Google has announced various new features for Android smartphones and tablets, as well as Wear OS devices in time for the holidays.
One of these is Reading Mode, which “creates an accessible reading experience” for people who are blind, low vision or dyslexic, according to Google. The feature lets you adjust the font style and size, line spacing, and background color, and switch between dark and light modes. It can even has a Text-to-Speech feature with speed and voice control. Reading Mode can be downloaded on devices with Android 9.0 or newer through the Google Play Store.
Starting next week, you can cast videos directly from the Google TV app to an Android TV or Google TV-based smart TV with a single tap. You can even browse other options while you’re watching and use your device as a remote control.
What’s more, Google is making it easy for you to share digital car keys with friends and family. You can also view and change who has access to your car in your phone’s digital wallet app. The feature is currently available on Google Pixel devices and iPhones, and will be available soon to select phones running Android 12 or newer.
Heading into Google Photos, the app will now feature new collage styles from Australian husband-and-wife visual duo DABSMYLA and renowned watercolor artist Yao Cheng Design. To use the feature, select your photos, choose a design, and rearrange your layout by dragging and dropping images.
Google has also introduced improvements to Wear OS. One of these is tiles for favorite contacts and sunrise and sunset times. The Google Keep app for Wear OS has also been updated to make it easier for you to view photos, collaborators, and background colors. Finally, you can use Google Assistant to quickly jump into an exercise through the adidas Running app. You can simply say “Hey Google, start a run with Adidas Running,” and the app will immediately track your workout.
Other notable new features include YouTube’s new Home screen Search widget and the Emoji Kitchen in Gboard where you can mash up new emojis into different sticker combos. The Google Messages app is also making it possible for you to reply to a specific message.