The eleventh release of Google’s Android mobile operating system was unveiled a few weeks ago, with a few stability-bolstering bug fixes being rolled out soon after that.
Android 11 includes a number of new or revised features, including revisions to how certain apps work, accessibility improvements, as well as some user experience-related upgrades.
Though not all Android users will have access to the latest version of the operating system, with some being able to upgrade at a later time or not at all depending on their smartphone, they can still have access to some of the latest features in spite of their current version.
In terms of the AI-powered Google Assistant, the Android analogue of Apple’s Siri, it can now be commanded to search across a number of Android apps, not just those created by Google. This comes after Google’s partnership with app developers and the resulting integration with Google Assistant this has led to. For example, you can now use your voice to ask Google Assistant to log a meal to your MyFitnessPal calorie-counting app or ask it to play a particular song on Spotify.
Video calling app Google Duo has had two very welcome features added to its functionality. Any calling party can now share their screen with the other parties in order to display something on their phone, such as a list or a photo collection, or to coordinate on a schedule in real time. In the event where a Google Duo cannot be received, the calling party can now leave a recorded message which Android will automatically caption to help the hearing impaired.
In one of the most useful and long-awaited changes, Google’s native Phone app will now tackle spam calls, letting people know who is behind the number calling you and what the reason for their call is. This feature can be obtained by downloading or updating the Phone app on the vast majority of Android devices running any version of the operating system from Android 9 onwards.
Regarding accessibility upgrades, the hearing impaired, as well as people who are wearing headphones and are thus sonically oblivious to their surroundings, can now use Sound Notifications to receive a number of different alarms making them aware of what is happening around them.
The Sound Notifications update, which can be turned on in the Live Transcribe app, will make your device vibrate, flash, or send push notifications after it detects certain triggering events, such as a fire alarm going off, a door being knocked, a beep from your oven or microwave or other such household devices, and more. This can also be synced with smartwatches running Google’s Wear operating system.
Finally, another accessibility upgrade comes in the form of Action Blocks, which can be utilized to convey small but commonly used phrases. Designed to make the lives of people cognitive disabilities and age-related impairments, Action Blocks can become the artificial voice for people with a number of conditions, including cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, aphasia, autism, and more. Besides English, Action Blocks can also be used with Japanese, French, Italian and German.
