Artificial intelligence streamlines notifications and features that transform the phone experience
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| Android 16 |
Google announced on Tuesday a wide range of Android 16 updates, including general system features and additional accessibility features for users with disabilities.
The release of these updates, which will first reach Pixel phones, marks a significant shift in Android's update policy, as the company moves from a single annual update to more frequent releases throughout the year, according to a report published by TechCrunch and reviewed by MobiAlo.
Smarter notifications powered by artificial intelligence
One of the most notable additions to Android 16 is its AI-powered notification summarization feature, which can summarize lengthy conversations and group messages at a glance.
The new "Notification Organizer" also offers an automatic way to sort and silence low-priority notifications, such as promotions, news, and social alerts, without user intervention.
Wider customization options
The update adds a large set of customization tools, including new shapes for app icons, icons with designs consistent with the theme, as well as the ability to automatically dim light apps even if they do not provide dark mode internally.
Comprehensive parental control
Within the settings, parents get a new parental control dashboard that allows them to set screen time limits, schedule downtime, and easily control app usage.
These features begin rolling out to eligible Pixel phones starting today.
New features outside the framework of Android 16
Call Reason feature
A new feature allows you to specify the reason for a call when contacting a saved number, such as "Emergency."
The reason will appear on the recipient's screen, and even if they miss the call, the notification will remain in their call log.
Text comments that convey tone of voice
Google is launching Expressive Captions, a feature that displays emotions in text format such as "sad" and "happy," whether in picture messages or social media posts, to clarify the context when audio is muted.
Better control over chat groups
When you add a group from an unknown number, an alert will appear showing basic information about the group, with a quick option to reply, leave, block, and report.
Installed Chrome tabs function as the desktop version
Pinned pages will remain fixed at the forefront of the browser for easy return to them.
Circle to Search feature gets smarter
Suspicious messages can now be analyzed using this feature, where an AI alert appears informing the user if the message may be a scam attempt.
Pixel camera becomes more descriptive
The Guided Frame feature no longer just says "There is a face in the frame," but describes the entire scene, such as: "A girl wearing a yellow shirt is sitting on the couch looking at the dog."
Voice Access without touching the phone
The user no longer needs to touch the screen to start voice commands; it is enough to say: "Hey Google, start Voice Access".
Fast Pair for hearing aids
Google is expanding its quick pairing feature to include hearing devices, starting with brands owned by the Danish company Demant, such as Oticon, Sonic, and Bernafon.
With these updates, Android 16 appears to be ushering in a new generation of intelligent experiences, with a clearer focus on artificial intelligence, personalization, and ease of use.
