With the year 2021 drawing to a close, Google has chosen to update Android with new features. Although many of the upgrades are modest, the good news is that they will be available for previous Android versions as well.
Digital Cars Features:
For a limited number of nations, the social media behemoth has added digital vehicle key support. For the time being, it will only be available on the Google Pixel 6 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 family, but it is expected to expand to additional devices in the future. At the time, it only supports BMW vehicles, but more will be added in the future.
Family Bell Features:
Family Bell is a new feature that will remind you and your family of significant events like family movie nights, get-togethers, and more.
Family Bells can be set to ring at specific times and occasions, and reminders can be sent through phone, smart speakers, smart displays, and other devices. You may also set personal “bells” to help you keep on top of your to-do list.
New Widgets:
New widgets are coming to a few Google products, including Google Play Books, Google Photos, and YouTube Music.
These widgets will give your home screen more utility. For example, the new Books widget will allow you to access your entire collection and measure your reading progress.
YouTube Music will bring more listening options, and the new Photos widget will put your loved ones on the homescreen with a photo frame.
Updated Google Keyboard:
A host of new Emoji Kitchen combos are coming to Gboard. This allows you to make interesting emoji combinations and put them in a library for rapid sending.
Permissions for apps that haven’t been used in a while will be blocked by auto-resetting permissions. When you open them again, the permissions will be reversed. This prevents your apps from gathering data while they’re idle.
The majority of these capabilities should be available on Android phones around the world in the “coming weeks,” according to Google.