Due to the holiday season, version 7.17 of the Google app first hit the beta channel in late November and rolled out to all users throughout December. Now, version 7.18 has arrived with more hints of the rumored Home with a display, Lens functionality, and more.
Nearly a year after launching on phones, Google finally announced last week that Assistant was coming to tablets. We’ve finally received it on a tablet, and while this was long overdue, the experience is somewhat lacking.
Over the past month, users have noticed that the “Hey Google” hotword is no longer limited to Google Home. For some, the command is recognized on Android and works to invoke Assistant. Today, this feature is now more widely rolling out.
The latest version of the Google app is rolling out this morning and it comes with another redesign of Assistant settings. Version 7.17 also reveals some sort of syncing feature with Chrome, upcoming Google Lens functionality, and more.
Version 7.16 of the Google app rolled out in beta last week and revealed more about Assistant Routines and improvements to the built-in podcast player, among other updates. We’ve since been able to activate some new features that detail some minor tweaks in the works.
With every new update to the Google app, we’re learning more about Assistant Routines that can string together commands. Version 7.16 also details an expansion to the podcast functionality and feedback/training for Lens and the Feed. In terms of visible changes, Assistant for tablets is hinted at, while the Feed’s bottom bar sees a partial redesign.
A month ago, version 7.14 of the Google app included the first references to Google Assistant for tablets. That functionality is likely nearing a launch as the latest beta of the Google app now lists Assistant as available for the category of larger devices.
Last week, Google Search began rolling out a redesign that rounded the UI of its mobile website. Today, that same redesign is more widely rolling out to Android, along with deeper changes to how the full app looks and operates.
One of the software steps that Google announced to address the Pixel 2 XL’s burn-in issues was to encourage apps to adopt a light navigation bar. Settings in the Android 8.1 Developer Preview was one of those apps and now the Google app is following along.
On the eve of Google’s October 4th event, we were able to enable a redesigned Google Feed that featured numerous rounded UI elements, a new bottom bar, and removed navigation drawer. Following last night’s release of version 7.15 of the Google app, it appears that this new design is beginning to rollout for some.
The latest beta version of the Google app is rolling with more about multi-command “Routines” for Google Assistant, as well as further details about Pixel Buds. Additionally, version 7.15 contains more information about the Search Bar Widget and the recently uncovered Quartz device that’s possibly a Google Home with a display.
With the rollout of the Google Feed over the summer, the overflow menu on cards became more important. Namely, it was the primary way to customize the Feed and housed the basic ability to swipe away cards. This evening, Google is more widely rolling out a redesign that switches to a bottom sheet for that menu.
A week before the October 4th event, we received a tip that a Google Home competitor to the Amazon Echo Show is in the works. Featuring a 7-inch screen, it would reportedly support a number of Google services. Today, a teardown (via Android Police) of the latest beta version of the Google app contains references to such a device and details its functionality.
Two weeks ago, we revealed that the Google app was working on a bottom bar redesign. The latest version 7.14 shows Google refining that interface, while revamping the “Explore” page for Assistant apps, adding “Hey Google” on phones, and other tweaks.
The latest beta version of the Google app rolled out this evening and hints at Assistant finally being available on tablets, as well as other features possibly coming to more devices. Version 7.14 also includes some user-facing changes, while there are some mentions about the upcoming Pixel Buds.
Last month, Google began testing a “Save” feature in the Google app that allows users to add and organize URLs to a new “Saved” section of the Android app. This evening, that feature is now widely rolling out.
In our teardown of the latest Google app beta this morning, there were several strings describing new tabs for the app. Since then, we have been able to activate it and now have our first glimpse at what is most likely the redesign we’ll see tomorrow of the Google app for the Pixel 2.
The latest beta of the Google app is rolling out this morning and features a number of strings related to Assistant. Version 7.13 notes new features in the works for Assistant-enabled headphones, as well as what is possibly a new device: “Google Earphones.”
Back in March, the Google app on Android added a row of shortcuts underneath the Search bar to quickly access various built-in tools and dedicated sections. Some Google sections can now be directly accessed through App and Pinned Shortcuts that can be placed on the homescreen.
Since I/O 2017, Google has been working on adding Google Lens to Assistant. With version 7.12 of the Google app, we’ve been able to activate Lens and demonstrate what it looks like. Additionally, we were able to initiate the new male Assistant voice that we spotted last week.
In our teardown of version 7.12 of the Google app last week, we spotted several mentions of a customizable “Google Bar.” Since then, we have been able to activate the feature to reveal that future versions of the Google app could allow users to customize the search bar widget.
In early August, Google Search added a navigation drawer which housed a new ‘Saved’ page to its mobile site. The saving feature previously launched in Google Images to save pictures, but expanded to places in Maps, travel itineraries, and web pages. However, despite the ability to save links being cited, there was no way to do so on mobile until now.
In our teardown of the latest Google app beta yesterday, we spotted a number of features being prepped for Assistant. This included the ability to set a different voice, as well as the ability to launch it on the Pixel 2 by squeezing the Active Edge. Since then, we have been able to activate several of those features and a handful of other new ones.
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.
