Google Announces New Android Features To Mark End Of 2021

Google has a year-end gift for Android users! In a blog post on Thursday, the Pixel maker highlighted a series of goodie-like features to mark the end of 2021.

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Google's new widgets

First off - new widgets! Google is adding a series of new widgets for essential Google Android apps like YouTube Music, Google Play Books, Google Photos. The new YouTube Music widget will offer playback controls, along with access to recently played songs.

For Google Play Books, the new widget will act a shortcut for your e-book library. In addition, the Google Photos widget (which would be available next week) would allow users to set whose pics they want to be shown on the widget screen. The Google Photos' Memories feature will also now show curated images and videos from events as part of the widget.

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Family Bell by Google

Google is also extending its "Family Bell" feature to work on mobile devices. The alarm-like reminder mechanism is usually broadcast across smart speakers and displays and is designed for families with multiple Google devices, as the name suggests.

Also read: Google Bans 150 SMS Scam Apps From The Play Store: All You Need To Know

Permissions-reset for older devices

The permissions-reset feature on older Android phones is also finally getting an update. The feature comes in extremely handy and is already available on all devices running Android 11 and above. It can automatically turn off permissions for apps that you don't use regularly. Now, devices running Android 6 and above and can also expect to get the feature soon.

There is no single timeline for all these features to be available on different Android phones. But Google has a history of rolling out the features over a couple months after the announcement is made. So, starting yesterday, the updates shall be made available until after the end of January.

Also read: Android Could Get iPhone-Like 'Find My Device' Feature: How It Works

Android Auto - improved!

There's also something new for Android Auto - easier playback options. The car-friendly interface will launch on your device as soon as you connect to the vehicle. More options include quicker navigation and the option to respond to texts faster.

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In select countries, Google now allows your Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S21 device to be used as a car key for all BMW 2020 and 2022 models.

Are you going to use any of these features announced by Google? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of tech and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

Citation

Yang, T. (2021, December 1). Get festive this holiday season with new Android features. Google.