Google announced this week new features coming to Android starting today and in the following weeks to take advantage of.
Here is the list of what’s new to Android.
Google Assistant new Reminders hub
Google is introducing new Reminders to manage all reminders in a single place. By saying simply “Hey Google, open my reminders” command in Google Assistant it will open the new hub, and there we’ll find our recurring reminders and suggestions for others we might not think about them yet.
Some of the suggestions can be connected to emails or to call family every Friday evening and workout as a few examples
Gboard power copying
Google is adding several new features to Gboard for power copy-pasters that they’ll love it. For example, if you copy text that includes multiple info, like phone numbers, email addresses, and URLs, the Gboard will automatically extract and will separate them into multiple pasting options.
Gboard is also getting 1,500 new Emoji stickers and suggestions to send screenshots that we might just take when in a messaging app. Finally, Smart Compose, which lets you complete sentences with just a swipe on suggested text.
Google TV remote!
The updated remote will allow the user to power the TV, zapping through the user’s favorite shows, and use our device keyboard to type in TV apps and log in more efficiently.
Google Photos locked folder
Previously a Pixel-exclusive feature, now everyone can store photos in the Locked Folder in Google Photos. This is a password-protected area to hide photos and videos away that will not show up in your regular photo feed.
Nearby Share visibility
Google’s Nearby Share feature that lets you quickly send files between nearby devices, is getting improved visibility settings, where you can choose to be visible to everyone, your contacts, or no one.
Heads-up to more phones
Google’s Pixel phones got a new Digital Wellbeing feature called “Heads Up” to prevent you from walking into traffic while using your phone. It would gently remind you, as you walked down the street while using your phone, that using your phone while walking down the street could be dangerous.
New Android Auto Features
Android Auto is getting new features, here’s what you are getting:
- Waze on Android Auto is getting a big refresh with more navigation at the forefront
- New dashboard to Google Assistant driving mode
- Personalized recommendations of music, news, and podcast from Google Assistant
- When parked, the user can play games through GameSnacks
- Google work profiles are now supported
- Dual-SIM phone users will be able to tell Android Auto which SIM to make calls from
- Google Pay and Android Auto will soon let you pay for gas at 32,500 gas stations in the US just by using their voice
The coolest Accessibility features
A couple of weeks ago Android 12’s revealed a new feature that would let control the device using facial gestures. These “Camera Switches” are now official and let users navigate and control the phone by looking right/left/up, smiling, raising eyebrows, and opening their mouths.
Google is also launching Project Activate, a new app that uses facial gestures to “quickly activate customized actions.” Meaning gesture tells the phone to speak a preset phrase, send a text or make a phone call.
And finally, Lookout, an app released in 2019 that helps identify objects for blind or visually impaired users, now they can read handwritten and printed text for Latin-based language.
