Android Is Introducing An Accessible Reading Mode And Digital Car Key Sharing
Image ©: Google's latest Android update aims to improve accessibility and add new quality-of-life features for drivers and watchOS users.Android announced several new features for mobile devices and smartwatches, and introduced new accessibility tools and quality of life features for digital car keys, Google TV, and watchOS. One of the big announcements is the introduction of Reader Mode for Android, a new feature that creates a more accessible screen reading experience without being tied to a specific app.
To use Reader Mode, you need to download it from the Google Play Store, which offers new customizable sound and display options, such as contrast, font, and size, allowing users to customize how content is displayed on their phones to better serve them. . individual needs. Additionally, there is a new Accelerator text-to-speech feature with support for English, French, Italian, and Spanish with a "natural-sounding voice" option. Reading mode is compatible with the Google Talkback screen reader and works on websites and native Android apps.
Moving on to vehicles, the updated Digital Car Key feature (which allows you to lock, unlock, and start a compatible car using just your phone) lets you share your digital key remotely with people you trust. Users can see and control who can access their car from their phone's digital wallet app, though it's unclear if the ability to control access will be limited to a "primary" key holder. Digital Car Keys is rolling out to Pixel 6 and iPhone devices today, with the feature coming soon to select phones running Android 12 and later.
Although the support page says that the service depends on car model compatibility, iPhone users have been able to access the same feature for some time now. For starters, there are few details about which cars and vehicles will work with Android's digital car key sharing feature. We will update this story when we hear back from the clarification request.
Some of the smaller updates include a new trendy emoji mix via Emoji Kitchen for Gboard to personalize your images and new trendy designs from DabsMyla and Yao Cheng Design for Google Photos Collage Editor. Google TV is getting a new streaming option that allows users to stream directly from the Google TV app to compatible TVs with a single tap. Users can use their phone as a remote control to navigate or use other apps. Watch on Google TV will start rolling out to apps next week.
Finally, the Google Keep app for Wear OS is getting an update later this month that will restore all photos, co-authors, and background colors from your phone to your notes, making them visible from your smartwatch. WatchOS is also getting a new feature next week that will allow users to quickly access more than 30 workouts with the Adidas Running app through the Google Assistant. Using the example provided in the Android ad, "Hey Google, run with Adidas Running" means the app will open the app and automatically start tracking your workout.
