plugged in. Modern Chromebooks stop charging on their own when the battery is full, so you cannot 'overfill' it.

• The battery symbol by the clock shows how much charge is left.
• Plug in the charger when it drops low; it is fine to use while charging.
• You do not need to drain it fully before charging.
• Closing the lid puts it to sleep and saves power.

Looking at Your Photos

If you take pictures on a phone that uses the same Google Account, they can appear on your Chromebook automatically through Google Photos.

You can also plug a USB stick or an SD card from a camera into the side and open the Files app to see the pictures on it.

• Open Chrome and go to photos.google.com.
• Sign in if asked, using your Google Account.
• Your pictures appear, newest first.
• Click any photo to see it big.
• Use the arrows to move to the next or previous one.

Seeing Family on Video Calls

Your Chromebook has a small camera and microphone built in, so you can see and hear family face to face. It is one of the most joyful things it does.

Popular free choices are Google Meet (works in the browser) and Zoom (from the Play Store). Ask your family which one they use, and match it.

• Open the call link your family sends, or start a new meeting.
• Allow the camera and microphone when it asks.
• Check that you can see yourself in the little window.
• Click 'Join' and say hello.

Where Your Things Are Saved

On a Chromebook, most of your things save automatically to the web in a free space called Google Drive. That means they are safe even if the machine is ever lost.

The Files app in your Launcher lets you see all of these in one window. You will not need it often, but it is nice to know where things are.

Simple Fixes When Something Sticks

Every so often a machine gets confused. The good news: almost everything is fixed by one of these calm, simple steps.

When all else fails, the oldest trick still works best: turn the Chromebook fully off, count to ten, and turn it back on. It solves more than you would expect.

Spotting Scams and Fake Warnings

The single most important page in this guide. Scammers try to scare people into paying or giving control of their computer. Knowing their tricks keeps you safe.

Because Chromebooks are built with strong protection and almost never catch viruses, any pop-up screaming that you have a virus is a lie designed to frighten you.

• No real company will phone you about a virus out of the blue.
• Never let a stranger take remote control of your screen.
• Never pay anyone in gift cards; that is always a scam.
• When frightened or unsure, hang up and call me or family.

A Simple Daily Routine

You do not have to do everything at once. A small, steady routine builds comfort faster than a big cram session.

Do this for a week and the Chromebook will start to feel like an old friend. Little by little, the steps become second nature.

• Open the lid and let it wake up.
• Check your email at gmail.com.
• Look at the weather or the news.
• Peek at any new photos from family.
• Try one new thing from this guide.
• Close the lid when you are done.

What's in the 27-page PDF

• What a Chromebook really is, in plain words
• Turning it on and signing in the first time
• Getting onto your home Wi-Fi
• Using the touchpad, keyboard, and the web
• Email, apps, and making the text bigger
• Staying safe from fake 'virus' scares

Why I wrote this

I write these as printable handouts because a guide you can keep in a drawer beats a web page you have to find again. No jargon, no judgment, no rushing. If you'd rather have someone sit beside you and go through it together, that's a flat $99 first visit with the 30-day follow-up included — serving Portage County from Atwater, Ohio. — Bill