With the release of the Android 11 operating system, the developers have added several new features. It is noteworthy that they will be available even on older versions of the system. We have picked a few of the most important Google Android updates that deserve your attention.
Voice Access
Working with a smartphone using your voice just got easier. This opens up new opportunities for people with different disabilities, but everyone can use them. Using Voice Access, you can not only open the apps you need but also make changes that are unique to a particular program. For example, if you monitor your diet, you can ask the Assistant to open the corresponding app and write down everything you ate for lunch. The feature is currently available only in English, Spanish, German, Italian, and French.
Screen Recording
Of course, there have been apps before, which you could use to share information from your screen. But now Android devices have built-in video and sound recording. You can use it any time, regardless of what you currently have open: a browser or a mobile game. Now you do not need to download a separate application that takes up space in your device's memory.
Verified Calls
With this feature, now you can be sure whether you need or don't need to answer a call from an unknown number. The function seems to be one of the most useful because anybody should be sure that trusted companies, not scammers, try to contact them. Google verifies the data provided by organizations and shows you a brand logo and the reason for their call. Of course, this happens only if a company has provided Google with its data. Your personal data will be deleted from their server within a few minutes.
Useful Apps
To facilitate communication for people with disabilities, Google is not only introducing new features into its operating systems but also developing separate apps.
Live Transcribe is explicitly designed for the hearing impaired. It recognizes a conversation and offers you a text transcript. This app has received an update called Sound Notifications. Now it can recognize not only speech but also surrounding sounds and inform you about potential danger (for example, fire). Through light and vibration, it will let you know that something is wrong.
Action Blocks is for those with cognitive and/or age-related disabilities and helps automate some day-to-day processes. You can set up certain actions (controlling the lighting in your house or calling relatives, for example) in the form of large buttons on the phone screen so that they are always at hand. The app uses the capabilities of Google Assistant to help people with various disorders or injuries cope better with routine tasks.
Summing Up Android Updates
Of course, these are not all the Android updates, but we considered them the most important. Moreover, when developing them, Google, according to its own statement, focused on those functions that people most often use. What new features do you find the most interesting?
