Android smartphones now support working with PIN codes and FIDO2 tokens - physical USB security keys — for quick authorization on websites without entering a complex password. Even if the physical key is lost or stolen, an attacker will not be able to use it without a PIN code.
Emoji Kitchen, an editor inside the Gboard keyboard capable of combining several emojis into one, has added support for new emojis: 📸, 🤯, 🌟 and 🍗.
The "Voice Mood" function is being tested in Google Messages — automatically adjusting the background and emoji of your audio message to the tone of your voice: this will allow you to better express surprise or delight.
Another novelty of the "Messages" is "Reaction Effects". When you respond to a message with this effect, the other person will see an enlarged animation on their screen. This feature is still in beta.
WearOS
Illustration: Google
Right from the watch, you can now turn on and configure compatible smart home gadgets — for example, launch a robot vacuum cleaner or quickly change the color of the lighting in the living room.
From the watch, you can now quickly switch all smart home appliances using two new modes: "At home" and "Gone." This allows you to run a whole scenario at the touch of a button: for example, turn off the lights everywhere, turn on the cameras, lock the doors and start the robot vacuum cleaner.
Soon, Google Assistant scripts (aka Routines) will be able to be run directly from the watch by voice.
The new Google Assistant widget will display on the dial all the information that may be useful to you at this time — warnings about dangerous weather conditions, flight updates or reminders of events from the Calendar.
Google TV
Google TV users in the USA now have access to 115 free channels (more than 10 of them are new).
Accessibility features
TalkBack screen voiceover mode now allows visually impaired users to hear descriptions of images, even if the authors did not prescribe them: the neural network will "look" at the photo and describe it.
By next week, it will be possible to enable subtitle generation in phone calls and videos that are stored locally on a smartphone. Later, they will add the ability to enter a text response right during a phone call, which will be immediately announced. This bundle will allow users with hearing and speech impairments to communicate with minimal delays.
