Google Drops New Features for Android and Wear OS: Here Are The Details – CNET

Google Drops New Features for Android and Wear OS: Here Are The Details - CNET

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Google Drops New Features for Android and Wear OS: Here Are The Details

Here are the features rolling out as of June 1.

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Meara Isenberg Associate Writer
Meara covers streaming service news for CNET. She recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she wrote for her college newspaper, The Daily Texan, as well as for state and local magazines. When she’s not writing, she likes to dote over her cat, sip black coffee and try out new horror movies.
Meara Isenberg
2 min read

A tablet with widgets.

Google is rolling out widgets for Google TV, Google Finance and Google News.

Google

Google on Thursday announced seven new features and updates to Android phones, tablets and Wear OS smartwatches. The offerings aim to help people learn new skills, stay productive on the go and protect their information, according to a blog post from Google.

The updates and features rolling out as of June 1 for phones and tablets include Reading Practice, which helps new readers improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills using thousands of compatible children’s ebooks on Google Play Books. There are also new widgets that bring Google TV, Google Finance and Google News to a user’s home screen and fresh emoji combinations in the Emoji Kitchen on Gboard.

These new options come shortly after Google I/O, where the tech giant revealed some of the new features coming to its Android 14 software. Android 14 is available in public beta and will officially arrive later this year. 

This feature drop for Android and Wear OS comes just days ahead of Apple’s WWDC event, when it’s expected to show off iOS 17. The update is part of Google’s attempts to keep Android fresh and helpful in between major operating system releases.

New features coming to Wear OS smartwatches include new tiles and watch face complications for Spotify and an option for commuters in Washington, DC and the San Francisco Bay Area to use their watch to ride with their SmarTrip and Clipper cards in Google Wallet. (Google on Thursday announced even more features for Google Wallet.) Additionally, Google Keep for Wear OS users will be able to add a tile for fast access to a to-do list or selected note.

The tech giant said most people in the US with Google accounts can now try dark web report on the Google One website and app. It lets users run scans to see if their Gmail address has been exposed on the dark web. Google One subscribers can also scan for more personal information like their social security number.

See Also: Best Android Phone of 2023

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