Browse Android's Latest Features

19 min read Original article ↗

Your Android keeps getting better.

Explore all the latest and greatest Android features that help you
stay connected, creative, productive, and safe.

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  • Pin important tabs in your browser.

    Juggling tabs on your Android phone? Pin the ones you can't lose. Whether it's your daily reads or vacation research, keep important pages saved and ready for you to jump back in.

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  • Google Messages Leave and report group chats

    Easily spot and leave spam group chats.

    Receive alerts on potential spam chats as soon as you’re added. If an unknown number invites you to a group in Google Messages, you’ll see one-tap actions to leave the group, block the number, and report it as spam.

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  • Expressive Captions Emotion tags

    See the emotion behind speech in videos.

    Expressive Captions now shows when someone is [joyful] or [sad] – using real-time AI that works across your apps.

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  • Phone by Google Call Reason (in beta)

    Make your important calls stand out.

    Locked out? Concert tickets about to go on sale? Coming soon, Call Reason (in beta) lets you flag a call to a friend as ‘urgent’, so they know it’s time-sensitive and can prioritize answering or getting back to you.

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  • Digital Car Key Expanded availability

    Use digital car keys with more vehicles.

    Unlock and start your car, right from your phone. Digital car key is now available on Porsche and coming soon to Rivian, Ram, and Cadillac. See the full list of compatible vehicles here.

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  • Chat with Gemini on your Google TV.

    Discover your next favorite show, get answers to questions beyond entertainment with supporting videos, and simplify everyday tasks. Gemini is now rolling out to your Google TV Streamer and additional select devices.

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  • Gmail App Send larger files

    Send larger attachments from your phone.

    Send your biggest files right from the Gmail mobile app. Simply attach large videos, photos, and more, and Gmail will automatically create shareable Google Drive links for anything over 25MB in size and add them to your email.

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  • Easily find top sights and eats nearby.

    Exploring a new city? Filling an afternoon? Find trending restaurants, top sights, and the best of what’s nearby in the Google Maps Explore tab – all based on reviews and trusted sources.

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  • Circle to Search See continuous translations

    Translate the whole page as you scroll.

    See continuous translations, wherever you scroll. Whether you’re reading menus, news articles, or social media posts and comments, get automatic translations in your preferred language, without switching apps.

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  • Create images for fun and function.

    Combine and blend multiple images, resize your creations in a range of sizes, and add clear text – perfect for invitations, infographics, comic panels, and more.

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  • Circle to Search Avoid scams

    Quickly check for scams in any app.

    Get peace of mind for any text – across any app. Check if any chat or DM is a scam the moment you see it, simply circle the text and get an AI Overview response letting you know if there are any red flags.

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  • Circle to Search Get gaming help

    Get instant help when stuck in a game.

    Find fast answers to gaming questions – without switching apps. Just circle or tap anything on your screen to pull up an AI Overview with tips to help you advance.

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  • Google Messages Key Verifier

    Keep conversations safe from fraud.

    Help protect yourself from fraud. With Key Verifier, you can confirm the identity of whoever you're talking to in Google Messages using public encryption keys – so you know who’s on the other end of your messages.

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  • Bring more fun to the chat with Remix.

    Turn your pet into an action figure, redesign your friend’s room, or try a 1950s makeover – without leaving the chat.

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  • Gboard Messages Emoji Kitchen stickers

    Embrace new sticker combinations 🐵+🫂.

    Send bigger hugs with new Emoji Kitchen sticker combos. Whether you’re signing off for the year ⛄️ + ✒️ or sending holiday well-wishes 🫂 + ⛄️, mix and match your favorites and share them with friends.

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  • Share audio with a friend or broadcast to a group.

    Easily pair two sets of headphones to your phone. Let a friend tune in with you as you listen to music, watch movies, or enjoy a podcast. Or, create a private broadcast that can transform a simple get-together into a silent disco.

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  • Quick Share Redesigned for simple sharing

    Redesigned for simple sharing

    Share files in fewer steps with the new Quick Share. Send photos with a tap, take a sneak peek with image previews, easily toggle between sending and receiving, and track the progress of a send the whole way.

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  • Polish your messages with AI writing tools.

    Make a great impression with new AI writing tools in Gboard. Correct grammar, fix typos, and switch your writing style to be more casual, formal, expressive, concise, and more.

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  • Material 3 Expressive

    Material 3 Expressive

    Customize the look and feel of your apps.

    Personalize Google apps with your favorite icons, color palettes, and more. Plus, new layouts are designed to make getting things done feel effortless and more intuitive.

