Autoplaying videos are a major driver of YouTube views and helps keep you on the site. Google is now testing a revamped “Up next” UI on Android that’s larger and easier to interact with.
The best feature of Google Assistant headphones is interacting with incoming messages and notifications. On Android phones, you’ve long been able to get those voice features with the default SMS client. Google is now expanding Assistant’s ability to read messages to all third-party messaging apps.
With the revamped Fit last year, Google focused on physical activity through Heart Points and Move Minutes. The service is adding detailed sleep logging to capture your entire day, while the dark theme is now official.
Google last year updated the previously Tango-only Measure app to work with ARCore, the company’s platform for mobile augmented reality. The tool leverages AR to record distances, with version 2.2 rolling out a Material Theme revamp of the UI and smarter tools.
Google is adding a new emergency calling feature to the first-party Phone app that lets you contact 911 without having to actually speak. This is highly useful when you’re unable to verbally communicate, and coming first to Pixel devices.
With Featured Snippets, Google Search immediately highlights the information you’re looking for. The company today detailed a new algorithm update that will make these answers more useful by keeping them fresh and up-to-date.
Beyond data entry and formulas, Google Sheets has long featured graphing capabilities. Earlier this year, the G Suite app added more tools for “enhanced reporting,” and today Google announced Themes, Slicers, and Scorecard charts to make Sheets more interactive.
Google’s work on a “Play Pass” subscription first came to light last June. The company has now confirmed that it’s in active testing, with the first screenshots detailing a monthly service that provides “access to hundreds of premium apps.”
Earlier this month, we spotted a “Resume your podcast” card in the Google Assistant Updates feed. This visual snapshot of your day is testing a full weather card, while there’s now a suggestions carousel dedicated to Spotify or YouTube Music.
Following the Mac, Windows, and Linux update this afternoon, Chrome 76 is now rolling out to Android. One of the biggest user-facing changes is a harder to detect Incognito Mode, while there are a number of features that web developers can take advantage of.
Google today is rolling out the latest version of Chrome for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Chrome 76 gets ready for the deprecation of Flash next year by blocking the plug-in by default, while Incognito Mode will be harder to detect.
Now in its fifth edition, Google is taking nominations for the 2019 Material Design Awards. There are four categories with self-nominations again accepted, with the company looking for “best-in-class designs from our community.”
YouTube TV is now available in every US television market at $49.99 per month. Google announced today that PBS and PBS Kids are coming to the cord-cutting service later this year.
Earlier this year, Google rolled out Work Insights for G Suite enterprise customers that help track adoption rates, collaboration statistics, and work patterns. A similar tool is now coming to Google for Education users with “transformation reports.”
Before Assistant, Google had “Voice search” capabilities that were closely integrated with full on Search. Over the past several years, all innovation has been focussed on Assistant and Google is now in the process of fully replacing Voice search on Android.
Google Camera is due for a big upgrade that elevates Night Sight to the main interface. That version will likely launch with a future Android Q release, but until then, a minor 6.2 update rolled out earlier this week. There are no visible changes, but the new Google Camera breaks Assistant’s “Hey Google, take a picture” command.
Fast-loading Accelerated Mobile Pages are prevalent on the mobile web, thanks to Google Search. AMP is now coming to Google Images with a new ‘Swipe to Visit’ action that quickly previews and opens the site where a picture result originates from.
Last year, Google introduced an extremely convenient way to create blank Docs, Sheets, and Slides with the .new domain. The Google docs.new shortcut now supports quick file creation in your other signed-in accounts, including your work or school G Suite.
After coming to Android in May, Google Keep on the web now has a dark mode. This highly requested look, especially on large desktop screens, begins rolling out today.
Over the past several weeks, Google has been A/B testing tweaks to the search field on its iconic homepage. Those changes are now being tested on Android with the latest Google app beta.
Earlier this year, Google launched Sound Amplifier to help Android users hard of hearing better understand what’s happening around them. This Android Accessibility app now works with 6.0 Marshmallow or later, and is getting a redesigned look with an audio visualization feature.
With Project Strobe, Google is conducting a “root-and-branch review” of third-party developer access to personal data. In May, the company announced that the initiative would look at Chrome Extensions, with new policies coming into effect this October.
Last month, the Google Photos dark theme began rolling out to non-Android Q devices. The latest feature for the Android client is a live video preview in the main “Photos” tab.
While voice is an important interaction method, Google has to balance convenience and functionality with security. One current tradeoff is being unable to send a text with Assistant voice commands from Android’s lockscreen, though that may change.