New Android features include Digital car key sharing, Reading Mode, and more
Reading Mode is a new accessibility app that aims to provide a more accessible reading experience for people who are blind, have low vision, or are dyslexic.
Google has announced a bunch of features for Android just in time for the winter season, headlined by a brand new Reading Mode. New collage designs on Google Photos, new emojis on emoji kitchen, and more join this. Here’s everything you need to know about the feature drop.
Reading Mode
Reading Mode is a new accessibility app that aims to provide a more accessible reading experience for people who are blind, have low vision, or are dyslexic. Once you download and enable it, you’ll see a small overlay on the side of your screen.
Open any article on the web and tap that overlay icon to see content from the article in a much more readable format. The feature works with YouTube videos too. Users can also tap the play button at the bottom to convert the text content into speech.
Digital Car Key sharing support
Google launched Digital Car Key last with Android 12, allowing users to lock/unlock supported cars automatically. With this feature dump, users can now share their digital car key with friends and family across Pixels and iPhones.
Think of it as letting someone you know to borrow your car keys for a while. Users can manage multiple car keys and their access from the phone’s digital wallet app.
As we use our smartwatches to get more done, Wear OS tiles make it easy to see important information at a glance. You can already use the Google Maps tile to start navigating to your home or office from anywhere. And now, we’re adding new tiles to help you get more things done from your watch — like getting in touch with your favorite contacts and viewing sunrise and sunset times to plan your day.
We’ve also updated the Google Keep app on Wear OS so your notes and to-dos written on your phone will look just as good on your watch. View labels and collaborators to stay organized. Custom backgrounds, photos, and drawings make it easy to see what’s important to you, whether you’re checking your notes on your phone or your watch.
And something I’ve been particularly waiting for – over the next week, you can use Google Assistant to quickly jump into more than 30 types of exercises with the Adidas Running app. Just say “Hey Google, start a run with Adidas Running” and the app will open and start tracking your workout, noting your speed, distance, and heart rate via the built-in sensor on your smartwatch.
New Google Photos collage styles
Google Photos recently added Styles to the collage editor, allowing users to share customizable collages. Expanding on that, the company introduced some new designs from two new artists – Australian husband-and-wife visual duo DABS MYLA and renowned watercolor artist Yao Cheng Design.
To create a new collage, open Photos, select multiple photos, hit “Add to” at the bottom, and then select “Collage.” Here you’ll see several designs and layouts you can use.
New Emoji Kitchen emojis
Emoji Kitchen already offers over 15,000 ‘hybrid’ emojis but it’s now gained even more combos – and this time they’re all about the winter season. Bring up Gboard on any messaging app, tap the emoji icon to the left of the space bar, and input any winter-related emoji to see new suggestions.
Other features
1. Starting next week, you’ll be able to directly cast from the Google TV app to your compatible TV through a floating action button at the bottom right of the app.
2. The Google Keep app on Wear OS devices has been updated to present better-looking notes and to-dos, with support for custom backgrounds and more.
3. New integration with the Adidas Running app in Google Assistant will let users start a run by saying “Hey Google, start a run with Adidas Running.”
You can also easily access content with YouTube’s new Home screen Search widget. With a quick tap from your Home screen, you can dive right into your library of videos, Shorts, or subscriptions.
Sometimes it’s easier to look for something to watch on your phone than on your TV. The Google TV app already makes it easy to use your phone to discover movies and shows from across your streaming services. And starting next week, you can cast directly from the Google TV app to your compatible TV with a single tap. You can keep browsing other options while you’re watching and use your device as a remote control, too.