Off-topic

 Hi everyone,  Whenever a new colleague joins the office, as we are introducing ourselves, we take the opportunity to share a “fun fact” and break the ice.As time went by, we started noticing that some of us tend to reuse the same fact or rotate a selection of those - but what really matters is the intention behind it: making the new teammate feel welcomed and learn something new about each other.  So I thought it would be great to do that exercise here in the community! I’ll make a start: I have a small, but well tended and cherished music home studio that I recently used to score an independent short film. Now it’s your turn: what is your fun fact?  

Hello everyone 👋 My name is Emiliano and I’m part of the Chrome Enterprise Team! You will see me around this Community alongside ​@Rafa , the Community Manager, and other members of the Team. As we get this space up and running, it feels like the right moment to pause and get to know the people behind the profiles. We’ve all been in those meetings where you’re suddenly asked to share a “fun fact” about yourself, and your mind goes completely blank 🤔 The good news is: no pressure here. You can share as much (or as little) as you’d like, in your own time. I’ll start us off 👇I’ve spent the last 10+ years immersed in enterprise mobility and endpoint management, moving from the EMM world to a TPM role at an OEM before joining Google in 2019. After several years with the Android Enterprise team, I transitioned into my current role as a Program Manager on the Chrome team.   For the last four years, I've been deep in the Chrome platform, with a specific focus over the past two years on empo

Hey! Corona has made working from home a common practice for office workers. While some companies have made working from home a standard practice, others have required their employees to return to the office. However, there are people who have to work on site and people for whom traveling is part of their daily business. How about you? Do you spend most of your time working in the office, from home, or a balanced mix of both? Or are you highly mobile because you have to travel a lot? Or maybe something else entirely? I work in a hybrid model and spend about 40% of my time in the office. This has proven to be a good balance between flexibility and direct contact with colleagues. 🙂

Hey everyone, We’ve looked back at how smartphones changed our lives and the way we work.From enabling remote work to transforming how teams stay connected, it’s clear that smartphones have become the backbone of modern productivity. But what’s next?As we look ahead, smartphones are becoming smarter, more secure, and more essential to how we do business. With AI, advanced device management, stronger security frameworks, and connected ecosystems across phones, tablets, and wearables — the line between “device” and “digital assistant” is quickly blurring.If you’d like more insight about this, please check out the article written by our members at Turquet and at Yann_ROLAND on the introduction of a mobile first/only digital environment, Android-based.How do you see smart devices evolving in the workplace and beyond?I’m looking forward to chatting more on the topic!Thanks,Emilie 

Hello everyone, My name is Lizzie and I am the Community Manager here in the Android Enterprise Customer Community. You are probably all use to having the roundtable introductions in meetings and sharing a fun fact about yourself. If you are like me, you then spend the next 30 seconds trawling through your brain to find an interesting fact to share with a group of people...the good news is you are not on the spot here!  😀  This aside, it's really nice in a community to get know others and so it would be fantastic to hear from you! I'll kick us off: I've been working in community for over 10 year across a few different industries.  I'm a big fan of music and I play a couple of instruments: so my 'office' playlist is quite an array of tunes I live on an island (it's quite a big one): so when I go to the Google office, I actually have to take a ferry, which sounds quite exotic!  Please share a few facts about yourself, (here are a couple of ideas): What type

Hey everyone,    It’s Pancake Day in the UK!    Whether you’re team lemon & sugar, full-on Nutella, or secretly sneaking bacon into the mix… today is a very important day for questionable food decisions.   It’s also a perfect excuse for a mid-day break, a little flipping action, and some serious topping debates with friends, family and colleagues!    So, let’s start a real conversation:  How do you like your pancakes? What are your favourite toppings?  Do you have a tested and adopted game-changing recipe you’d like to share?  Looking forward to your answers 👀🤤 Emilie 

