Google Unveils New Android Features: Car Cd Keys, Family Bell, New Widgets, Emoji Kitchen, Better Security

Google has announced a number of new features of the Android operating system, one of which we talked about in a separate article: we are talking about the ability to use a smartphone as a digital car key.

Speaking specifically about the Android operating system, a new feature called Family Bell has been introduced, which will alert you and your family of important events during the day and help you keep track of your daily schedule. Various smart home devices, such as a home speaker or smart displays, will support this feature and provide reminders for pre-set events, such as picking up your kids from school or after a workout.

Three Google apps are getting new widgets, namely Google Play Books, YouTube Music and Google Photos. The new Google Play Books widget lets you access your library and track your audiobook progress. The YouTube Music widget puts playback controls and recently played tracks right on your home screen. Finally, the People & Pets Google Photos widget lets you play slideshows of your favorite faces and pets on your home screen.

All Android 6.0+ devices will also get more secure next month by automatically resetting app permissions. This feature will automatically disable runtime permissions for apps that have been idle for a while. However, the permissions can be restored the next time you start the application.

The Emoji Kitchen emoji set for Gboard keyboard has received many new combinations to help express emotions. Some emojis are missing in system emoticons. They are already available to users of the beta version of Gboard and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.