The latest version of Google Allo rolled out over the weekend and shows the messaging service preparing a number of new features, including camera effects and sticker search on the web. Version 19 also integrates Allo with the Google app’s In Apps search feature.
With Google Assistant launching on more devices and set to get new features in the coming months, Google is testing a new walkthrough screen to encourage more users to enable the smart assistant by better showcasing its features and uses.
In recent months, the Google Maps interface on mobile has seen a number of changes, in particular a new bottom bar for directions and finding interesting places around you. The latest change adds a third FAB to the app’s main screen for switching between map layers.
Following a bug in the Google Clock app that rose to prominence last week, another first-party Google app is encountering a rather significant bug. Many have reported that the latest update to Android Messages does not alert users to incoming texts with notifications.
As detailed in a new report from TechCrunch, Twitter has started testing a new Twitter Lite application for Android. The social network is testing the app in the Philippines as it looks to make the service more accessible in countries where data speeds are an issue.
Following the rollout of sticker packs and their integration into the keyboard, the latest Gboard beta rolled out earlier this week. Version 6.6 most significantly redesigns the interface for choosing an alternate keyboard layout by merging it with a new simplified Languages picker.
Google+ has a small but rabid following, and — believe it or not — it still gets updated with new features. The most recent was a new “Discover” feature that highlights the best content on the social network. Today’s update is smaller, but brings a key change to how comments are displayed.
Thanks to a recent sighting in the AOSP commit, Google might be in the process of adding new notification actions to its Google Phone app.
Protecting our data is a constant battle, especially as technology continues to advance. A recent trend that has popped up is the installation of credit card skimmers, especially at locations such as gas pumps. With a simple piece of hardware and 30 seconds to install it, a hacker can easily steal credit card numbers from a gas pump without anyone knowing. Now, an open-source app for Android is attempting to help users avoid these skimmers.
Google Keep is my favorite note-taking app. While there are a lot of neat and helpful features available to further enhance your note-taking skills, one of the best parts is arguably the different colors you can use to spruce up the look of your to-do lists and memos. In a little surprise update, Google Keep is gaining 4 new hues to make your notes look even better than before.
Last month, YouTube received a massive redesign across all platforms that introduced a new icon and various interface tweaks across its apps. YouTube TV is now one of the last products to be updated to match this new branding.
With Chrome 61 rolled out to Android and desktop browsers, version 62 is now in the beta channel. Chrome for Android’s new bottom bar interface is already testing a redesign, while there are a number of security-related changes that apply to browsers across all platforms.
Following the release of iOS 11 today, Apple has updated its Apple Music client for Android to bring it to feature parity. The major new feature is the ability to follow people and see what they are listening to. Version 2.2 also brings support for “Ok Google” Voice Search, app shortcuts, and adds a new widget.
Snapseed is a powerful photo editor that Google acquired in 2012 and later made free. This week, the app began rolling out its first update since March and introduces a redesign that adds a bottom bar and makes it faster to access the various tools in the app.
Last month, we spotted Google testing a “People also view” recommendations bar at the bottom of sites opened through the Search app. That feature has yet to widely rollout on Android, but is launching today on the Google app for iOS.
While Andy Rubin’s startup Essential took a lot of heat for its front-facing camera cutout, Apple is seeing quite a lot of backlash surrounding the much larger cutout on the iPhone X. Now, thanks to the work of a developer, Android users can “embrace the notch.”
The public library continues to be a wonderful resource, with many adapting to this day and age with various digital resources. As such, many offer ebooks in addition to their traditional counterparts. Google is now helping surface these online versions by showing ebooks that are available to borrow from your library.
In Android Oreo, highlighting an address, email, or phone number will pop up a suggestion bar to open the appropriate corresponding app on your device. This feature uses machine learning and of course requires an OS update, but in the meantime Gmail and Inbox are being updated with a similar time-saving feature.
Google never really stops testing changes to the Google Play Store, and it appears yet another one is underway. First spotted by some users on Reddit, Google seems to be testing replacing app ratings with the download sizes of those apps in search results.
This June, Google News on the web received a big Material redesign that simplified navigation and offered more perspectives, especially from local sources. The site is now adding a new feature that builds on the latter improvement: Community Updates.
The possibilities with virtual reality are endless, but even since the days of Google Cardboard, Google Earth has been one of the highlights for newcomers to the VR platform. Yesterday, Google announced that its Google Earth VR app is being updated to support Street View images.
Actions on Google and Assistant apps launched at I/O in the U.S. and most recently in Australia and the U.K. With more developers now working on apps for the platform, Google has added a search feature to more easily look through the Assistant directory.
Autoplaying video or audio on the web can be convenient at times and very frustrating at others. To improve the experience, upcoming versions of Google Chrome will make “autoplay more consistent with user expectations” and give more controls for audio.
Earlier today, Andy Rubin and several executives from Essential hosted an AMA on Reddit to primarily discuss the Essential Phone. Notable highlights from the session include when the Android Oreo update is coming, as well as when the phone will be supported on Verizon, as well as European availability.