Hi everyone, To start the year off, I was reflecting on how different our workdays can be — and how much small habits or routines can make a difference when we really need to focus and get things done. For me, it varies with the task, but I sort of have 3 go-to tricks: music, short walk/change of scenery and meditation. If I need to concentrate deeply, I’ll often put on some Brian Eno or something smooth like North Americans. If it’s more about staying energised through meetings or admin tasks, a short walk or changing environment tends to help a lot as well. Finally, meditating before the day starts always helps me to be more attentive and creative. I’m curious to hear from you: Do you have a go-to focus trick or routine that works well for you? Is it something you do every day, or only when things get particularly busy? Does it change depending on whether you’re working from home or the office? Even a short reply is great — looking forward to picking up a few new ideas from you al

Hey everyone,    It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come since the first smartphones hit the scene in the late 90’s. What started as a tool for calls and texts has evolved into a powerful companion that drives how we work, collaborate, and stay secure — wherever we are.   @BenMcc recently took us on a trip back to 2005 with his Community festival post titled “I Tried Living Like It's 2005 for a Week”, which highlights some of our past struggles with tech in a fun and real way!    In the world of Android Enterprise, smartphones are essential tools that help organisations empower teams, protect data, and adapt to modern work. From zero-touch enrolment and work profiles to seamless app management and security controls — the smartphone has completely transformed enterprise mobility.   How has the smartphone changed your work life? How about your personal life?    Share your experiences, insights, or even a throwback to your first work-issued sma

Hey everyone, Just a quick note to let you know I’ll be away from the community from Wednesday 4th to Friday 6th February and I’ll be back on Monday 9th. @Lynda will be here whilst I’m away and we will also have the privilege of having @Emilie_B, who you might have seen around the Android Enterprise community, covering the ChromeOS Customer Community during those days - feel free to say ‘hi’ if you haven’t met her yet!  Looking forward to catching up when I’m back. Cheers,Rafa

Hey everyone,    Some of my colleagues and I were chatting over lunch the other day about our favourite sandwich types — and it got us wondering what really counts as a sandwich!    Can it be an “open” sandwich where you add toppings to a slice of bread or can it only be two pieces of bread with a filling? And how do you cut said sandwich - are you a fan of the triangle or just go for a straight cut down the middle?     As we are a community of food lovers, I wanted to open the floor to you and ask what is your favourite sandwich type and what are your go-to toppings/fillings?    Personally, I like a triangle sandwich with brie, rocket/arugula and cranberry sauce but I’m also partial to a classic jambon-beurre with gherkins (and that’s only for the savoury options!).    What about you? 🥪   I can’t wait to be inspired by your replies!    Chat soon,  Emilie 

Hey everyone, Over the past year, many of us have probably found ways to simplify parts of our day-to-day work — whether that’s streamlining a process, cutting out unnecessary steps, or using tools more effectively. For me, simplifying how I plan and prioritise work has made a noticeable difference. Reducing context-switching and relying on clearer processes (and fewer tools) has helped keep things moving, even on busy days. I’d love to hear from you: What’s one task or process you’ve managed to simplify recently? What helped the most — a change in process, a tool, or a combination of both? Has ChromeOS played a role in making that easier for you? Even small improvements can add up — curious to hear what’s worked for others 👀 Speak soon,Rafa

Happy 2026 everyone 🥂   I hope you all had a wonderful festive break and managed to get some well-deserved rest.   Coming off the back of our end-of-year recap, the momentum is incredible. I'm so excited to keep that energy going and see what we build together over the next few months.    As many of us settle back into “work mode”, I thought it could be helpful to share some tips for making the transition as smooth as possible: Review your priorities: A quick audit of your January goals or key tasks can create instant clarityWrite them down and triage your to-dos before diving in. Catch up mindfully: Inbox overload is real! Skimming for relevance and archiving low-priority items can help you regain control without losing your whole week to emails. Re-engage with your team: A quick catch-up message or call can  rebuild connection and give you context on anything that evolved while you were away. Be gentle on your colleagues: they’re likely easing back too! H

Hi everyone, My name is Rafa and I’m the new Community Manager here in the ChromeOS Customer Community! Alongside @Lynda and the ChromeOS Community Team, I’m here to help keep this a welcoming and useful space, as well as to support you with questions, suggestions, or requests whenever needed. A few things about me: I have 3+ years of experience in community management and have worked closely with technical teams as a project and account manager I’m passionate about music (both listening to it and making it) I’m into sports and outdoor activities — I cycle and play football every week I enjoy all things creative, from photography and films to installation art and creative coding I’m based in the UK 🇬🇧 If you’d like to, feel free to share a bit about yourself in the comments, such as: where you’re based the industry you work in hobbies or interests outside of work Looking forward to getting to know you all. Speak soon,Rafa

