Googlebook November Update Brings 31 Fixes After Rocky Launch

What the update changes

Every Googlebook ships with at least 16 GB of RAM and an AI chip rated above 40 TOPS. Google is nonetheless changing how on-device AI uses that memory, in order to steady multitasking on the Acer, Asus and Lenovo models. The browser also becomes more stable in sessions with many open tabs.

On the audio side, sound drifted out of sync with video over Bluetooth headphones on the HP Googlebook 14 and on Dell's model, which is for now US-only. Bluetooth hearing aids can now be used as an audio output. The update also fixes a taskbar that vanished after several external displays were unplugged, and Netflix audio that kept playing on a blank monitor. The Linux terminal handles SSH sessions better and keeps Linux environment files intact during system updates.

The rollout is staged across the five models from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo. To check availability, open Settings, then System, then the updates menu.

Catching up with ChromeOS

Early testers reported missing features and regressions compared with ChromeOS, which the Googlebook is meant to replace. Initial setup took too many steps and left a QR code on screen after the phone was paired. Samsung smartphones were also excluded from continuity features such as resuming a task across devices or syncing notifications.

Google responded with a Google Play services update to streamline setup and announced compatibility for Galaxy phones running Android 17 and One UI 9.0. In October, Chrome 156 brought fourteen improvements designed for these machines. Google has already set mid-2034 as the end of ChromeOS updates, in favor of the Googlebook.