Google has launched its September 2024 Feature Drop, bringing a host of new features to Android and Wear OS devices, with a focus on improving accessibility, productivity, and security. These updates include improvements to TalkBack, the music search system, and features for Chrome and Maps, as well as the expansion of the earthquake alert system to more regions around the world.
He Google Feature Drop is a periodic update that aims to introduce new features and improvements to Google, Android or WearOS devices. Unlike normal security or maintenance updates, these updates focus on adding new features, improving performance or adding new functions, which currently deal primarily with artificial intelligence or accessibility improvements.
What’s new in the September Feature Drop release
In the particular case of the September updates of this year, one of the most important updates is related to TalkBack, the accessibility tool for people with visual impairments. Thanks to artificial intelligence, it is now possible to obtain image descriptions, even for those without alternative text, offering a better user experience for these users, especially on devices equipped with Gemini Nano.
Another outstanding feature is the ability to Identify songs instantly with Circle to Searchwhich will allow you to recognize music from a new button next to the translation button and without having to change applications. You just have to hold down the button in question and the device will identify the song and its artist. When you click on it, Google’s servers will use a direct link to a song on YouTube that corresponds to the piece of music you want to learn.
Google Chrome has also improved its text to speech functionwhich now allows you to listen to web pages in their entirety. In addition, you will soon be able to listen to the content while the browser is running in the background, a feature that will be implemented little by little. To activate the text-to-speech conversion, you only have to open the menu of any website and click where it says “listen to this page”.
As for Google Maps, it will now be possible Sync offline maps on WearOS watches, facilitating navigation without having to be connected to a mobile phone. Smartwatches will also receive two new shortcuts that will allow you to search within the application or activate maps.
Finally, the Android Earthquake Alert System is expanding to more regions, including all 50 U.S. states and several territories, using sensors to detect tremors and alert users in real time with recommendations on what to do. To do so, they will also collect data from millions of other phones around the world. The alert will have different types depending on the intensity of the earthquake.
These new features will be available progressively over the next few weeks through updates on Google Play and you can run them as soon as they appear on your device.