Google will improve the transfer of media playback between devices.

In the future, you will be able to transfer content playback to other devices simply by tapping special notifications. For example, to start listening to a podcast in your car, continue on your phone with your headphones, and finish on your TV at home.

As you move, you'll see these media notifications on your phone or other devices with a prompt to transfer the audio to a nearby device.

Google is working with Spotify and YouTube Music to use these notifications to help users enjoy the content they are streaming, on the most optimal device available to them.

A year ago there were evidences of a similar feature, called Media Tap To Transfer.

🔗 Google Blog

Google News | En

Google Maps on Wear OS watches with LTE has introduced a phone-free turn by turn navigation.

If you have an LTE-enabled watch or the watch is connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, you can now enjoy having Maps available on your wrist. This is especially helpful when you’re out for a run or ride and have left your phone behind but want to take a detour or need help finding your way home.

If you have enabled mirroring and start navigation on your phone and then leave your phone behind, the watch will take over the navigation from your phone. This only works on watches paired with Android or iOS devices.

🔗 Wear OS Help

🔗 More info on support page

Google News | En

The second beta version of Android 13 QPR2 is out!

Build number: T2B2.221216.006
Security Patch: January 2023

Fixed Issues:

• Fixed an issue with the System UI that sometimes caused the Home screen to become unresponsive.

•Fixed an issue where, after switching back to Normal video capture mode from Slow Motion mode in the Google Camera app, the app continued capturing slow-motion video if the capture speed was changed between 1/8x and 1/4x while in Slow Motion mode.

🔗 Android Beta

• OTA images

• Factory Images

Google News | En

Android 13 QPR 2 Beta 2: The volume slider is now longer, and the notification mode icons with and without sound have been changed from bell to speaker.

UPD: This change is only relevant if you have activated the separated ringtone/notifications volume via adb command.

Google News | En

Android 13 QPR 2 Beta 2: The new taskbar for tablets and foldable devices is now enabled by default.

While previously the taskbar was invoked by holding down the navigation bar thereby enlarging the navigation bar area, now the taskbar is invoked by a slight swipe upwards and is displayed on top of the app. It then automatically hides when you interact with the app or do nothing for ~6 seconds.

The new taskbar also appears in the recent apps menu.

Google News | En

Android 13 QPR 2 Beta 2: Google has added support for Unicode 15 emoji.

According to the schedule, the company promised to do this back in October-December.

🫨🩷🩵🩶

Google News | En

Android 13 QPR 2 Beta 2: Pixel Launcher is experimenting with the option of automatically generating Themed icons.

Due to the lack of app developers enthusiasm, Google apparently decided to consider this feature after all. The new version of the Pixel Launcher has a new developer flag, ENABLE_FORCED_MONO_ICON, whose description reads: "Enable the ability to generate a monochromatic icons, if it is not provided by the app".

Google News | En | Google News | Ru

Google Arts & Culture rolling out a new updated logo.

Earlier it was reported that Google registered a new trademark depicting a "stylized ampersand" indicating the rebranding of Google Arts & Culture.

Now the company is rolling out a new app update version 9.5.1 that includes the new icon.

Google News | En

Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2 survey is now open.

Google has opened feedback collection on the second beta version of the upcoming March release of Android 13 QPR2.
This survey is relevant to Pixel 4a and newer users who have installed the beta with build number T2B2.221216.006.

Link to Google Form:

🔗 Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2 software survey

Google News | En

Pixel Launcher will improve the detection of when to change the color of the At a glance text.

Until now, to make the widget text black, you had to set a very light wallpaper, and I think the algorithm took a weighted coefficient over the whole area of the picture. In this case the text of the app's labels changed as well. And for the live wallpaper, the text color parameter was defined directly by the wallpaper itself.

Pixel Launcher from QPR2 Beta 2 added a new flag ENABLE_REGION_SAMPLING. Once enabled, the At a glance widget will change its text depending on the lightness of the image region behind it, separate from the text color of the app labels. But so far this does not apply to the lock screen (but at least it has a dimming)

Comment: It would be nice if the weather icons would also adjust for this (here's what it could look like), for this I created a report on the Google Issue Tracker. You can support it by clicking on the link and pressing +1.

Google News | En

Google should do something about Google Fit.

The app is visually several years behind. And if we talk about the functionality itself, it's missing a basic metric like stress, not to mention other missing metrics like BMI, BFR, Muscle Rate, Body Water and many others.

My friend @CYCDMCUM drew a concept of what the app could look like in an updated design and with new functionality (uncompressed picture in the comments). And to address Google, we filled out a report on Issue Tracker with a more detailed description of the feature request.

To support the concept (or get Google to do something), follow this link and click +1 at the top right:

issuetracker.google.com/issues/265783641

'Find My Device' app received a much-needed Material You redesign.

When you open the app, you're now greeted by a new tab listing the devices in your account. The app itself received Material Design 3 components with dynamic colors and a dark theme that was previously missing.

This change is available in the new version 2.5.001.

Google News | En

YouTube Music launches signups for a closed beta test called 'Listening Room'.

YouTube Music's development team will collaborate with a select group of users on its Discord 'Listening Room' server to get regular feedback on specific features.

Program participants will receive: A free one-year YouTube Music Premium subscription, early access to specific features, and the opportunity to impact the future of YouTube Music.

You will be required to: Use YouTube Music as your primary streaming service for a year, give regular feedback through conversations and surveys in Discord, and not disclose information outside of the server.

If you are lucky enough to be selected as a member of a closed group, you will be contacted in February.

🔗 Link to signup form

Google News | En

Google released a minor Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2.1 update.

Build number: T2B2.221216.008
Security Patch: January 2023

Fixed Issues:

• Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented devices from automatically connecting to a 5G network even when it was available. (Issue #265093352)
• Fixed an issue where devices did not drop or reset an existing, encrypted Bluetooth connection after receiving a command to disable link-layer encryption for that connection.

🔗 Android Beta

• OTA images

• Factory Images

Google News | En

'Find my device' settings will get a new switch to 'Store recent location'.

Back in the December Google Play System Update changelog, the company announced a new Find My Device feature that will allow you to find your offline devices and accessories using encryption and saving data of the most recent location.

Google said that the new feature will be available in the Google Play Services update version 22.50 (dated December 15), but has not yet rolled it out. When you get this feature, you'll see a new "Store recent location" switch in the Find My Device settings.

Google News | En