In the world of Android, the weeks don’t get that much bigger than this one. Not only are we getting a Google Pixel Feature Drop that adds a bunch of goodies to the Pixel line-up of devices, Google is also sharing 4 new features coming to Android that any Android phone owner can experience.
The latest Android Feature Drop brings out new toys from Google Messages, Chrome, Find My Device, and Android Auto.
Google Messages can block and report scams or suspicious texts in real-time
Thanks to the AI-powered Scam Detection now in Google Messages, conversations you are having could be identified as suspicious and then blocked. This shouldn’t happen when talking with your friends necessarily, but the idea here is that Google Messages can flag “conversational text patterns commonly associated with scams” to alert you in real-time if it suspects something is wrong. You’ll get an immediate warning that allows you to then take action, with blocking and reporting of the conversation.
Chrome’s shopping insights add “Price is low” notification on mobile
When shopping through Chrome on your Android phone, you’ll now find shopping insights when you decide to track the price of an item. These insights can show you price variations over time and then notify you with a “Price is low” notification in the address bar when it might be a good time to buy.
Find My Device lets you share your location
As a part of Google’s newish Find My Device network, you’ll now be able to share your live location with friends and family (aka trusted contacts). Through an update, Google is adding a “People” tab next to a Devices tab, with the People section labeled as a “beta.” This is the section where you’ll share your location or see other people’s locations.
Google says you’ll now be able to coordinate a meetup with someone or make sure family members arrive safely home by live sharing through Find My Device. Depending on how long you plan to share your location (1 hour, for one day, custom time limit, or until you turn it off), you’ll get regular reminders that you are doing so. Also, when you go to share, you’ll be able to select multiple people at a time, create a shareable link, and more.
As someone who shares live location through Google Maps quite often, I’m looking forward to giving this a test.
Android Auto gets more games
When your phone is connected to your car and Android Auto is running, more games will now be available for you to play on your car’s bigger screen. Some of the new titles include Farm Heroes Saga (pictured), Candy Crush Soda Saga, Angry Birds 2, and Beach Buggy Racing.
And that’s it for this drop.