Google is making a change to what it calls the “First Open Experience” that will launch Docs in edit mode, with Sheets and Slides also getting a “more creation-focused experience.”

While we wait for Magic Editor, Google Photos is adding new effects to make videos “pop” with one of 12 different styles that just requires a tap.  

Meet is the video calling service that Google wants you to use. However, Duo’s functionality still lives on, and group video calling in Google Meet was broken for a whole week. 

YouTube Music just rolled out a new miniplayer and is testing a Now Playing redesign that now looks to be home to a comments section.

For most people, a lot of the apps they use on their Android phones are made directly by Google. Here’s an informal look at how Android users rate the top Google apps, with the highest-rated apps being somewhat surprising.

At the start of last month, Google Workspace announced that it would start public testing of Duet AI image generation in Slides, and it’s now more widely available.

After it first started appearing last month, YouTube Music is now widely rolling out a permanent miniplayer design.

Google has updated the Play Store such that blue is now the accent color throughout the app at the expense of some existing Dynamic Color theming.

Besides the web player taking after the main video site, YouTube Music now automatically adds songs to the last used playlist.

Android app developers have a tough job in optimizing their apps for many different screen sizes, and really, it’s understandable why many just choose to focus on the core layout. But as new screen sizes continue to hit the market, the new Google Home app is a goal to follow for all Android apps.

With the launch of the Pixel Fold (and Tablet), Google is continuing the push to get third-party developers to update their apps for foldables.

Google Wallet is expanding beyond NFC with support for credit or debit card payments through QR codes in Brazil.

While SGE was the big Search development out of I/O 2023, Google also announced “Perspectives,” and the filter is now rolling out.

The launch of the Pixel Tablet and Fold also brings a Material You redesign of Google Weather. This revamp, which will later come to other devices, features “Google Nowcast” for more accurate rain, hail, and snow predictions.

A small tweak to Gmail for Android yesterday updated the Android notification so it adopts Dynamic Color theming and no longer defaults to a red icon. 

After announcing in 2021 for Workspace Individual, Google is now bringing Calendar appointment scheduling to personal accounts while Gmail is adding interactive schedule sharing inside emails.

Reports emerged last month about a bug that made it seem WhatsApp for Android was always using the microphone. Google today acknowledged the issue and a straightforward fix.

Google Workspace is making a small but key change that will let you see who has requested access to a file directly in Docs, Sheets, and Slides. 

Since launch, one big complaint of the Pixel Watch is how it does not sync Bedtime Modes, and Google is now working to add that along with Do Not Disturb.