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  • Spotify Jam hits the road.

    Create a playlist for everyone, by everyone. With Spotify Jam on Android Auto, anyone can scan a QR code on the car’s display and start adding their favorite songs.

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  • Try a whole new way to search with AI Mode.

    Ask anything with AI Mode, our most powerful AI search for your toughest questions. Talk, type, or snap a photo to start a search and ask follow-up questions to dig deeper.

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  • Gemini Live Gemini Live with highlights

    Help you can see.

    Need to fix a gadget, or select the perfect book? Soon you’ll be able to show Gemini what you see and it will highlight exactly what to focus on, providing the easy-to-follow visual guidance you need to understand your surroundings.

  • Google Maps on Wear OS Continue navigation on your watch

    Phone navigation continues on your watch.

    When walking, cycling, or doing anything else that keeps your hands busy, navigate hands-free from your Wear OS watch. Start a Google Maps journey on your phone, and it will now also display on your wrist – for safer, glanceable directions.

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  • Gemini Gemini on Wear OS watches

    Chat with Gemini on your wrist.

    Complete more complex tasks on the go. Speak naturally to get answers and ideas, complete tasks across apps, or remember important details like where you parked – all from your wrist.

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  • Gmail Manage subscriptions

    Easily manage email subscriptions.

    Manage your email subscriptions in one place and remove yourself from the senders you’re not interested in. With one click, Gmail sends an unsubscribe request on your behalf.

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  • Android Auto Gemini in Android Auto

    Get more done hands-free in the car.

    Coming soon, chat naturally with Gemini for hands-free assistance while you drive. Ask for help brainstorming ideas, reading or drafting texts, and completing tasks with connected apps.

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  • Google Photos Redesigned image editor

    Easily edit with the new image editor.

    Coming soon, get AI-powered suggestions or instantly access the right tool by tapping, circling, or brushing what you want to edit.

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  • Google Home Favorites in Google Home

    Customize Favorites across your devices.

    Coming soon, you will be able to pin light controls to your phone, the thermostat to your smartwatch, or security cameras to your TV. Find and manage smart home products faster with customizable Favorites.

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  • Safety Check Timer extension

    Add extra time to Safety Check.

    Go farther, feel safer. Whether there has been unexpected delays or you’re feeling great on a solo run, easily extend the time of a Safety Check with a few taps of your phone or smartwatch.

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  • Pay for transit faster from your wrist.

    With Google Wallet on your Wear OS watch you can tap right away with city transit cards even when the Wallet app is closed. If you use a credit or debit card to tap, make sure to turn this feature on first in your settings.

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  • Gemini Live Camera and screen sharing

    Ask Gemini about anything you see.

    Whether you need help restyling your bedroom, using a new app, or brainstorming recipes with the food in your fridge, you can now share your screen or camera in Gemini Live.

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  • Stay informed of kids’ spending.

    Help kids make safer and more convenient payments in stores. Parents can now add payment cards to their child’s Google Wallet and easily view recent transactions in Family Link to stay informed of their child’s spending.

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  • Expressive Captions Expressive Captions updates

    See emotion in words with AI captions.

    Feel the intensity, emotion, and duration of words. AI-powered Expressive Captions capture the duration of longer words and bursts of sound like a [sneeze] or [cheering].

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  • Google Messages Group chat updates

    Give group chats a personal touch.

    Add custom icons and names to Rich Communication Services (RCS) group chats, see which friends have RCS enabled, or mute notifications when you’re busy.

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  • View PDFs directly in Chrome.

    Open PDFs without switching apps. Simply tap a PDF link to start reading, with the option to download it if you need to.

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  • Android 16 Notification auto-grouping

    Minimize clutter and keep things organized.

    Forced notification auto-grouping stops apps from overwhelming you with multiple individual notifications, grouping them together to keep things looking tidy.

  • See where your ride or package is at a glance.

    Know when your car, food or package will arrive without diving into compatible apps. Get real-time updates with a progress bar right in the notification.

  • Android 16 Desktop windowing

    A desktop-like experience on your tablet.

    Open, move and resize multiple app windows, just like a desktop, for easier multitasking on your tablet. Group apps together to streamline your workflow.

  • Android 16 Advanced Protection

    Stronger security in a single tap.

    Get Android’s strongest protection from online attacks, harmful apps, unsafe websites, scam calls and more. Advanced Protection enables multiple safeguards to defend your device and data in one tap.

  • Android 16 Hearing device support

    Clearer calling with hearing devices.

