A big Google Podcasts revamp in March redesigned the Android experience, introduced an iOS app, and brought subscriptions to the web. To further drive adoption, Google is letting old Play Music users transfer over podcasts.
The Google Home app is, well, home to a sprawling number of settings and menus for controlling Smart Displays, speakers, Wi-Fi routers, and much more. Google is now redesigning the “Home settings” menu with better organization and the Material Theme.
Google last month followed up its rebrand of Hangouts Meet by making it “free for everyone.” As much of the world is video conferencing due to COVID-19, Google Meet is being positioned as a new app for communicating, with an ad emphasizing that free and consumer nature today.
At the moment, the Play Store’s lookup capabilities are quite basic. Google Play is now testing filters in search that can refine results by only surfacing the top apps.
Google Authenticator is a very straightforward app that provides 2-step verification codes when signing-in to third-party sites. The Android app saw its last update in 2017, but Google Authenticator 5.10 today introduces a Material Theme redesign and account transfer feature.
Work and personal video calling are surging in light of COVID-19, with Google announcing a handful of new Duo features last month to support that demand. Google Duo is soon adding group calling on the web and link sharing, as well as a family mode.
In recent weeks, people have turned to virtual animals in Google Search to experience the outside world indoors. Google today is adding a 3D skeleton and other models, while revamping the AR viewer on Android.
Many changes to YouTube are focused on getting you to watch and engage with more content. YouTube for Android and iOS now has a new video page that elevates, but shrinks comments and introduces large video thumbnails.
The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the nature of home entertainment, with Google seeing “major shifts in streaming viewership.” Brands are adjusting their advertising strategies in response, with YouTube now “accelerating the launch of a number of tools.”
Last May, Google announced and rolled out a major redesign of its visual search tool. Google Lens is now adding three productivity-focused features, including Search results from the web and a “Copy to computer” shortcut.
Google Podcasts saw a big update in March that revamped the Android client and introduced an iOS app. A new Google Podcasts Manager tool today gives podcasters analytics about who’s listening and what can be done to improve engagement.
After revamping Lighting controls in March, the Google Home app has new suggestions for linking streaming services, as well as a Live TV section.
Back in February, Google announced that it would require all Nest users to enable two-factor authentication this spring. Google is now starting to enforce this new 2FA account security measure.
Last week, Google announced that the highly-awaited ability to control “Hey Google” sensitivity was beginning to roll out. As of today, the new setting is more widely available for first and some third-party Assistant speakers and Smart Displays.
Last year, YouTube for Android’s Home tab added a carousel of topics that loaded a carousel of personalized videos. That feature is now coming to iOS and YouTube.com, with availability in more languages.
Gmail on the web has long recapped key details about flights and other travel arrangements at the top of emails. A similar summary capability with expanded use cases and card-based UI is now coming to Gmail for Android and iOS.
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Audio adjustments on Google’s smart speakers and Smart Displays are quite straightforward. The company is now testing the ability to set a separate Google Assistant volume level in the Home companion app.
Due to COVID-19, much of the world has turned to the internet for work, learning, communication, and entertainment. Another area is relief and aid, with Google reporting a surge in My Maps usage.
The first US orders for Pixel Buds are shipping from the Google Store today following their launch yesterday morning. It comes as the second-generation Assistant headphones are now delayed or out of stock at many retailers.
Google Drive and the G Suite family of productive apps often get small, iterative refreshes. The latest update today is more notable and sees a big redesign of the sharing UI that focuses on ease of use.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates many of today’s societal issues. One of those areas is misinformation, and YouTube hopes to tackle that in the US by introducing fact check panels.
YouTube Music has seen a number of changes in recent weeks ahead of Play Music’s eventual deprecation. The latest tweaks how the YouTube Music Library is organized by separating “Subscriptions.”
At I/O 2019, Google quietly teased what’s new for Android’s user-friendly interface over Bluetooth. With the launch of the Pixel Buds this morning, the latest Fast Pair features were also detailed.