Apps
Your Galaxy Watch could soon get new Google Contacts Wear OS Tile
October 2024 Pixel Drop has introduced a new Google Contacts Tile for the Pixel Watch, which could soon be available for the Samsung Galaxy Watch. This new contacts Tile makes it easier to connect with your contacts right from your wrist.
The new tile of the Google Contacts app for Wear OS is the Individual Contact. It displays a contact’s name and profile picture in the center. Next to it, you’ll find buttons for calling and messaging.
With these two buttons, you can instantly connect calls or send messages to your contacts. The messaging option opens a familiar screen for sending texts, voice messages, and quick replies like “Yes,” “Thanks,” and “On my way.” If a contact has multiple phone numbers, you can easily choose which one to use.
In addition to this, you can add several Individual Contacts Tiles next to your watch face for quick access to your favorites. It is available with the Google Contacts app version 1.64 for Wear OS on the Play Store.
This new tile works alongside the existing Favorite Contacts Tile to make it even simpler to reach the people you care about most.
Notably, the new Google Contacts Tile may soon be available for the Samsung Galaxy Watch, expanding its accessibility to more users. Till then, stay up to date with the latest version of the Google Contacts for your Watch.
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Google Play Store is reportedly gearing up to support a new category of Android devices, XR headset. A recent APK teardown of version 43.3.32-31 of the Play Store reveals the addition of resources indicating compatibility with XR devices.
According to the information via AssembleDebug (Android Authority), the latest APK version of the Play Store includes an icon resembling an XR headset and new text strings mentioning the XR headset.
XR includes different technologies from fully immersive virtual reality to augmented and mixed reality, which combine real and digital worlds. With companies like Google and Samsung interested in XR devices, it is a good idea for the Play Store to develop specific software support for these headsets.
Google Play Store has been a hub for various Android-powered devices as it offers apps for smartphones, tablets, and Wear OS smartwatches. The addition of XR headset support would expand its offerings and show a serious commitment to XR technology.
Some headsets already use Android but they often rely on different software solutions. As more companies look to enter the XR market, the Play Store’s move to include XR apps could help bring these new technologies together in one place.
Google Play Store’s planned support for XR headsets opens up new possibilities in the world of extended reality.
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Google plans to make some changes to Gboard for Android as new color themes are under testing. While Gboard hasn’t seen major theme updates lately, this new design aims to give users a fresh experience by enhancing dynamic color light and dark themes.
Gboard is currently using three different colors for non-letter keys, which often look mismatched with the letters on the keyboard. That’s why Gboard is working on redesigned dynamic themes for Android devices, which promises a more cohesive and streamlined user experience.
The updated dynamic color themes come in light and dark modes. In this redesign, keys like shift, ?123, comma/emoji, period, enter, and backspace along with the menu button now share the same color. The dark theme is also darker than before, which creates a more appealing look.
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- Light
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- Dark
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- Non-Letter-One-color
Currently, a few devices running the latest Gboard beta version 14.7.10.x are showing this new Gboard theme. However, the “Default” themes that only highlight the enter key remain unchanged.
This testing indicates that Google is looking to improve the appearance of Gboard. It will be interesting to see how users react to this simpler design. For now, Gboard users should keep an eye on the updates as Google continues to work on this theme, and expected to be released in the coming days.
WhatsApp for Android is developing a badge count feature for chat filters. The fresh beta version 2.24.23.4 is available on the Google Play Beta Program, which shows that a new helpful feature is under preparation and will be available in a future release.
The upcoming badge count feature will show how many unread messages are in each chat filter. This means that when you organize your chats into custom lists, you’ll see a small number next to each list indicating how many messages you haven’t read yet.
This new feature makes it easy to quickly find out which chats need your attention. For example, if you have a filter for family or work, you’ll know right away if there are unread messages in those groups. This feature is mainly useful for anyone who has several chats as it helps them stay organized.
Previously, WhatsApp introduced the ability to filter chats into custom lists that allowed users to group specific contacts and conversations. The new badge count feature will enhance this organization by adding unread message notifications to each list.
The unread message count feature is still in development but will be available in a future update. Stay tuned for upcoming WhatsApp updates.
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