    Control hearing devices from your device for a simpler experience across different hearing device brands. Or switch to your phone as input with LE Audio hearing devices for clearer calls in noisy environments.

  • Android 16 Custom keyboard shortcuts

    Customize your workflow.

    Create your own shortcuts for faster access to the actions and tools you use the most. Add custom shortcuts on your Android tablet with a keyboard.

  • Android 16 Taskbar overflow

    Find apps fast when your taskbar is full.

    Too many open apps? Not anymore. Taskbar overflow helps you find the app window you need, even when your taskbar is full.

  • Android 16 Slider haptics

    Get a feel for things with haptic sliders.

    Dial in precise volume or phone brightness with haptics that respond to the movement and speed of your swipe at each step of the slider.

  • Android 16 Adaptive refresh rate

    Optimize battery life and fluid visuals.

    Experience smoother scrolling, gaming and animations. Adaptive refresh rate automatically adjusts your display when viewing motion-intense or static content to balance performance and battery life.

  • Android 16 HDR screenshots

    Flawless screenshots in HDR.

    Take, save, edit and share screenshots of your HDR photos and videos while preserving the quality, color and detail of HDR content. Know that they’re seeing what you’re seeing.

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  • Android 16 Predictive back

    Glimpse your destination before going back.

    Get a preview of your previous screen before committing to going back by long-pressing the back button in three button navigation.

  • Android 16 Identity Check

    Protect against takeovers outside of trusted locations.

    Help stop common scams like shoulder surfing & PIN theft. Coming to more devices, Identity Check requires biometric authentication to access sensitive resources when you’re outside trusted locations.

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  • Make trade-ins faster.

    Trade-in mode provides quicker access to key device details at the point of sale. This makes it faster to trade in a device, get a refund and upgrade.

  • Google Messages Scam detection

    Receive scam alerts for suspicious conversations.

    Protect yourself from fraud with alerts for suspicious texts within a conversation. Scam Detection in Google Messages uses powerful AI to identify text patterns commonly associated with scams, so you can report and block a suspected scammer, fast.

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  • Find Hub Family and friend finding

    Find friends and family with live location sharing.

    Share your location with trusted contacts in Find Hub for safety and peace of mind. Easily check your friend's ETA for dinner or make sure they got home safe, and manage who sees your location and for how long.

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  • Android Auto More apps in Android Auto

    Park and play. More games available now.

    Level up in your downtime with more gaming apps available on Android Auto. Park your car and dive into games like Farm Heroes Saga, Candy Crush Soda Saga, and more.

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  • Know the right time to buy and find better deals.

    Feel confident you're buying at the right time to get a better deal with new shopping insights and tools in Chrome. Check a product’s price history, set up discount notifications, and compare prices across websites – all in one place.

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  • Google TV Continue watching across devices

    Pick up where you left off on another screen.

    Google TV now saves your spot across devices so you can start a movie on your TV and finish it on your phone. Find the new ‘Continue watching’ row to pick up where you left off, without missing a beat.

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  • Circle to Search Action chips

    Tap to call, email, or open a link.

    Take action on contact details and links with a tap. Circle to Search now recognizes phone numbers, email addresses, or URLs on your screen—and surfaces a one-tap action chip so you can act on them in the moment.

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  • Add helpful context to chats with Gemini Live.

    Coming soon, add some helpful context when you talk it out live with Gemini for richer conversations. Just add an image, file, or YouTube video at the beginning of your chat to start a discussion about it.

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  • Messaging between Android and iOS, now better.

    With RCS now available on iOS, you can manage group chats, send high-quality media, and react to messages with emoji across devices.

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  • Get help from Gemini across your favorite apps.

    With Gemini connected to more apps, you can call contacts and send messages with your default phone and messaging apps. You can also set alarms and control device settings and your camera. Soon, you'll be able to use Gemini to control your smart home devices and get more information about places on Maps.

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  • Captions Expressive Captions

    Say HELLO to better captions.

    Get real feels on everything live. Feel the [whispering] of a juicy secret. The [CHEERING] of a big win. The [groaning] after a dad joke. From streaming to social to video messages, we’re opening a whole new world of expression, only on Android [applause].

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  • Google Lookout Gemini in Google Lookout

    Image descriptions, enhanced by Gemini.

    Receive richer image descriptions than before with Image Q&A in Lookout now enhanced by Gemini 1.5 Pro. Designed together with blind and low-vision communities, use the app to hear image captions, and chat with Gemini to ask follow-up questions.

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  • Quick Share Quick Share with a QR code

    Easily share pics, videos, and more.

