Back in 2018, Google told us that it was planning on adding support for virtual desktops to Chrome OS, and following some teasing, we finally got them under the name "Virtual Desks." The only real issue with Google's implementation was with navigation: you had to enter the "Overview" mode then manually click around the list of desktops like some kind of laptop-wielding neanderthal. Thankfully, a recently spotted comment on the Chromium bug tracker (noticed by Chrome Unboxed) indicates we'll eventually get a "4-finger swipe and lift" gesture that should make using Virtual Desks much easier.

It's very early in the development cycle for this feature. The comment indicating that Google finally settled on a four-finger swipe was only posted yesterday, together with an early commit, and this could still require additional tweaks in other areas before it manifests in any update for the platform. It may ultimately be a while before we get the teased touchpad-based gestures for managing Virtual Desks in Chrome OS, but it will be worth it.

Keyboard shortcuts for managing Virtual Desks and moving windows between them were also spotted in development late last month, and they're another necessary ingredient in a proper virtual desktop implementation.

I can't wait to see how all of Google's Virtual Desks vision comes together, since virtual desktops was one of Chrome OS' most significant omissions when it came to productivity. Having a touchpad-based gesture, like that on macOS and Windows, will be less likely to break me from my productive cycle when moving between workflows.