You can handwrite short or long text and annotate PDFs with a stylus on your Chromebook’s virtual keyboard.
Open the on-screen keyboard in tablet mode
If your Chromebook can be used as a tablet, the on-screen keyboard will automatically open when you flip the screen of your Chromebook over its hinge.
Use a stylus with your virtual keyboard
You can use a stylus to write longform content on a virtual keyboard.
- Open any text box or app that you can type in, like Docs or Gmail.
- Tap into the text box. The handwriting pad should appear.
- If you don’t see Handwrite: At the top of the virtual keyboard, tap the Right arrow , then Handwrite .
- Tap into the text box. The handwriting pad should appear.
- In the pad that appears, write text with your stylus.
- As you write, you can edit the text in your pad by using certain pad controls and gestures.
- Use keyboard pad controls to:
- Undo: On the right, tap Undo .
- Add a new line: On the right, tap Enter .
- Scroll: When you write past the third line, a scroll bar will appear on the right. Tap the scroll bar and slide the stylus up or down.
- Submit text: On the right, tap Done . The pad will clear.
- Use gestures to:
- Delete text: Strike, scribble on, or cross out a word, phrase, or line.
- Insert a word: Under the line between words, draw a Caret . You can also tap on or between words.
- Correct a word: Tap and hold a word, then tap a suggestion.
- Use keyboard pad controls to:
Edit submitted text
To edit text that’s in the app and no longer appears on the keyboard, you can use these pad controls:
- Backspace : In the app, delete the character that appears before the cursor.
- New line : In the app, create a new line.
- Space : In the app, create a new space where your cursor is.
Annotate PDFs with the stylus
You can mark a PDF file you’ve downloaded on your Chromebook. Learn how to find and open a file.
- Open your PDF file.
- At the top right, tap Annotate .
- In the toolbar that appears, select one of the following:
- Draw thin or thick lines: Double tap the Pen , then choose a color and size. To find more colors, tap the Down arrow .
- Highlight: Double tap the Highlighter , then choose a color and size. To find more colors, tap the Down arrow .
- Erase: Double tap the Eraser .
- Undo: To immediately cancel an action, tap Undo .You can tap it repeatedly to undo consecutive actions.
- Redo: To redo an action, tap Redo . You can tap it repeatedly to redo consecutive actions.