Upcoming XE 20.1 Google Glass update brings major improvements to contacts and messaging, more

Google is getting ready to push out the latest update for Google Glass—numbered XE 20.1—and with it is coming some pretty major changes to how contacts are handled, notably allowing users to access all contacts by voice via Google Contacts. Also included in this update is the ability to actually choose which method you would like to use when sending a contact a message—Hangouts, email, or SMS.

Your entire phone address book is now available on Glass thanks to Google Contacts. You can access 20 of your most recent and starred contacts by voice and the rest are just a swipe away. Starring a contact is really easy. Just find them in your phone and click the star. If the star is filled in, then the contact has been favorited.

Also being updated are the MyGlass companion apps for both Android and iOS. Once updated, the Android app should be ready to go and will sync the changes you make to contacts in the People app automatically. On iOS, you’re going to have to go through a process of importing your contacts to Google servers, but the latest version of MyGlass walks you through this process.

But it doesn’t end with messaging—the XE 20.1 update comes with a bunch of other awesome features, too. As noted in the official release notes, there’s now a card in Settings which allows you to enable or disable head nudge (although the feature itself is not new). There’s also a couple new Google Now cards including one for nearby events as well as currency conversion. Finally, Google is throwing a few new voice actions in the mix.

Be on the look out for all of these updates over the next couple of days, and Google says the updated MyGlass app for iOS should be available within the week. For the full rundown, head over to the Glass Community (only Glass owners can access).