Android Unveils Six Fresh Personalized Features
Android is rolling out six new features, focusing on enhancing your user experience with greater personalization. These updates aim to make your interactions with your device more intuitive and tailored, whether you are at home or on the move.
Here’s a look at what’s new:
Personalize Your Group Chats
Soon, Google Messages will offer new ways to customize your group conversations. You'll be able to assign a custom icon and a unique name to your RCS group chats, making them easily distinguishable. Additionally, you can check which of your contacts have RCS enabled and mute notifications for specific group chats for a time period you select, allowing for more focused communication.
Transform Photos with the New Image Editor
Google Photos is set to simplify photo editing with its upcoming redesigned image editor. This revamped editor will feature AI-powered suggestions to enhance your photos with a single tap, providing the right tools exactly when you need them – just tap, circle, or brush the area you wish to edit. The 'Reimagine' feature allows you to describe your desired outcome, bringing your creative ideas to life, while 'Auto frame' assists in expanding your scene or achieving the perfect crop. Your favorite editing tools will always be conveniently accessible, helping you elevate images with ease.
Tailor Google Home Favorites Across Devices
A forthcoming update will allow you to manage your smart home products more efficiently by setting up device-specific shortcuts for your Favorites in the Google Home app. For instance, you can pin your security cameras to your Google TV, your kitchen speaker to your Android phone, and your thermostat to your Wear OS smartwatch. This customization enables you to manage your smart home products with tailored Favorites accessible on each specific device, suiting your preferences and making smart home control more convenient.
Extend Your Peace of Mind with Safety Check
The Personal Safety app’s Safety Check feature is getting an enhancement to help you feel more secure during solo outings. You can now extend the duration of your Safety Check with a simple tap on your phone or smartwatch. If you’re out exercising or exploring and decide to prolong your trip, like stopping for a smoothie mid-run, you can easily add more time to your check-in instead of creating a new one. If you don't respond by the check-in time, your location is shared with emergency contacts, allowing you to go further and feel safer.
Express More with New Emoji Kitchen Stickers
Get ready for new Emoji Kitchen sticker combinations via Gboard to add more flair to your chats. Remix your favorite emojis to create unique stickers, such as thankful carrots (🙏 + 🥕) or pointing pigs (🫵 + 🐷), and share them with friends. These new combinations help you express yourself better and make your messages more engaging.
Streamline Transit Payments on Your Wear OS Watch
Paying for public transit is becoming smoother with updates to Wear OS smartwatch payments. You'll be able to tap and pay instantly with city transit cards, even if the Google Wallet app is closed. If you prefer using a credit or debit card for transit, ensure you enable this feature in your settings first for quick and easy payments.
To explore these features and more, visit android.com/updates. You can also watch highlights from The Android Show: I/O Edition and discover what Android 16 will bring to devices, starting with Pixel. If you own a Pixel device, don’t forget to check out the latest Pixel updates as well.
