MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2023 is in full swing. At the event, OnePlus showcased its amazing OnePlus concept phone for Android users, and Xiaomi finally launched its Leica-powered Xiaomi 13 Series on the global market. But the good news for Android users doesn't stop there. Google just announced that it is introducing a few new features to Android and Wear OS that will improve your "connectivity, productivity, accessibility, and fun across your devices."
New Google Keep widget
Managing your notes and to-do list on Android will soon become even easier. Through the upcoming Google Keep widget, you will be able to see your Google Keep a to-do list, reminders, and notes directly from your Home screen. And when you complete a task, you will easily be able to check it off using the new widget and continue with the next one on the list.
This widget will also be able to sync with your Wear OS smartwatch. Furthermore, you will be able to add a new shortcut to your watch face that, when tapped, will let you create a note in Google Keep by using your voice.
Fast Pair will soon let you connect new headphones to your Chromebook more easily
Soon, you will be able to connect new Bluetooth headphones to your Chromebook with just one tap. And if you've previously paired your headphones with your Android phone, your Chromebook will automatically connect to them as well.
New emoji combinations plus new emojis when paying with Google Wallet
You probably know that Gboard lets you create stickers by combining various emojis. Well, now you can make even more stickers via emoji combinations. For example, you can show your love for your favorite team by combining a basketball emoji with a heart emoji, and you can express your "spring colors" — as Google said in its announcement — by combining different flower emojis.
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If you use Google Wallet to make in-store payments with your phone, you probably know about the check mark that appears above your card confirming the transaction. Soon, that same check mark will transform itself into a fun animation every time you make a transaction. As you can see from the images below, one of the animations will be two cheerful penguins.
Increase content size on Google Chrome more easily
Now, we all know that some pages on the Internet can be hard to read. That is why, in March, Google will release an update that will allow you to easily increase the size of the content and text on a page by up to 300% in Chrome for Android. And the best thing is that the page will keep its layout even if you increase the size of the content. Furthermore, you will be able to set your preferred content size as a default. This will spare you the trouble of having to modify the content size each time you open Chrome.
New sound and display modes for Wear OS smartwatches
Soon, smartwatches running Wear OS 3 will have mono-audio, color-correction, and grayscale modes, which will improve watch accessibility. If you have a Wear OS 3 smartwatch, you can enable mono-audio mode to reduce the disorientation caused by split-audio. As for the color-correction and grayscale modes, you will be able to apply them to your watch's display.
Other cool features that Android now has
In the Google Drive app for Android, you can now annotate PDFs using a stylus or by just touching the screen. You can add handwritten notes using various ink strokes or use the highlighter tool to emphasize important text.
The noise cancellation feature during calls in Google Meet is now available on more Android mobile devices. As you probably know, this feature filters out distracting background sounds, like dog barks, while you speak.
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Preslav Mladenov is a News and Affiliate Content Writer at PhoneArena who started on his tech journalism journey in December 2021. With persistent knack for finding the best deals out there, he swiftly became a pivotal Affiliate Content Writer, guiding readers towards significant savings on a plethora of gadgets, including smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, Bluetooth speakers, and headphones. Mladenov's deep-seated knowledge of mobile tech, paired with a rich background in sales, empowers him to unearth the finest deals on the web.
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