After first debuting on the Pixel 6 last October, Quick Phrases are now available on the Nest Hub Max to skip the “Hey Google” hotword when issuing commands and asking questions to Assistant.

In an ideal world, all Android apps would use Custom Tabs over in-app browsers (WebViews). Google is now making it more apparent when you’re “running” a Chrome Custom Tab (CCT).

Around the time Fuchsia widely rolled out to the Nest Hub Max, Assistant Smart Displays gained a “Search” shortcut, which is now curiously opening Google․com directly. 

Today, you can touch-and-hold Pixel Buds Pro to cycle through Active Noise Control (ANC) or use the app. An upcoming change will make it easier to change ANC with the Pixel Buds app, while Google’s newest headphones are set to get a “Volume balance” feature in a future update.

An update to the new, merged Google Meet app last week brought back the blue Duo icon as some people were confused by the transition, which is now continuing with a new account switcher and other changes. 

In announcing Steam support earlier this year, Google also said Chromebooks were getting a “games overlay” for Android titles to make them playable with keyboard and mouse. ChromeOS 105 introduces an early Alpha of these game controls.

Back in March, Google announced that it would allow Android apps to use their own payment system as long as Play Store billing was offered alongside it. Google Play is now letting non-gaming developers around the world sign up for the User Choice Billing pilot, while naming which markets it will be tested in.

With the addition of the developer-generated Data safety section this year, Google Play removed the old list of app permissions. The Play Store is now reversing this decision in response to user feedback and will have both coexist.

YouTube Music is significantly redesigning its Library tab on Android and iOS with a focus on making it faster to start playing content.

The Google homepage has historically been known for providing a clean interface that primarily offers a Search field. Google Search is now testing a row of cards on desktop web for an experience that’s similar to Discover.

At the start of this month, Google Meet introduced live sharing that “allows all meeting participants to interact with the content that’s being shared,” and you’re now able to test it on YouTube.

Last September, the Google app redesigned its “Collections” tab, and the system built in to Search for bookmarks is now becoming more prominent with a save button directly on mobile web results. 

Over the past day, Pixel owners are encountering a bug that sees Google Assistant always open keyboard input over voice entry, while those users are also seeing “TNG” at the bottom-left corner of their screen.

With Google Calendar set to lose Assistant Reminders, you’ll be forced to use the very basic and incredibly laggy UI that’s part of the Google app. It’s still bad, but Google recently rolled out some usability tweaks to Reminders and restored the dark mode.

Just over a year ago, Google Assistant swapped out the “What’s on my screen?” button with a Lens-branded shortcut that could now be replaced by “Search this screen.”

Over the past year especially, Google has encouraged Wear OS app developers to add tiles, and Google Keep is now the latest first-party application to do so.

Google Meet is getting a rather nifty shortcut that lets you unmute yourself by holding down on the space bar. 

One way YouTube Music offers recommendations is by knowing your precise location, but that’s going to stop next month.

Following the inaugural seasonal recap in June, YouTube Music today is beginning to roll out the Summer edition.