Google has announced new features and updates for Android and Wear OS at the MWC 2024 program. It includes improvements focusing on accessibility and quality-of-life enhancements. The updates aim at promoting a balanced lifestyle and making smartphones more user-friendly. Wear OS will also get an upgrade in health monitoring and fitness tracking.
New updates include a more sophisticated earthquake alert system and wellness apps. Also, Google’s Fitbit features are going to see an expansion. The updated ‘You’ tab will now be able to collect data from various trackers through Health Connect, a new service that allows the sharing of fitness data across multiple apps while maintaining privacy.
Improved sleep tracking is another key feature, offering insights into the length, quality, and stages of sleep. Fitbit’s stress management feature has also been enhanced, allowing users to track their stress levels and make use of personalized suggestions to manage and reduce stress.
Health Connect, now a compulsory integration into Android 14, paves the way for further Fitbit advances. This move symbolizes Google’s intention of keeping all health-related data in one easily accessible place, which could prove useful for those looking to consolidate their health information.
A new feature for Google Docs is the addition of hand-written annotations. Users can append hand-written annotations alongside their documents. This brings a more personal touch to Google documents, making it more versatile and user-friendly.
Google is also enhancing digital accessibility for visually impaired individuals through a global service called ‘Lookout,’ which creates captions and image descriptions on websites and apps. Google Maps ‘Lens’ feature will now work with screen readers, offering audible descriptions.
A new Google Messages feature ‘Gemini’ allows users to interact with a generative AI chatbot through RCS messenger. Google Maps will now also be integrated into Wear OS, while Spotify Connect will merge with Android’s media player.
Google has not yet provided a specific timeline for the roll out of these updates. They will likely follow a phased approach to fix any potential bugs and ensure smooth user experiences.
