Whatcha need to know, bro!
- With new personalizations on RCS Group chats, users can now customize group icons and names, check friend RCS availability, and manage notifications. Keep an eye out!
- Say goodbye to clunky photo editing! Google Photos will soon feature a redesigned editor, AI suggestions, Reimagine, and Auto frame to make enhancing photos a breeze.
- The Google Home app is leveling up! It's getting access to device-specific shortcuts and the ability to manage favorites across various Google devices.
Fresh Android updates introduce six innovations, accessible for testing right away.
Android 16, the bomb, is here, and Google's dropping six fresh features. Cover your eyes, 'cause it's about to get lit!
Spice Up Yo RCS Group Chats
RCS is already boss for staying connected with peeps, but with group chats? It's next level. The company's addin' some personalization to Google Messages RCS chats, so users can vamp up group icons, use unique names, check who has RCS enabled, and mute notifications on specific group chats.
Google Photos Photo magic
Get ready for some shazam photo edits! Google Photos is slappin' on a new redesigned image editor, chock full of AI-powered suggestions for quicker edits. Plus, the Reimagine feature lets users describe what they want—it brings their ideas to life. And there's Auto frame to help users expand or crop images like a pro.
Smarter Homes, Faster
Google Home users are gonna find smart home products faster with new device-specific shortcuts. These can be for security cameras on Google TV or kitchen speakers on an Android phone. All this can be done through the Google Home app.
Also, Safety Check is getting a boost, giving users the ability to extend check-in times through the Personal Safety app on Android. If users can't check in on time, their locations will be shared with emergency contacts right away, but in some cases, users may need more time, and they can extend it without having to create a new Safety Check.
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Emojiini Kitchen and Contactless Payments
Emoji Kitchen stickers are gonna be more expressive than ever! New sticker combinations are droppin', making it super easy to remix favorite emojis and share them as stickers through Gboard.
And sometimes, you don't wanna mess with your phone for quick transactions. With Google Wallet and WearOS smartwatches, you can pay city transit right from your watch—just tap, bro! Don't forget to activate 'em for contactless payments if you're already using a card.
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[1] General Android 16 Features:- Usability Enhancements: - Auto-grouping notifications - Live updates - Predictive back - Haptic sliders - Adaptive refresh rate
- Multitasking Tools:
- Desktop windowing (available later this year)
- Custom keyboard shortcuts
- Taskbar overflow
- Accessibility and Security:
- Auracast broadcast audio
- Improved security
- Other Features:
- AI mode and Pixel search bar updates for Pixel phones
- Veo 3 video update for Pixel devices
[2] RCS Group Chats: There are no specific updates mentioned for RCS Group Chats in Android 16.
[3] Google Photos: The redesigned Google Photos editor is not available yet and will be released later. No other specific updates are mentioned for Google Photos in Android 16.
[4] Google Home: There are no specific updates mentioned for Google Home in Android 16.
[5] Future Updates:- Material 3 Expressive Redesign for Pixel devices is scheduled for September 2025.
- With the redesigned editor coming to Google Photos, users can now make quicker and more magical edits with AI suggestions, Reimagine, and Auto frame.
- Emoji Kitchen stickers are becoming more versatile, as new sticker combinations will be available, allowing users to easily remix favorite emojis and share them as stickers through Gboard.
