What new android update

What’s new

Your phone just got more helpful.

Meet your new features.

We’re making your phone more useful all the time by delivering new features from Google directly to you. With features designed to improve the way you experience the world. And tools built to make your life simpler. Whether for work, play, or a little of both. Here are the latest features available on your Android phone.

Android password checkup.

On Android, you can save passwords for any app to your Google account. When you enter a password into an app on your phone using Autofill with Google, we will check it against a list of known compromised passwords. If there’s a match, we’ll alert you. That way, your data stays safe and your accounts secure.

Android password checkup is automatically available to users with Android 9 and above. Visit the Help Center to learn about changing unsafe passwords.

Schedule send in Messages.

With schedule send in Messages, you can compose a message now and send it later. Whether you’re a night owl, in a different time zone, or don’t want to forget to celebrate your friend’s birthday, your message can be scheduled ahead of time when it’s convenient for you and sent to the recipient at the right time. Just write your text as you normally would. Then press and hold the send button to choose a date and time to deliver your message.

Download the Messages app or update to the latest version to schedule your next text.

All new TalkBack.

Discover TalkBack, revamped. Harness the power of your Android without looking at your screen. Built together with the blind and low-vision community, TalkBack on Android uses spoken feedback to read notifications, apps and more out loud. Now you can control your device with new, more intuitive multi-finger gestures. Plus, explore additional reading controls, a Braille keyboard and customizable menus. Making it easier for you to use your phone, however you use it.

Get TalkBack by downloading or updating your Android Accessibility Suite in the Google Play Store.

More of the latest.

Updates, improvements, and brand-new features. Tools to help you get more out of every moment. We’re making Android work better for everyone. Learn what else is now available on your device.

Hands-free Assistant.

Do more on your Android phone, even when it’s out of reach. Google Assistant now works better when your phone is locked or far from you. If you need to call, text, change music or set an alarm, you can do that using just your voice. To activate this feature, simply turn on Lock Screen Personal Results in your Google Assistant settings. Then say “Hey Google” to get started.

Dark theme for Google Maps.

You can now enable dark theme in Google Maps. Just turn on the feature from your Google Maps settings. The color scheme is designed to be easy on your eyes. And it reduces light emission, which helps save your battery life.

Android Auto updates.

Android Auto’s new features help you stay focused and enjoy the drive. Personalize your display with custom car-inspired backgrounds. Play hands-free games like trivia and “Jeopardy!”. Use shortcuts to access contacts, adjust the thermostat or check the weather. And set a privacy screen to control when Android Auto appears on your car display. Plus, for cars with wider screens, you can now do more with an updated split-screen view.

Источник

WHAT’S NEW

Meet the 13 newest Android features.

We’re making your phone more helpful this season with thirteen new features coming to Android. Like tools that help you get things done more easily. Settings that add time back into your day. And brand-new ways to express yourself. Find out what’s available now on your Android phone.

HELPFUL FEATURES

Built to help you do more. Or less.

Google TV remote

Now you can find something great to watch even when the couch has eaten your remote. Use your Android’s quick settings or the Google TV app on your Android phone to control your tv from your mobile device. You can even use your phone’s keyboard to quickly type complicated passwords, movie names or search terms.

Android Auto media and games

Get on your way faster and stay entertained on your journey with music, games and more from Google Assistant on Android Auto. Safely press play when on the road to get personalized music, news, and podcast recommendations. When you get to where you’re going, GameSnacks lets you play fun and challenging games on your car’s touchscreen.

Accessibility

Tools that make the world more accessible.

Camera Switches

Camera Switches is a new Android accessibility feature in Switch Access that can help those with speech and motor impairments to navigate their phone using eye movements and facial gestures. It turns the phone’s front-facing camera into a switch, so you can choose one movement to scan, and another to select. Pick a combination of gestures that works for you, and customize them to your range of movement. By choosing just two simple gestures, all of Android is now more accessible to more people. Watch the tutorial to get started. ​​Camera Switches will be made widely available on September 30th.

Project Activate

Built for and with people who don’t speak or have neurological conditions, Project Activate from Google Research makes it easy to communicate with Android via facial gestures. Whether you’re texting a loved one, getting a caregiver’s attention, using a voice-activated device or laughing along with friends, the app enables you to speak just by smiling or looking up.

Lookout updates

Lookout by Google makes it easier for people with low vision or blindness to accomplish frequent tasks like sorting mail, putting away groceries and more. This latest update introduces two popularly requested features: handwriting recognition and currency recognition for dollars, euros and rupees.

DIGITAL WELLBEING

Add some balance to your day.

Heads up

This new feature within Android’s Digital Wellbeing settings reminds you to stay alert when you’re looking at your phone’s screen while walking.

Android Assistant reminder hub

At home or on the go, keeping track of your to-do list is even easier—with recurring reminders that notify you at the perfect moment. Just say «Hey Google, remind me to take out the trash every Sunday night.” You can manage your reminders in the hub by asking Google “Show me my reminders.”

Waze on Android Auto

Waze on Android Auto has been redesigned to accommodate maps and instructions first, so you can drive distraction-free. You’ll also get lane guidance, touchpad support and night mode for a smoother and safer driving experience.

FUN & PRODUCTIVITY

More ways to create, share and enjoy.

New emojis

As we continue to provide users with more ways to express themselves, we want to make it easier to find the emoji mashups you love—as well as all-new ones that you might not yet know about. Emoji Kitchen offers more choices than ever before, with thousands of mashups that can express even the most nuanced emotions.

