You can try several new features that are now available on Android and Wear OS.
It’s been a few weeks since Google I/O 2023, and while we patiently wait for Android 14, the company has been rolling out new features and updates across its various platforms, delivering some of the things that we saw during the firm’s developer conference. Google even rolled out the Magic Compose beta sooner so that users could get an early look. Now, the company is rolling out even more updates, which the company states will help users learn new skills, stay productive, and further protect themselves and their online identities when using Android smartphones, tablets, and even Wear OS smartwatches.
One of the first new updates mentioned in Google’s June feature update post arrives to Google Play Books, which is getting a new mode called “Reading practice.” This new mode will help new readers improve their vocabulary and comprehension skills using their Android phone or tablet.” The feature will allow users to sound out words, and the new mode will also be able to monitor spoken words in real-time. The new mode will also allow users to get the definition of words they don’t know too. For the most part, this is a huge enhancement and feature that will come in handy for readers of all ages. If you’re curious and want to try it out, just find any book in the Google Play Books section with a “Practice” badge, and you will be able to tap into the aforementioned features.
Spotify for Wear OS is getting a nice update as well, bringing the latest Spotify DJ feature right to your wrist. This feature first made its debut back in February, giving users access to an AI DJ that can become a personal guide to one’s own music. The DJ can build a playlist but takes things a step further by also adding various comments about the featured music and artists. It’s a truly unique experience that’s now available on Wear OS. In addition to Spotify DJ, users will also gain access to new tiles and watch face shortcuts.
Google is also adding support for SmarTrip and Clipper cards on Google Wallet, giving those in the Washington, D.C., and San Francisco Bay Area more convenience when commuting. Furthermore, Google Keep on Wear OS is also getting a tile that will give users easy access to a selected note or to-do list. In addition to all of the above, Android users will now also have access to three new widgets, Google TV, Google Finance, and Google News, that will make it easier to get information at a glance.
Also, just in time for summer, Google is also bolstering its Emoji Kitchen offerings, bringing even more fun emoji mashups with aquatic-themed combinations. The firm is also making things safer with its previously revealed dark web report that is now available to Google One account holders in the United States. The feature will scan the dark web to see whether your information has been exposed, and Google will provide guidance on what can be done in order to protect oneself. The features mentioned will be rolling out starting today, and the dark web report will only be available to those in the US for now but will expand to more regions in the coming months.
Timi has been writing about technology for over a decade, focusing on smartphones, computers, and anything else with electricity coursing through its veins. He writes for XDA, covering all things mobile, and occasionally sheds light on some of the best deals on the internet.
