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Google is launching some new features for Android and Wear OS soon, including a single note widget for its Google Keep app. The company officially announced the new features during Mobile World Congress. Google says the new features will be available across all countries and regions where Android is supported, too. As well as being available in all supported languages.
The new features will not all launch at the same time however. Instead, Google plans to push some of them right away, while others still need a little bit more time to bake. That being said, users will get their first taste of these new features starting this week. Out of the 9 new features, 4 of them will be rolling out to users starting today. This includes a freehand annotation feature in Google Drive, which will be available on both Android phones and tablets.
Google says with this feature, users can annotate PDFs in drive with either a stylus or with their finger. Additional features rolling out today include noise cancellation in Google Meet calls, new emoji kitchen possibilities in Gboard, and a page zoom capability in Chrome for Android. Though this last feature will be for Chrome beta users only for now.
The Google Keep widget will soon allow for a single note
If you actively use Google Keep for note taking, or like in my case, grocery shopping lists, then you know how useful the Google Keep widget can be. The problem with the Keep widget now is that it doesn’t support a single note. Well, in the near future that’s changing. Google says it’ll display everything from reminders to images added to notes in the app. And it’ll sync to your Wear OS watch as well.
To top things off, Wear OS 3 watches are also getting some new Google Keep complications. Google says there will be two new shortcuts for helping users create to-do lists and notes. All accessible right from the watch display.
It’s also adding the Fast Pair feature to Chromebooks for adding new Bluetooth headphone connections, in addition to mono-audio, split-audio, and color-correction and greyscale modes to Wear OS. Lastly, users will soon be greeted with some cheerful animations while using tap to pay in stores.
Google doesn’t say when these features will launch, but does note that they’re “coming soon.” You can check out a brief trailer of the features in action via the video below.