It’s more, more, more from Google with new ways to Transcribe, find your next show, and even pay for parking
This week has already been a huge one for Android users, betweenthe arrival of new betas,Feature Drops, and all the updates to software and services we’re learning about today. There’s atonmore waiting to be shared, though, as Google tips us off to new functionality for Nearby Share, Google TV, Live Transcribe, and Android Auto.
Nearby Share is already designed to remove some of the roadblocks mobile users face when trying to share files and content with each other, but so far the service has focused on 1-to-1 transfers. For a while now we’ve beenhearing hintsabout the ability to share stuff with multiple users at once, and it looked like tests were starting toexpand to general availabilitylast year. Now it’s all going official, with an update arriving that formally supports transfers to groups.
With the arrival of the Pixel 6 last fall,Live Translate introduced a handy offline modefor when you still need to communicate, even without reliable data service. We’ve been tracking progress towards similaroffline functionality for Google’s Live Transcribeaccessibility service, and now it’s time for that to arrive — without any Pixel exclusivity, either.
Google gives youa few ways to pay for parkingwhen you’re out and about, and now we’re adding another to the list with full Assistant support. Android Auto users will be able to say “Hey Google, pay for parking” to get the process started — though you will need your phone to complete the transaction. If streamlining the process makes us that much less likely to forget (and risk a ticket), that still sounds like a win.
Finally, the Google TV app on your phone is getting a slick new Discover-like interface for finding new content. This Highlights tab includes a daily feed packed with articles about the shows and movies you love, all with easyintegration for your watchlist.
That’s not all, though. Google’s also expanded the ways you can useportrait blur in Google Photos, cooked up an extra2000 mashups in the Emoji Kitchen, rolled out anew screen time widget, andiMessage reactions are coming to Messagesofficially. Be on the lookout for out all these new Google features hitting your devices in the days to come.
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