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How to turn on, sign out, or turn off your Chromebook

Don't be ashamed, sometimes the buttons are in unusual places.
By
February 11, 2022

Chromebooks are made to be easy-to-use devices, but what happens when you can’t figure out how to turn on your Chromebook? Don’t worry, design differences can put power buttons in some odd places sometimes, so let’s discuss some places your button might be.

Read more: The best Chromebooks

QUICK ANSWER

The button to turn on a Chromebook is commonly found at the top of the keyboard. If it's not there, look at the sides of the device. If it's not there either, connect it to the charger while closed, and open the device to see if it turns on.


KEY SECTIONS

How to turn a Chromebook on

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 4 keyboard
Palash Volvoikar / Android Authority

Like in the photo above, the most common spot to find a power button on a Chromebook is at the top-right area of the keyboard. This is pretty much how they started, and this button will also turn off the device.

Certain Chromebooks and all Chrome tablets will mount the button on one of the sides of the device, near corners. If you don’t find it on the keyboard, try the top and bottom corners for an oval-shaped power button, often with an embedded LED for power and charging status.

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook side edge
Eric Zeman / Android Authority

If all else fails, try connecting the device to a charger while closed, and simply open the lid of the device. Few devices take this streamlined approach, but the action of opening the lid may serve as the button to turn on some Chromebooks.

How to sign out of a Chromebook

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook keyboard from overhead
Eric Zeman / Android Authority

There are a few ways to sign out of your device. The quickest is to just press the lock button on your keyboard if you have one. This will sign you out while keeping your apps open so you can resume whenever you want to.

Another way to sign out is to use the power menu. Select the time at the bottom right, click the power icon, and click sign out.

Closing the lid of your device will also sign it out, similar to the lock button.

How to turn off a Chromebook

To power off a Chrome OS device, hold the power button for about three seconds. You’ll see a white flash and then your device will turn off.

You can also use the power menu in Chrome OS to turn your device off. Access it by clicking the time on the bottom right, finding the power icon, and selecting power off.

Lastly, like most laptops, simply close the lid to put the device to sleep.

Read more: The best Chromebook accessories