After tracking the new holding space feature for so long, it was finally released as ‘Tote’ on Chrome OS 89. The tool allows you to quickly access screenshots, downloads, and pinned files or folders directly from your shelf. Tote adds a preview bubble for up to three of your latest additions, and while the slick animation of a new item being added provides great visual feedback for those who download something or take a screenshot but have their notifications set to ‘Do not disturb’, it both quickly feels cluttered and is not fun to continue looking at previously utilized items if they are no longer relevant.
While useful, I realized that the Chromebook shelf space was becoming more congested with each added feature. Sure, you can open your Tote and then right-click items to remove them manually, but over time, that becomes annoying to do. In other words, Tote’s previews are less attractive and take more space than its generic icon. For those reasons, I’m going to show you how to hide its previews or disable the feature entirely. This is a quick and easy tip, but I wanted to make sure that it was something anyone could reference or share with those who are interested.