    QR codes in Quick Share make it easier to transfer pictures, videos, and documents. All the recipient has to do is scan the code on your screen, no need to add them as a contact, verify devices, or change your sharing settings.

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  • Google Drive Auto-enhance scans

    Snap, save, and share high-quality scans.

    Your scans are now crisper and clearer with auto-enhancements in Google Drive. From receipts to documents to ID cards, your scans are optimized to improve contrast, and remove shadows and blurring — no manual editing needed.

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  • Google Maps Discover places with Gemini

    Ask Google Maps for ideas on what to do.

    Finding weekend activities or date night spots is easier when you can ask Google Maps for ideas. With new Gemini capabilities, you can simply tell Google Maps what you’re in the mood for and receive suggestions.

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  • Google Photos AI-powered video presets

    Easily create share-worthy videos.

    Easily turn videos into share-worthy clips. New AI-powered video presets help you automatically trim your video to focus on the most interesting moment and add effects like zooming in on the main action or applying slo-mo with just a few taps.

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  • Create stunning images with Imagen 3.

    With our highest-quality image generation model yet, simply describe what you imagine and watch your ideas come to life in seconds. From photorealism to oil paintings, your imagination is the limit.

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  • Password Manager Passkey syncing across devices

    Sign in to apps and sites faster and more securely.

    Passkeys are faster and safer to use than passwords, allowing you to sign in with your fingerprint, face or other screen lock. Now passkeys can be saved to Google Password Manager and used to access sites from any signed-in device, including your desktop or tablet.

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  • Circle to Search Identify a song

    Search songs you hear without switching apps.

    Search music you hear in the moment—without switching apps. Hear a great song on social media or music playing from speakers near you? Simply long press your Home button or navigation bar and tap the music button to identify the track.

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  • Go Live to talk things out with Gemini.

    Go Live with Gemini for hands-free help with brainstorming, rehearsing, or learning something new. With real-time responses and 10 natural-sounding voices to choose from, Gemini Live is our most conversational AI experience yet.

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  • Keep sensitive apps and data out of sight.

    It’s like a digital safe on your phone. Create a separate private space with another layer of authentication. Add sensitive apps, like health or banking apps, to keep them hidden. Private space keeps app data and notifications separate from the rest of your phone to remain virtually invisible.

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  • Android 15 Theft protection

    Get peace of mind and privacy, all in one place.

    Help deter theft, get quick protection and recover a stolen device faster. Theft protection is a suite of proactive security features including Failed Authentication Lock, factory reset protection, Theft Detection Lock, Remote Lock, Offline Device Lock and other unauthorized access restrictions.

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  • Android 15 Pinnable taskbar

    Keep your favorite apps within reach.

    Easily pin and unpin your taskbar on larger screens. Keep your favorite apps in reach for quicker access, better control over your screen real estate and more customizability.

  • Multitask in a tap by pairing your most-used apps.

    Pair frequently used apps together on your homescreen. With a single-tap, quickly retrieve your favorite pair of apps in split screen to streamline multitasking and give yourself a productivity boost.

  • Wear OS Offline maps on Wear OS watches

    Find your way with offline maps on your wrist.

    Keep exploring with offline maps coming soon to your Wear OS watch.1 When you download a map to your phone, you can also access it right from your watch2 for more ways to navigate.

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  • Android Earthquake Alerts System

    React faster with early earthquake alerts.

    Before an earthquake hits, you can now receive a warning to seek safety. Available across all U.S. states and territories, the Android Earthquake Alert System uses crowdsourced earthquake detection to alert you sooner.

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  • Richer audio descriptions for images.

    Detailed audio descriptions make the images on your device more accessible. Whether it’s social media, online product images, or your camera roll, TalkBack can bring digital images to life, powered by Gemini models.

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  • Listen to web pages read aloud.

    Whether you’re juggling tasks, or you prefer listening over reading, now you can hear text on webpages read aloud in Chrome. Personalize the experience further by choosing the speed, voice, and language.

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  • Your favorite apps, all in one place.

    Pick up where you left off with your apps in one place. Collections is an immersive space where you’ll find recommended actions for your most-used apps based on how you use them.

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  • Circle to Search QR and Barcode

    Easily access on-screen QR and barcodes.

    Whether it’s a photo of a barcode or a QR code in an email, Circle to Search lets you act on codes in the moment. Long-press the home button or navigation bar to surface the link.

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  • Get AI Overviews in Lens, just point and ask.

    Want to know the story behind a piece of art? Or how to play the yard game you just bought? Soon you’ll be able to get helpful AI Overviews and info through Lens, just point your camera and ask.

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