Hi everyone,    As the festive season kicks in — lights everywhere, classic tunes on repeat, tinsel and baubles as far as the eye can see — I thought it’d be fun to chat about festive films.   But first… what is a festive film?   Is it simply a movie set in December? One built around stockings, snow and last-minute shopping? Or does it need to revolve around the kind of chaos we all recognise this time of year: packed airports (the stress of a festive travel can lead to forgetting one of your kids at home), tight deadlines, school plays (and pantomimes if you’re in the UK), gift-wrapping and giving dilemmas (turns out a Joni Mitchell CD can be a risky choice…).   For me, anything set during this period counts — the festive backdrop just raises the stakes in the best way. It’s the most wonderful time of the year…or is it?!   What about you?Is Die Hard a festive film?Do you have a personal favourite that others might not consider “festive”?   Looki

Hey everyone,    You might have noticed that spooky season is upon us.    We thought we could join the conversation - we might as well! - and have a little bit of fun ourselves!    Halloween’s origins can be traced back over 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain - this festival was marking the end of harvest season and the start of winter. People believed that the boundary between the living and the dead blurred on this night — leading to traditions of costumes, bonfires, and lanterns to ward off spirits.   Celebrating Halloween is pretty new in the UK but, every year, it’s fun to see my local high street turn into a spooky place: from the cemetery ghoul in the estate agent window to the cute pumpkins at the locksmiths - even the corner burritos and tacos shop where you have to order from the booth plays along by plastering a “do not enter” yellow tape on its windows!      Kids love Halloween too and can go trick or tr

Hello everyone,   As we approach the holiday season, we wanted to wish you all a restful and well-deserved break. It is also the perfect time to look ahead, we wish you a wonderful 2026, both professionally and personally.   We also want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who joined and contributed to our community in 2025. This was our first half-year as a dedicated customer community, and it has been a fantastic start. From insightful conversations to live events, it’s been a pleasure getting to know so many of you. 🌟   While the community will be a bit quieter over the next few weeks, we have some exciting things planned for January and can’t wait to reconnect then.   In the meantime, we’d love to hear from you: Is there a specific goal or project you’re looking forward to in 2026?   Warmly,   Lynda (and the ChromeOS Community Team)    

Hey everyone,   Last December, we wrapped up the year with something really special — our very first Community Festival! We loved reading posts on everything from AI and mobile strategy to the future of Android — and even beyond.   ✨ This year, we’re bringing the Festival back ✨   From December 1st-5th, the Festival will be all about celebrating you and the amazing mix of voices in our community.   Each day of that first week of December, a different community member will take part and write an article on a particular topic of interest - we’re aiming for a mixture of subject areas, from Android specific to tech-inspired topics.    How to get involved:It’s really simple! Just drop a comment below if you’d like to contribute, or send a private message to me or Lizzie.    Check our festive community posts below: 👏   [Day 1] Mobile Devices With a Sixth Sense: What Android Can Learn From Detection Dogs by @Michel  [Day 2] Mission Intune :

Hi there,  I work for a medium sized digital e-commerce platform that holds stock for, picks, packs and ships goods to customers when they place orders on clients websites such as TikTok Shop / Etsy etc etc... All our software (WMS/e-commerce) is completely bespoke and written in-house by our developers. One issue that we have is that our warehouse pickers use a Chromebook and separate USB barcode scanner on their picking trolleys to perform their work however this leads to numerous broken Chromebooks (several every week) and I feel it isnt the most efficient solution. What we are wanting is an Chrome based solution for barcode scanning (1D & 2D) - it needs to be able to get to a webpage where our WMS is hosted and be more rugged than a Chromebook!!I am aware there are Android based "gun grip" mobile computers but what I have seen are hugely expensive (circa £2200 each) and this would be too much for us to swap to. Do any of you have a solution in place tha