GoKawiilGoogle on Tuesday rolled out its latest batch of Android updates, with a focus on practical improvements rather than blatantly AI-heavy features.
The new Android phone capabilities will help you keep tabs on your belongings, let you contribute to shared notes within a chat, identify objects around you with your camera and allow you to customize chat themes in Google Messages. A motion sickness feature can also help mitigate the challenges of staring at your screen in a moving vehicle — something I welcome with open arms.
The updates come weeks after Google launched its latest Pixel lineup, including the Pixel 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Fold. The phones run Android 17 and come with Gemini Intelligence, a suite of AI features designed to handle mundane tasks such as adding events to your calendar and sharing flight details with loved ones.
Many of those features felt helpful while I tested the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Rambler, for example, removes filler words and corrects errors as you speak, while Live Translate for media dubs YouTube videos in real time.
This month’s Android update incorporates Gemini into several refreshed capabilities, but emphasizes practical uses, such as remembering where you put your passport or quickly compiling a list with friends. A new accessibility feature also builds on other tools designed to make Android more useful for more people.
Here’s what’s landing on Android devices this month.
Track your important items
Find Hub can be used to keep tabs on your important items that don’t have a tracker tag on them. Google
Do you have a tendency to forget where you put items such as your passport or a spare key? You can now ask Gemini to remember where you placed those objects, and it’ll save their locations in Find Hub, Google’s tracking app for people, phones and accessories.
Just say something like, “Hey Google, remember in Find Hub that I put my passport in my bedroom drawer.” You can add a photo, too. When it’s time to track down that item, ask Gemini where it is or check your remembered items tab in Find Hub. This can be handy for smaller or everyday items you don’t put a tracker tag on.
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