Google’s Android team this week introduced a slew of mobile updates aimed at messaging, photo editing, entertainment, and more. That includes iPhone reactions appearing on Android phones as emojis, the ability to pay for parking via voice, and easier sharing with nearby devices.
Messages
This update doesn’t solve the blue-versus-green bubble drama, and Google makes sure to once again call on Apple to “join the rest of the mobile industry and adopt RCS” (here’s what that means). But there are some notable additions to Android Messages, including:
- iPhone reactions now appear on Android phones as emojis (first on devices set to English, with additional languages to follow).
- Send Android videos as Google Photos links to iPhone friends, preserving their clarity. The feature will soon apply to still images, too.
- Messages are automatically sorted into Personal and Business tabs, similar to how most of Google’s email inboxes work. Additionally, you can set messages with one-time password codes to delete after 24 hours.
- Nudges that remind you to reply to messages you may have missed or that need following up are rolling out first to English users around the globe.
- Save a friend’s birthday in your device’s contacts, and you’ll get an annual notification when you open Messages or enter a conversation with them.
- Gboard’s new grammar-correction feature detects errors and offers suggestions.
- Emoji Kitchen’s collection of 2,000-plus mashups are available as stickers. “Replace heart eyes with pretzels, make it rain disco balls, or add some love to your favorite foods in an endless array of emoji possibilities,” Google says.
Live Transcribe
Developed for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, Live Transcribe provides real-time speech-to-text captions for in-person conversations. Pre-installed on Pixel and Samsung devices, and available to download for free, the app now comes with offline mode for those times you can’t access Wi-Fi or your data connection is spotty—like on an airplane or in the subway.
Portrait Blur
Portrait Blur is coming soon to the Android Photos app, where Google One members and Pixel handset owners can use the editing tool to blur the background on images of more subjects, including pets, food, and plants. It also applies to old pics taken without portrait mode.
Highlights on Google TV
Open the new Highlights tab on Google TV to find a personalized feed of entertainment news, reviews, and more, based on movies and shows you’re interested in. And, when you discover your next favorite production,tap the thumbnail to play, rate, or Watchlist the title for later.
Pay for Parking With Google Assistant
Google Assistant and Google Pay teamed up to let users pay for parking at ParkMobile street zones in more than 400 US cities using their voice. Find a spot, grab your phone, say “Hey, Google, pay for parking,” and follow the on-screen prompts—no coins needed. You can also check your parking status or extend your stay with an additional voice command.
Screen Time Widget
Balance real life and digital life with a new screen-time widget highlighting the three applications you use most each day. Tap to open Digital Wellbeing, where you’ll find daily app timers, the ability to pause distracting programs at set times, and an option to silence your device and change the screen to black and white at bedtime.
Nearby Share
A new update allows users to send photos, videos, documents, links, audio files, and entire folders to multiple nearby Android 6+ devices at a time.
