Google updates its take on Apple’s iOS AirDrop feature on Android

Alongside a bunch of other updates

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Googlehas announced a bunch of updates to its suite of Android andChromeOSproducts, but an update toNearby Sharelooks to be the star of the show.

Introduced earlier this year alongsideAndroid 13, this is Google’s take onApple’s AirDrop feature, which allows you to send files and media to otherdevices, including your own.

For this new update, it’s allowing you to send files automatically without a prompt, so if you’ve got a lot of photos to send at once for example, it will queue up and send to the device you’ve picked without you having to approve it again and again.

However, Google alsoannounced more updatesthat apply to accessibility, widgets andGoogle Meet.

Across the board updates

A newGoogle Drivewidget now includes yourGoogle Docs, Google Slides and Google Sheets files in one place, so you can reach these without having to go into the app.

There’s also a fun feature inGboard, Google’s keyboard. You can type out a phrase, and when you select ‘Emojify’, it will translate the phrase into emojis.

Finally, you’ll be able to watchYouTubevideos within a Google Meet call, similar to Apple’sSharePlayfeature that debuted in 2021. If you’re in a call, you can go to settings, select ‘YouTube’, and you can select any video you wish, which will start playing for everyone in the call.

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However, the other standout to me is accessibility improvements for Google’soperating systemsacross the board, from Android toGoogle TV.

If a fire alarm rings, for example, you’ll receive a notification on Android about it, where the flashlight on your device will light up, or a unique set of vibrations will occur to help those who are hearing impaired.

Accessibility improvements are also coming in the form of audio descriptions on Google TV, so for someone who is hearing impaired, there will be a set of subtitles stating exactly what’s going on during whatever you may be watching.

These are all being rolled out in the coming weeks, and all are useful features that could bring some fun to the daily meetings at your workplace, or just because you want to send across some emoji for no reason to your partner. It’s encouraging to see Google further improve its efforts with accessibility as well, but there’s plenty more to be done in this area in the company, especially regardingwearOSand ChromeOS.

Daryl had been freelancing for 3 years before joining TechRadar, now reporting on everything software-related. In his spare time, he’s written a book, ‘The Making of Tomb Raider’. His second book, ‘50 Years of Boss Fights’, came out in 2024, with a third book coming in 2025. He also has a newsletter called ‘Springboard’. He’s usually found playing games old and new on his Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and MacBook Pro. If you have a story about an updated app, one that’s about to launch, or just anything Software-related, drop him a line.

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