Animated backgrounds in Meet

Animated video background replacements in Meet can help you maintain privacy for what’s behind you while also making your video calls more fun.

GBoard updates

Screenshot SuggestionsNo more digging through your camera roll for a screenshot. Now when you open a messaging app, you can find and select your most recent screenshot right from Gboard.

Smart ClipboardCutting and pasting information just got easier. When you copy text that includes a phone number, email address or URL, you’ll see those key snippets of text suggested in the clipboard. You can drop those snippets into Messages, Maps and more to share contact information quickly or get started on your road trip faster.

Smart ComposeSmart Compose suggests common phrases as you type to help you cut back on repetition and potential typos. Sending and replying to messages is a breeze when you can swipe to autocomplete an entire sentence.

Improved visibility settings in Nearby Share

Take full control of who can discover your device and send files. Choose between everyone, your contacts or no one. You can easily change your preference through your phone’s Quick Settings space, anytime.

Locked Folder

Locked Folder is a passcode-protected space where you can save sensitive photos—so they won’t show up as you scroll through Google Photos or any other apps on your device.

PREVIOUS RELEASES

Dive in deeper.

Old updates, past features, and previous releases. Tools to help you get more out of every moment. We’re always pushing Android forward. Learn what else is available on your device.

FIND A DEVICE

Phones ready for action.

Experience new features from Android on devices made for the latest and greatest.

Источник

Android 11 release: everything you need to know about Google’s update

Update adds new conversation features, privacy controls, quick smart device controls and more

Android 11 is now available for download on your phone from Google and other manufacturers. Photograph: Google

Android 11 is now available for download on your phone from Google and other manufacturers. Photograph: Google

Last modified on Wed 9 Sep 2020 12.29 BST

Google has released its latest big update called Android 11 “R”, which is rolling out now to the firm’s Pixel devices, and to smartphones from a handful of third-party manufacturers.

Announced at the end of February, Android 11 brings with it enhanced privacy, new chat-related features and smarter media and device controls, as well as some Pixel-exclusive additions.

Here’s what you need to know about the Android update.

When can I get it?

Right now if you have a Google Pixel smartphone, or one of a small selection of third-party devices made by OnePlus, Oppo, Realme and Xiaomi.

Anyone owning a smartphone from another manufacturer such as Samsung is likely to have to wait a couple of months.

How much will it cost?

The update is free from Google and other manufacturers. If you are being asked to pay for an update it is likely to be a scam.

Will my apps work?

Android 11 has not changed the way the core operating system works, which means almost all apps should work fine straight out of the box if they have been updated in the last couple of years.

Conversation upgrade

Conversations can be marked by priority and separated from the rest of your notifications. Photograph: Google

For many, phones are all about messaging via myriad different apps. These chat apps are getting their own dedicated space within the notification section of your phone, making it easier to see and manage conversations without interfering with the rest of your notifications.

Bubbles aka Chat Heads

Android now has a built-in version of Facebook’s Messenger Chat Heads for any chat app to use. Photograph: Google

Facebook first introduced a feature called Chat Heads for its Messenger app in 2013, which put conversations into little floating bubbles that sat above everything else on your screen and could be expanded to read.

Google has taken that feature and made it a core part of Android so that any messaging app can do the same with a setting called Bubbles. Most chat apps will support the feature, although some need to be updated to do so.

The idea is you can continue doing whatever it was you were doing while also having a quick conversation with someone without having to switch into and out of different apps.

Upgraded media controls

Android 11 has separated out music controls from the rest of the notifications and added quick access to payment options and smart device controls. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Music controls are now part of the main quick-controls section of the pull-down notification shade, sitting above the rest of the notifications. Part of the upgrade is the ability to quickly switch the output for your music, so if you’re listening on headphones but want to play a track for a friend you can simply tap the icon above the play/pause button to switch to the phone speaker.

Much faster access to smart devices

If you have smart lights and other devices, this upgrade is for you. Long pressing on the power button will now take you to a quick access panel where you can turn off your phone, reboot it, access Google Pay, and see a collection of quick action buttons for turning smart devices on or off.

The buttons can be changed so you have only your frequently needed devices such as your thermostat or front-door light, which makes it much faster than having to open a separate app just to turn a light off.

Better privacy permissions

Following on from Android 10’s location-privacy upgrades, Android 11 adds far greater control over the general permissions you grant to your apps. For instance, access to the microphone, camera or location can now be granted for just one time, allowing you to use an app without granting it indefinite permission.

Android will also reset the permissions granted to apps you haven’t used in a long time, notifying you when this happens, which will help avoid apps you use once and forget about being able to access parts of your phone you’d rather they didn’t.

Faster updates

Google is continuing its push for faster updates by making more security and privacy upgrades available via Google Play in a similar way to apps. This way you don’t have to wait for your smartphone manufacturer to push out a full phone update to get a crucial security patch.

Pixel exclusives

Live View for Google Maps location sharing.

In addition to the general Android 11 updates, Google has a selection of new features specifically for its Pixel smartphones, which may come to other manufacturer’s devices at some point in the future.

Live View for location sharing in Google Maps now allows you to view where your friends are in augmented reality. Simply point your phone in their general direction and it’ll show you where they are with virtual pins using your phone’s camera.

Smart reply has been upgraded to suggest fully automated responses to messages in chat apps using on-device machine learning. Soon it’ll just be your phones talking to each other without any need for human interaction.

The overview (recently used apps) menu can now select text, images or take screenshots to make sharing things faster. The bottom row of icons on the home screen can now auto-suggest apps the phone thinks you’ll want to use based on your previous usage and the time of day.

Источник