Google‘s keyboard app, Gboard, is working on a cool new feature for voice typing on the Pixel Tablet. They’ve made some changes in the latest beta version (13.7) of the app. Instead of the usual full keyboard, they’re trying something simpler and more streamlined. 

The main update is a sleek, pill-shaped toolbar option that will appear when you trigger the Google Assistant voice typing. Google says this UI is a way to “See more of your screen when voice typing.” 

This toolbar is designed to help you see more of your screen while typing with your voice. It’s small and efficient, showing only the essential options without taking up too much space.

It lets you quickly change settings, use voice commands, switch to emojis, and access your clipboard. Plus, you can move it around the screen to wherever you like, even vertically, which is great for different tasks or just your comfort.

Moreover, you will still get text suggestions near where you’re typing, so it’s easy to type and edit. And if you need the full keyboard, it’s just a tap away. 

Right now, this new toolbar is only available on one Pixel Tablet with Android 14 QPR1. It’s not on other devices yet, like the Pixel Fold. 

We’re not sure if Google will bring this feature to more devices, like Pixel phones, but this looks like a really handy feature. Google hinted at something similar for phones last year, so this new way of voice typing might not just be for tablets.

In related news, Google is planning to remove 17 features from Google Assistant in the coming weeks. This decision aims to enhance the “quality and reliability” of the service. However, it’s worth noting that among these features being phased out, there are some that you might be using regularly. You can learn all about it here.

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(Via)

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Google is making good on its promise to enhance app experiences on large-screen devices, including foldable phones and tablets, with the Android 12L and Android 13 updates. During the recent Google I/O 2023 event, the company revealed that it has optimized over 50 apps for foldables and tablets, and now Gboard joins the list with an exciting new feature.

Gboard’s split keyboard will ease your typing experience on tablets

Last year, Gboard introduced a split keyboard for foldable devices, and now it is making its way to Android tablets. This split keyboard feature divides the keyboard into two equal halves, with an equal number of keys on the left and right sides. By default, the “Split layout to include duplicated keys” option in Settings > Preferences > Layout is enabled, which means certain keys are duplicated on both sides of the split keyboard.

However, users also have the option to disable this setting, which emphasizes the left side in the second and third rows. Switching between the “Standard” and “Split keyboard” options can be easily done using a toolbar tile.

Users have reported encountering this feature on a Galaxy Tab S8 running the Gboard beta version 12.9.21. Previously, Google had rolled out the split keyboard exclusively for foldable devices like the Galaxy Fold and Surface Duo.

It’s worth noting that while the split keyboard feature is now available on tablets, the widely anticipated toolbar redesign, which made its initial appearance in February, has yet to be widely rolled out to users.

The introduction of the Gboard split keyboard on Android tablets offers users increased flexibility and convenience when typing, particularly on larger devices like tablets. With these continuous optimizations, Google aims to enhance the overall user experience on foldable devices and tablets.

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(Source)

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There is some great news for all Pixel users. Gboard’s grammar checker is now going to be available on older Pixel phones.

For those who are unaware, up until now, the Grammer check on Gboard was only available to Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 pro owners. The feature allows the users to correct grammar while they type in English.

Google had announced that the feature will eventually be available for other languages as well and that it was able to meet its goal to develop grammar correction that “enables users to correct their text entirely on their own device without ever needing to send their keystrokes to a remote server.”

The feature functions in a manner like any other grammar correcting platform but instead of copy-pasting your keystrokes on another platform, Gboard allows the user to edit the sentences directly using their keyboard.

The functionality works in any scenario where you have written something using Gboard on your Pixel device, be it a text message, an email, or notes. It makes you aware of grammatical mistakes by pointing out the error with a blue underline. Tapping on the word underlined with blue will result in a suggestion from Gboard to help correct your grammatical error.

The update was first noticed by a Reddit user with a Pixel 5, who wrote that after dictating a sentence using voice typing, he noticed that his grammatical errors were underlined in blue just like grammatical errors on the Pixel 6 line are. He also discovered that the feature could be disabled in the Gboard spell checker settings. Android Police discovered the feature on the Pixel 5a and the Pixel 3a running Gboard beta as well.

While this feature is surfacing on older Pixel models, it is yet to be launched on non-Pixel Android smartphones.

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(via)

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Google is rolling out new features to a number of its Android apps and services. Apps such as Messages, Gboard, and the accessibility app, Voice Access are on the list alongside Android Auto and the Android Earthquake Alerts System.

