Over the past year, Play Games has gained a dark theme and Material Theme settings. Google is now rolling out an organization revamp that sees Play Games gain dedicated tabs for key parts of the Android app and a “Home” feed.
First spotted in September, Google Photos for Android is now widely rolling out a redesigned bottom sheet menu for viewing image info and taking actions. It replaces the old overflow implementation for a much cleaner and more centralized interface.
In addition to the speed improvements and expanded capabilities found on the Pixel 4, the “new Google Assistant” makes important design changes. Some of those visual elements are now making their way to other devices in the form of an even more compact Google Assistant.
One way YouTube Music attempts to differentiate itself is through a slew of algorithmic and curated playlists. The latest are various “Songs of the decade” collections that come ahead of the 2010s ending.
Back in July, our APK Insight of Gboard revealed work on a new suggestions feature that essentially translates emoji into GIFs and stickers. “Emoji browsing suggestions” are now beginning to roll out for some Android users.
YouTube this morning announced a homepage redesign focused on helping you “find the next great video to watch.” Available for desktop web and tablets, it takes the form of larger thumbnails to aid browsing. The Google site is also rolling out queuing and “Don’t recommend this channel.”
YouTube today is alerting all visitors to its sites and mobile apps about updated Terms of Services that will come into effect next month. Appearing as a top banner, it links to an overview of upcoming changes.
After rolling out to Android, Mac, Windows, and Linux, version 78 of Chrome OS is now available. Notable features in Chrome OS 78 include separate browser and device settings, click-to-call, and the full launch of Virtual Desks.
Chrome 78 rolled out last month and was a relatively quiet release for Android. A server-side update for the browser today introduces a new long press menu that provides previews alongside actions for links and images.
Last year, Google’s Area 120 incubator introduced a Waze-like crowdsourcing app for public transit in New York City. Pigeon for iOS is now available in five more US cities, while an Android app is coming.
Discovery is a big focus for Google Maps as evident by the Explore and For you tabs. The Android app is now testing a carousel of search shortcuts right underneath the main lookup field.
At I/O 2019 in May, Google announced Assistant Driving Mode as its new in-car navigation and help experience. In September, the Assistant-based feature was delayed, and Google announced “Android Auto for phone screens” as a stopgap measure. That standalone app is now available in the Play Store.
In recent years, Google has strived to make its products work better internationally. Google News for Android and iOS now supports bilingual feeds to show stories for up to two “languages & regions of interest.”
Over the past several weeks, Google Photos has gained a story-esque Memories format, more print products, and the ability to control Smart Displays. The latest feature is minor, but you can now sort the Albums tab in Google Photos for Android.
A hack that enabled Rich Communication Services on any Android phone and carrier emerged last weekend. According to reports over the past 24 hours, the RCS trick has stopped working for some users.
Back in September, we first enabled a Material Theme redesign of Google Podcasts for Android. A revamped player that’s larger and fits in with the company’s current design language is now rolling out.
Following version 78’s release on Android, Mac, Windows, and Linux, the next beta release of Google’s browser is rolling out. The Chrome 79 beta features tab freezing on desktops to conserve resources, shared clipboard, and a trial of DNS-over-HTTPS.
At this month’s hardware event, a revamp of the Google Home app was unveiled alongside the Nest Mini, Wifi, and new Aware subscription. Featuring a consolidated look and more functionality, this redesign is coming to iOS “over the next few days” and already rolling out on Android.
Back in August, YouTube was spotted testing large thumbnails on the web homepage. For many today, the Google video service is showing a design at the other end of the spectrum that lacks thumbnails and showing one item per line.
Google Assistant’s “Updates” feed provides a visual overview of your day that’s reminiscent of the original Google Now. A drastically different design that organizes information chronologically is now being tested on Android.
With All Hallows’ Eve kicking off in two days, Google Photos is getting in on the action with a fun Easter Egg. Searching “Halloween” on Android and iOS yields a delightful little trick (or treat).
Last year, the G Suite line of productivity apps introduced very useful .new web shortcuts that immediately created a blank Doc, Sheet, Slide, and more. Google Registry is now letting other sites and companies register .new domains.
In addition to rolling out an Android widget, YouTube Music is now getting a Progressive Web App for desktop playback. This PWA provides faster access to Google’s primary streaming service and supports media keyboard shortcuts.
Last month, Google announced a plan to encrypt DNS — or DNS over HTTPS (DoH) — in Chrome. In the United States, this was met with criticism from Internet Service Providers for limiting monitoring capabilities, but supported by privacy activists. Google today is pushing back against “misconceptions” regarding its rollout.