The start screen is one of the main attractions of Windows 8. It’s beautiful and live tiles on the Start screen update in real-time to provide all the information you care about. You can view the weather, mail, your calendar, social media updates, and photo albums from just one place.
One can not only access Metro-style apps from the Start screen but also launch legacy Windows applications. Windows 8 also lets you pin your favorite programs and folders to the Start so you can quickly access your programs and folders. In one of our earlier posts titled How to pin folders to the Start screen, we have covered how to easily pin a folder to the Start screen.
In this article, we will show you how to pin your favorite Chrome web apps to the Start screen so you can launch a web app right from the Start screen without actually opening your Google Chrome browser. For instance, you can pin YouTube, Chrome Web Store, Google Search, and Gmail apps to the Start screen for quick access.
So, how to pin a Chrome web app to the Start screen? Just follow the instructions given below:
Step 1: First of all, visit the Chrome Web Store in your Google Chrome browser, browse the gallery, and then install your favorite apps.
Step 2: Once installed, you will see new apps in the Chrome new tab page. Right-click on the app that you wish to pin to the Start screen and click Create shortcut. This action will open a small dialog box, asking where to place the application shortcut.
Step 3: Select the Start menu and then click the Create button. You are done! Switch to the Start screen to see the new shortcut. Just click on the shortcut to launch your favorite web app in the Chrome browser.
You might also like to know how to add a Gmail account to the Windows 8 Mail app.
Ruben says
This doesn’t work. something has changed in the aps or Win8. in order to get the chrome new tab apps list, you need to be running chrome in ‘desktop’ mode (right side drop down and ‘relaunch chrome on the desktop’). however, only create shortcut to ‘desktop’ or ‘pin to task bar’ are options (start menu is not a 3rd check box as shown above). If you launch chrome in the win8 tile, the chrome new tab apps list isn’t available so you can’t even get to step 2. best you can do is create a start menu tile for chrome itself.
I agree with oom’s comment. MS’s constant attempts to redefine and change things drives me nuts. half of it doesn’t work properly and the learning curve it too steep. i don’t want to invest the time to go through it all anymore because chances are it will change again. I’ve been stuck on MS for over 20 years, since Windows 2.0 and DOS, but lately i’ve been recommending to my friends and family to check out Apple.
oom says
trying to pin the envelope gmail logo to the pinbar.
After googeling varies questions site, STILL NO ANSWER.
Frustration to the Nth degree for something that should be so simple.
Sorry, I only sat behind these machines for 30 years and still do not grasp the basics.
Keep changing the simple things and you are assured of very uptight people.