The Gboard stylus handwriting support that we first enabled in August is now rolling out on Android tablets that offer the input.
Expand Expanding CloseGboard rolling out stylus handwriting on Pixel, Samsung tablets
Latest
Google Messages giving RCS chats a background wallpaper
Google is rolling out a background wallpaper for RCS chats in Messages to help distinguish them from SMS/MMS conversations.
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Gmail adds more prominent ‘Unsubscribe’ button on the web
In October, Google announced that it would require bulk senders to add a one-click unsubscribe button in the body of emails. Gmail is now making its “Unsubscribe” button much more prominent.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Lens simplifies and consolidates into three filters
Google has simplified Lens so that users only have to decide between three filters when performing a visual search.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel Recorder adds cloud-powered ‘Transcribe again’
Besides the Gemini Nano-powered Summarize on the 8 Pro, the latest Recorder update adds “Transcribe again” to other Pixel devices.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube Music adds song play counts, AI playlist art creator gets wider availability
In addition to rolling out the gradient background for Now Playing, YouTube Music this week is adding play counts for every song, while the generative AI creator for playlist art is seeing broader availability.
Expand Expanding CloseGmail package tracking can now bump emails to the top of your inbox
Introduced last year, Gmail’s package tracking capability is getting two new features, including bumping messages to the top of your inbox, as the busy holiday shipping is in full swing.
Expand Expanding CloseChrome’s 3rd-party cookie deprecation is called ‘Tracking Protection,’ testing starts January
Google is in the final stages of phasing out support for third-party cookies in Chrome. Ahead of a wide rollout in the second half of 2024, Chrome in January will start testing “Tracking Protection.”
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Wallet for Wear OS now shows loyalty cards
The Google Wallet app on Wear OS has been updated with the ability to access your loyalty cards.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube Music rolling out Now Playing gradient redesign [U]
YouTube Music rolled out a Now Playing redesign that placed key controls in a carousel and made other UI tweaks in September, and it is now getting a gradient background.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle will store Location History, Maps Timeline on your device for privacy
Google is making a big change to how it stores Location History data on Android and iOS. Instead of that data being stored in the cloud, Google will be locally saving Location History to your device with end-to-end encrypted cloud backups for “Your Timeline” in Maps also offered.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Docs adds @ button to encourage Smart Chips usage
Smart Chips let you do a lot in Docs and other Workspace apps, and Google is now adding a prominent “@” button shortcut.
Expand Expanding CloseChrome now defaults to desktop mode on ‘premium’ Android tablets
As part of Google’s work to optimize its first-party apps for Android tablets and other large-screen devices, Chrome is defaulting to desktop mode.
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Pixel Watch updated with Personal Safety Tiles
Besides the December 2023 Feature Drop introducing a pair of new Pixel Watch capabilities, Google this week updated the Personal Safety app with two Wear OS Tiles.
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Gmail notification icons on Android are no longer red
Back in June, Google updated Gmail for Android so that the notification icon is no longer red, but changed course a few days later. Red has been dropped again, but Dynamic Color is not implemented in its place.
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YouTube now lets Creators ‘pause’ video comments
YouTube is now rolling out a straightforward “Pause” option to its comment moderation tools for Creators.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Podcasts shutting down in April, YouTube Music export coming
Google today shared a more precise timeline of when Google Podcasts will stop working in 2024, while export options for YouTube Music and other apps are rolling out soon.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Wallet notifications will be sent directly from the app [U]
An upcoming change to Google Wallet on Android will see payment notifications originate directly from the app instead of Play services.
Expand Expanding Close‘Messages by Google’ is now just ‘Google Messages’
In addition to getting seven new features yesterday, “Messages by Google” was quietly renamed to “Google Messages.”
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Google Clock for Wear OS gets some UI tweaks
Google is rolling out a small update to the Clock app on Wear OS that makes nice usability changes to the Alarm and Stopwatch functionality.
Expand Expanding CloseNew Google Messages Profile images will replace your contact photos
With Google making Profiles in Messages official yesterday, one thing you’ll notice is how those images will replace any contact photos you have manually set.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube Music rolling out 2023 Recap with ‘Your album cover’
Following Apple Music and Spotify, YouTube Music’s 2023 Recap is rolling out. This summary builds on the personalized story format from last year.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Maps rolls out new colors on Android, iOS, and web
Google has announced a slew of new features for Maps in recent weeks, including Immersive View for routes, more detailed navigation, and transit filters. Google Maps is now rolling out a new color palette.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Chat rolling out a wild navigation redesign on Android, iOS
Following the web, Google Chat is getting a big redesign on Android and iOS to accompany its new icon.
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