Apple launched its latest mobile OS on Wednesday and app developers are in the process of supporting the latest features. Google has two iOS 14 updates ready with a Search widget and Chrome browser default, while it’s readying a third.
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Somewhat overshadowed by the launch of Android 11, Google at the start of this month brought its Phone app to non-Pixel devices and added a new “Verified Calls” capability. To coincide with this launch, the app is now called “Phone by Google” on the Play Store.
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Shared — previously team — drives are how organizations using Google Drive distribute and collaborate on files. Google is now testing the ability to share folders within a shared drive.
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Google Voice is a relatively mature app that does not see too many interface updates these days. One change in Google Voice for Android today does make it easier to access ongoing calls.
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As previewed last month, Google is starting to launch a handful of pre-announced features for Meet. Background blur and being able to see up to 49 people simultaneously is coming to Google Meet in the coming weeks.
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The latest update to Home companion app introduced a slew of new features like a dark theme, unified camera page, and more Android 11 integration. Google Home 2.28 continues to improve the Wi-Fi experience by adding support for OnHub routers, while making it easier to video call.
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Online file storage solutions started out as being modeled after their local, non-cloud counterparts. Next month, Google Drive will automatically delete files and folders placed in the trash after 30 days.
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For three months in 2018, Google Duo offered built-in screen sharing on Android. After we spotted work on the feature again this June, Google today announced that the capability is coming back to Duo.
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Nest Hub and Smart Display interface updates occur subtly in the background. Recent ones introduced a light theme and tweaked settings. Google is now revamping alarms on Nest Hubs with more on-device controls and a “Sunrise” feature.
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As rumored — and following other social networks, YouTube today announced “Shorts” as a “new short-form video experience for creators and artists who want to shoot short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones.”
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Google gave Maps on mobile a big revamp earlier this year. Like all other first-party apps, the design is always being tweaked and Google Maps for Android now features a pill-shaped search field.
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Back in June, we enabled a Google Camera-inspired redesign of Google Lens. It’s now rolling out to some Google app beta users on Android.
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Back in March, a Material Theme redesign of Google Groups was announced. After a beta, it entered general availability in May. The new Google Groups is becoming the default experience for all users next week.
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After announcing last year, Google this May launched a tool for quickly accessing Assistant Actions from the Android homescreen. An update to Action Blocks today adds a vast number of UI tweaks, including dark theme widgets.
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Google Finance is getting a desktop and mobile redesign today that is focused on making it easier to “find data for stocks you’re interested in, market trends and relevant news to make more informed investment decisions.”
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Back in March, Google Podcasts received a big visual revamp and launched on iOS. As part of that expansion, the team hosted an AMA and promised a handful of new features. Quick access to Cast from the Now Playing sheet is rolling out today in Google Podcasts for Android.
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As announced last month, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for Android now support Microsoft Office editing. A related change sees Docs adjust line spacing based on the current font.
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Over the past week, Google has been testing an Assistant notification on the lockscreen that provides tappable access to frequent commands. It looks to be an extension of Google making its voice assistant more ambient.
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Last week, the Google Home app received a dark theme, unified camera page, and ability to control all Nest and Chromecast media devices from the Android 11 power menu. Following Nest x Yale control rolling out, the Google Home app now quickly shows whether your lights and other similar devices are on or off, while there’s also a new set-up list.
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As rumored, YouTube TV today announced its latest channel additions. It starts with the $64.99 subscription adding NFL Network, while Google is now offering a Sports Plus “add-on package” for an additional $10.99 per month.
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YouTube Music has seen a flurry of changes in recent weeks ahead of Play Music shutting down by year’s end. A smaller change sees YouTube Music for Android and iOS revamp its branding.
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Many habits have changed in response to COVID-19 lockdowns, and that is reflected in large services like Google Maps. The company saw an “up to a 50% decrease in worldwide traffic,” which has required road predictions to be retooled. Meanwhile, Google Maps has “significantly” improved ETAs by leveraging DeepMind AI.
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DNS over HTTPS (DoH) makes it so that malicious third-parties cannot see what you’re visiting or redirect you to phishng sites. After introducing to desktop browsers, Google is bringing Secure DNS to Chrome 85 for Android.
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Back in November, Google Assistant augmented user-curated “News briefings” with a personalized “mix of top headlines and stories based on your interests.” “Your News Update” is now coming to Google Podcasts, while more natural text-to-speech is also available.
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