Over the past several weeks many first-party apps have gained dark modes, including Google Calendar and Keep just last month. The latest is now Google Photos, with users on non-Android Q devices notably seeing the darker theme.
Following the Mac, Windows, and Linux update this afternoon, Chrome 75 is now rolling out to Android. The user-facing focus of this release is on passwords, while developers can take advantage of several new features to improve the browsing experience.
Google today is rolling out the latest version of Chrome for Mac, Windows, and Linux. Chrome 75 is a more minor release for desktops in terms of user-facing changes. However, there are new tools and developer features.
Last year, Google introduced Work Insights for G Suite that lets admins see user adoption rates, collaboration statistics, and work patterns. The tool is now generally available for G Suite Enterprise customers with new stats on non-Google applications like Microsoft Office.
In the first major tweak since last September’s rebrand, Google Discover has removed the topic bubbles that appear above every card. This makes for a cleaner and more compact feed, with the tweak rolling out today.
Back in February, Google introduced Sound Amplifier and Live Transcribe for Android. An upcoming update to the latter app next month will let users see non-speech sound events, like clapping and music, as well as transcripts.
At last year’s I/O, Google announced Smart Compose in Gmail to autocomplete messages. The machine learning-powered feature first rolled out to consumer accounts and is now coming to Gmail on Android and iOS for paid G Suite accounts.
From the new Google Lens with filters to AR in Search, a number of the major augmented reality experiences announced at I/O 2019 launched in the past week. Another is now live when you point Google Lens at NBA team logos for AR stats.
YouTube Music 3.17 rolled out earlier this week with only one minor aesthetic tweak compared to last month’s more notable update. The Android app drops the red ring in the top-right corner that denotes YouTube Music Premium status.
At I/O 2019, Google announced a slew of AR features, including Dining and Translation filters for Google Lens. The ability to preview animals via augmented reality in Google Search is one of the more whimsical additions and it’s now live.
Controversy about Digital Wellbeing and Pixel 3 performance aside, the Pixel Launcher on Android Q is testing a quick “Pause app” shortcut. Another feature currently in beta is the ability to schedule Wind Down on a day-to-day basis.
The growth of online video streaming services means that services like Plex might not be as popular as they once were but the cost involved means that a central hub for all of your downloaded video is still a neat and tidy one.
Netflix has certified a further 23 devices for full HD playback with the updated list now officially including the Pixel 2, 2XL, 3, 3XL, newly released 3a and 3a XL, alongside the OnePlus 7 Pro, and Huawei P30 Pro.
One of the big appeals of YouTube TV is live games with the Android app widely testing an optimized sports dashboard. It includes stats and key replays just in time for the NBA Finals, which Google’s cord-cutting service is again sponsoring this year.
The latest update to Google Docs adds two new tools to the G Suite word processor that improves page formatting. Especially useful when printing, the first deals with inserting and viewing breaks, while the second works in tandem to allow custom section margins.
In addition to changes for Chrome extensions, Project Strobe is responsible for upcoming restrictions on third-party access of Drive. Similar to Gmail last October, Google is locking down what apps can access user data and verifying the authenticity of those that do.
Just before last year’s October 9th event, Google announced Project Strobe to review third-party access in all services, including Android. This initiative is now cracking down on Chrome extensions and requiring them to use less data, as well as to stop deceptive install practices.
Earlier this month, we spotted crowdsourced menu pictures in Google Maps. Google today is officially rolling out images of “Popular dishes” in restaurant listings on Android and soon iOS.
Confidential mode was one of the security features introduced as part of Gmail’s big Material Theme redesign on the web last year. It launched for consumers first, and is coming to all enterprise G Suite users next month.
Google today is taking further measures to foster family-friendly content in the Play Store by requiring apps to declare their intended audience explicitly. If an app is likely to be used by kids, developers will be subject to additional safety requirements.
The non-voice aspects of using Google Assistant on a phone date back to Now on Tap with that functionality still available through “What’s on my screen.” However, that screen search capability appears to be broken for many users this month.
OnePlus can’t be criticized too heavily for not responding to fan complaints and feature requests. The company has confirmed that it is working on the ghost touch issue on the OnePlus 7 Pro and is considering adding Always on Display support for the brand new device among other features.
The Google Lens features announced at I/O 2019 began rolling out last Tuesday on Android. Later this week, the new Google Lens with filters for Dining and Translate will officially be available for all Android and iOS users.
Earlier this year, Google app and Assistant settings were revamped with the Material Theme. The latter redesign is still underway menu-by-menu, with Assistant’s ‘Phone’ settings now the latest to receive the visual overhaul.