Google releases several productivity features for Android and tests the integration of Gemini AI with the messaging app

Gemini will allow Android users who qualify for the test program to communicate, draft messages, and do much more

On Monday, February 26, Google released nine new features for Android smartphones, many of which relied on generative artificial intelligence (AI). The Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 opened on the same day as the feature announcement. The incorporation of Gemini, the business’s most recent AI-powered chatbot, inside the Messages app is the feature that stands out the most. The tech behemoth has started releasing additional features for smartphones, Android Auto, and Wear OS, albeit they are still under beta testing.

The news was made via a post on Google Newsroom, emphasizing that the goal of these new features is to increase user productivity. The company’s intriguing growth is the merging of Gemini with Google Messages. It should soon be visible to those who have signed up for Google’s beta testing program. With the help of this feature, users may now have conversations, ask questions, have Gemini compose or rewrite messages, and much more in a separate chat window. With this version, Gemini may be used through the Messages app, as a virtual assistant, and as a stand-alone app. After testing is finished, it’s unclear if the functionality will be part of the Gemini Advanced plan.

However, AI is not just being integrated to the Messages app. Similar functionality is coming to Android Auto, when generative AI will be able to read out lengthy texts or group discussions while the user is driving. Additionally, it will provide pertinent responses and activities that can be chosen with a single tap.

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The Lookout app is also getting an accessibility feature. Using the smartphone’s camera, the software can recognize things, read letters, and do a lot more for users who are blind or visually handicapped. Now, when users view photographs online or receive them through messaging, it will automatically produce captions using AI and read them aloud to them. It is being released in English worldwide. on a similar spirit, Lens on Maps on Google Maps, which was initially introduced in October 2023, will also receive an update. Now, when a user points the phone’s camera at their surroundings, the TalkBack feature reads out information about the location, such as its business hours, rating, and driving instructions.

There are also some new features that aren’t AI-related. The handwritten annotation tool for Google Docs on Android is the most noteworthy. Users will be able to take notes for themselves by writing and drawing on documents using their fingers or a stylus. The second is a modification to Spotify’s output switcher that lets users select which device will provide the sound output. You may now accomplish this right from the home screen.

Let’s finally get to the Wear OS-based functionalities. With the latest version of its Health Connect app, users can now combine their data with wearables like Fitbit and Oura Ring, as well as apps like AllTrails and MyFitnessPal. The app will present a thorough analysis of fitness and health trackers and offer useful information.

Though modest, the final two Wear OS features may nevertheless be helpful to some people. Wear OS smartwatches now support Google Wallet passes, enabling users to access them immediately. To assist users in catching a bus or train, Google Maps for Wear OS now displays instructions for public transportation. Information like departure timings, compass-guided navigation, and the ability to mirror directions from a phone to a smartwatch are all displayed via the app.