What does ChromeOS sound like? It’s a trick question — because until recently, the operating system powering Chromebooks hasn’t actually sounded like anything at all.
Unlike Android or most other desktop operating systems, there have been no system sounds in ChromeOS: No noise when you empty the trash, when you move a file to a folder or adjust the volume.
But that changed in September 2023, when we added audible effects you’ll hear when you plug in a charging cable or when your battery drops too low. And they could be just the first notes of an oncoming symphony.
“A charger is something that’s used day in and day out, so the new sounds have the opportunity to become the basis of ChromeOS’s sound presence,” says Josh Ellis, a senior user experience (UX) sound designer. Additionally, audio cues for charge levels can aid in accessibility for blind and low-vision users by making it easier to ascertain relative battery life without needing to check with a screen reader first.
Bringing ChromeOS to sonic life was a major effort, requiring collaboration between our (UX sound designers and our software engineers. First, they needed to craft the unique sounds for ChromeOS’s charging, and then actually implement them in a way that works across the wide range of Chromebooks.
But even before that, they had to decide: What should the operating system sound like?
“From the beginning, I felt it was important to build on the existing foundation that we already have at Google, specifically the charging sounds for Pixel phones,” says Henry Daw, the senior UX sound designer who helped create the new charging sounds. “It’s this faded-in piano that plays a nice G major chord.”