Top Chromebook Apps for 2020

A long-running favorite in the Web Store, Chrome Remote Desktop lets you access any other computer using Google's browser (with permission, of course) or vice versa. The app comes in very handy for providing support to a colleague, friend or relative no matter if they're right around the corner or halfway around the world. It's also helpful for accessing your own files from a remote location.

Adding your John Hancock to a contract or other type of document used to mean physically putting pen to paper and then either handing it to its recipient or dropping it in the mail. With eSignatures now serving as legally binding in most scenarios, you can sign and submit documents in mere seconds right from your Chromebook.

Integrated with Google Drive and Gmail, the DocuSign app lets you sign PDF documents instantly from right within your email interface.

DocuSign's feature set is even more robust when it comes to configuring your own documents for others to sign, allowing you to specify locations that require a signature and send it right to the recipient's email address. In just a couple of clicks, they'll be able to fully execute a document and send it right back to you–with DocuSign's real-time status letting you know when they've viewed and signed on their end. 

Spotify provides access to a vast music library containing millions of titles, searchable by song, album or artist name as well as by genre. The app transforms your Chromebook into a compendium of beats that no deejay can match, letting you sing along to your favorites while discovering tunes that you've never heard before.

One of the more frustrating aspects of modern-day messaging is that it sometimes feels like everyone is using a different communication method, making it hard to avoid the clutter of multiple programs if you want to stay in touch with those in your circle. All-in-One Messenger goes a long way in solving that problem by letting you access over two dozen chat and messenger services from a central location, including popular options like WhatsApp and as well as some lesser-known alternatives. Installing this app provides the ability to reach virtually anyone from your Chromebook, no matter their service of choice.

Many Chromebook users tend to own other devices as well, such as smartphones or tablets and even additional computers running a different operating system like Windows or macOS. This means that their files are usually all over the place, and having one repository that supports all platforms is important.

Enter the Dropbox app, which provides access to a cloud-based repository for all of your photos, videos and any other file types through an intuitive interface that fits right in on your Chromebook. You can access or store anything using the app and your free Dropbox account, which allows a significant amount of storage space before you have to pay a fee.

Speaking of free space, that's another issue that Chromebook users often encounter with smaller hard drives–a situation that can also be resolved with Dropbox. The app is also useful for sharing larger files or groups of smaller files with people other than yourself and allows them to share with you as well.

While this app is fun like its moniker suggests, Webcam Toy is also a pretty powerful addition to your Chromebook's built-in camera. Snap groups of photos in a flash and choose from almost a hundred effects to apply to them. You can also share directly to Facebook or Twitter with just one click.

Sticking with the webcam theme, Clipchamp helps you record HTML5 videos like a professional–converting and compressing on-the-fly when needed for quick, secure uploads to Facebook, Vimeo and YouTube. The app also serves as a standalone converter for videos created by someone other than yourself and even provides several editing features.

One of the nice features about most Chromebooks is their relatively lightweight body, allowing for easy transport no matter where you are. Another positive is that Chrome OS is a minimalist operating system, with its main focus on browsing the web.

As you browse and come across an article or another piece of content that you're interested in but simply don't have time to read or view at the moment, the Pocket app lets you save it for later and access it from anywhere–even without an internet connection. In that sense, it's the perfect Chromebook companion.