If you often visit the same website or use certain apps regularly on your Chromebook, pinning them to the Shelf can save you time and make access much easier. Think of the Chromebook Shelf like the Windows taskbar or Mac Dock, it’s where you can keep your most-used apps and shortcuts just a click away.
In this quick guide, we’ll walk you through the simplest way to pin both websites and apps to your Chromebook Shelf, so you can access your favorites faster and streamline your workflow.
How to Pin a Website to the Chromebook Shelf
Want to access your favorite website with just one click? Here’s how you can pin any website to your Chromebook Shelf:
1. Open Chrome and navigate to the website you want to pin.
2. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
3. Then go to Cast, Save and Share, and choose either: Install page as app, or Create Shortcut option.
4. If you choose Install page as app, simply give it a name and click the Install button. If you choose Create Shortcut, check the box that says Open as window for a more app-like feel, then click Create.
5. Open the App Launcher and find the shortcut you just created.
6. Right-click the icon and select Pin to Shelf.
And that’s it! Your favorite website is now just one click away on your Shelf. Want to organize it your way? You can rearrange its position by dragging the icon along the Shelf.
How to Pin Apps to the Chromebook Shelf
Pinning apps to your Chromebook Shelf is just as simple as pinning websites. Here’s how to do it:
1. Click the Launcher icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
2. Scroll through your apps or use the search bar to find the one you want to pin. For example, if you want quick access to YouTube Music, just search for it.
3. Right-click on the app icon and select Pin to Shelf from the menu.
That’s it! The app will now appear on your Shelf, making it easy to open with a single click, no need to dig through the app list again. Use these steps to pin your favorite apps to the Chromebook Shelf.
How to Remove an App or Website from the Shelf
While pinning websites and apps to your Chromebook Shelf is super convenient, adding too many can make things feel a bit cluttered. Luckily, cleaning it up is just as easy:
1. Right-click on the app or website icon you want to remove from the Shelf.
2. Select Unpin from the menu.
And that’s it! The item will disappear from your Shelf but won’t be uninstalled from your Chromebook. If you’d like to fully remove the app from your device, check out our guide on uninstalling apps on Chromebook.
Opening Pin Apps & Websites
Pinning your most-used apps and websites, like Gmail, YouTube, Netflix, or your favorite blog, is a smart way to speed up your workflow and stay organized. When you pin these shortcuts to your Chromebook’s shelf, they’re always visible and easy to access, saving you time searching or typing URLs.
To open them, simply click the app icon on your shelf. Alternatively, you can use handy keyboard shortcuts to quickly launch them without lifting your hands from the keyboard. Press Alt + 1 to open the first item on your shelf, Alt + 2 for the second, and so on, making multitasking faster and smoother than ever.
