The Chromebook shelf is the bar that sits at the bottom (or side) of your screen. It’s where your most-used apps live and where running apps appear, similar to the taskbar on Windows or the dock on macOS. Pinning apps and websites to the shelf saves time, reduces clutter, and keeps your daily tools just one click away.
If you find yourself opening the same apps or websites again and again, pinning them to the shelf is one of the simplest productivity upgrades you can make on ChromeOS.
In this detailed guide, we’ll walk you through all the working methods, step by step.
What Can You Pin to the Chromebook Shelf?
You can pin:
- ChromeOS system apps
- Android apps from Play Store
- Linux apps
- Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)
- Websites (as shortcuts or web apps)
Once pinned, items stay on the shelf even after you close them.
How to Pin Apps to the Chromebook Shelf
The Chromebook Shelf is a bar at the bottom of the screen that contains quick-access icons for apps and files. Adding apps to the Shelf is an easy way to quickly launch your favorite programs and keep them within reach at all times.
By following the steps outlined below, you can add your favorite apps to the Chromebook Shelf:
1. Click on the App Launcher icon to open the App Drawer.
2. Here, you’ll get a list of the apps that are installed on your Chromebook. Look for the app you want to add to the Chromebook Shelf.
3. Now, right-click on the app and select the Pin to Shelf option from the context menu.
How to Pin a Running App to the Shelf
If an app is already open, you can pin it directly from the shelf.
Steps to Pin a Running App
1. Locate its icon on the shelf.
2. Right-click the app icon and click Pin.
The app will remain pinned even after closing it.
How to Pin a Website to the Chromebook
Chrome OS also allows you to add a website as a Progressive Web App (PWA) on your Chromebook, and it will act as a native app. You can pin these website apps to the Chromebook Shelf.
Here are the steps you can follow to pin websites to the Chromebook Shelf:
1. Open the Google Chrome browser.
2. Then, visit the website you want to install as a PWA.
3. After that, select the three-dot menu in the upper right corner. Here, you’ll get the context menu. Hover over the Save and Share menu and select the Create Shortcut option.
4. A dialog box will appear. Here, name your shortcut and click on the Open as Window checkbox. Enabling this feature would always open your website shortcut in a separate window.
5. After that, click on the Create button.
6. The website shortcut will be added to the App Drawer. You can use it, to open the website.
7. Now, to pin the website shortcut to the Chromebook shelf, right-click on it and select the Pin to Shelf option.
How to Rearrange Pinned Items on the Shelf
You can also change the shelf item position by rearranging the order of the apps and shortcuts on your Chromebook Shelf.
To do so, you can follow the following steps:
1. Click and hold the app shortcut on the shelf you want to move.
2. Drag it to the spot on the shelf where you’d like it to be and release the mouse.
How to Open the Pinned Items from the Shelf
By following the methods mentioned above, you can add apps and websites to the Chromebook Shelf. Now, to open them, you can click on the app shortcut icon or use a keyboard shortcut, as Chromebooks have tons of keyboard shortcuts.
Here are the keyboard shortcuts you can use to open pinned items: Alt + 1 to open the first item on your shelf, Alt + 2 to open the second item, and so on.
So, you can either click on the app icon on the shelf or use the shortcut to open apps.
How to Unpin Apps or Websites from the Shelf
If there are some apps and shortcuts that you want to remove from the Chromebook Shelf, then you have to unpin the apps and shortcuts.
Steps to Unpin
1. Right-click the pinned app or website on the shelf.
2. Click Unpin.
The app or website will be removed from the shelf but not uninstalled.
Wrapping Up
With that, we wrap up our detailed guide on how to pin apps and websites to the Chromebook shelf. Pinning the right apps and web tools can dramatically improve how fast and comfortable ChromeOS feels during daily use.
Once set up properly, the Chromebook shelf becomes a powerful productivity hub instead of just a place where icons sit. We hope this guide helped you organize your shelf exactly the way you want.