Google Messages – Starred Messages

The ability to star messages is a feature I use a lot on WhatsApp, and I’m sure a lot of our readers do too. Now the feature is coming to Google Messages, so users can star important messages in their inbox.

The feature will begin rolling out in a few weeks and once available, all you have to do is long-press on a message you wish to star.

Gboard – Emoji Kitchen Suggestions

Keyboard apps have become much smarter since their first iteration. They can not only predict texts but also suggest emojis and stickers. Gboard which is Google’s own keyboard app will now be able to suggest stickers in the Emoji Kitchen based on the context of your message.

For those who don’t know what Emoji Kitchen is, it is a feature that lets you combine two emojis into one creative sticker. For example, you can combine the clown emoji with a kiss emoji to get a clown blowing a kiss. With the suggestion, you will get sticker suggestions from the emoji kitchen.

The feature which will work with messages in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, will be available for beta users today and will come to the stable version later this summer.

Hey Google

You can use the Hey Google command to control a number of apps and we don’t mean just launching them. Google is expanding the feature to more apps including Strava. Users will be able to ask Google Assistant to check a metric on Strava.

Voice Acess – Gaze Detection and Enhanced Password Dictation

Voice Access is an accessibility app that allows those with motor impairment to control their device. With Gaze Detection, the app will be able to tell if the user is looking at the phone which is when it will work. Another feature Google has added is enhanced password dictation which allows the user to not only dictate passwords but also ask the app to capitalize an alphabet and also say the name of a symbol such as saying ‘ampersand’ for the ‘&’ symbol.

Android Auto – New customizations and features

Android Auto owners will be able to choose a dark mode, customize the launcher from their phone, and has added an A to Z button to the scroll bar that makes it easier to jump to an app.

Android Earthquake Alerts System – Support for more countries 

The Android Earthquake Alerts System which uses sensors on Android devices to detect earthquakes is now rolling out to more countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, The Philippines, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

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A lot of people will agree that Google’s handling of Wear OS has been very disappointing, to say the least. The operating system which was designed to power smartwatches lags behind when compared to Apple’s own watchOS and Samsung’s Tizen. Things are about to change for the better according to Google and the first step is the announcement of Gboard for Wear OS.

Gboard for Wear OS is said to be the first new app for the operating system in years. The announcement brings a much easier and faster way for users to type. According to Google, Gboard brings multi-language support, scrollable word suggestions, voice input, gesture typing, and a full QWERTY keyboard.

Google seems to have more interesting things in store for Wear OS as it has said that it can’t wait to share the other things it has planned for the operating system this year.

With Google I/O scheduled for later this month, there is a possibility that we may get to learn about these new features sooner rather than later.

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Gboard is arguably one of the best keyboard apps for Android smartphones. In fact, it comes pre-installed on most devices as part of Google apps package. The app has improved a lot over the years with new features. Currently, the search giant is rolling out a server-side update enabling image support for its built-in clipboard. This update also replaces Google Search with Google Lens for some users.

GBoard comes with a number of useful tools like Google Translate, clipboard, GIF search, and more. Until now, the clipboard could only support texts but with the latest server-side update on Gboard version 9.5.11 or above, users can also copy/paste images.

With this new addition, users can copy images from the web and paste them in the text area of supported apps to share them. Normally, one has to first download the image and then share but not anymore if they are using GBoard and Google Chrome.

To use this feature, users will have to first enable the “Copy Image” flag from chrome://flags. Then, simply tap their desired image from the web and select copy. This action will add the copied image to GBoard’s built-in clipboard.

Now, to share the image, users will have to select the text area of supported apps to invoke GBoard and select the image from clipboard. Currently, only 21 apps support this and they are as listed below.

• AOSP messaging
• Badoo
• Facebook
• Google Docs
• Google Messages
• Hangouts
• Helo
• imo
• Line
• Messenger Lite
• Motorola Messages
• OK
• Samsung Messages
• Skype
• Snapchat
• Twitter
• Viber
• VK
• WeChat
• WhatsApp
• Zalo

Further, the new server-side also update seems to replace Google Search with Google Lens for some users, which is actually better than the trimmed-down Google Search. As a matter of fact, Google Lens is so useful that it is now also available on feature phones running KaiOS.

UP NEXT: GBoard adds new quick-access emoji bar at the top

(Via)

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Today, July 17 is considered as World Emjoi Day. On the occasion of this, Google’s first-party keyboard app known as GBoard adds a new quick-access emoji bar. This feature is currently limited to the beta version of the Android app.

Gboard is one of the best keyboard apps for smartphones. It is available for both Android and iOS devices. Google regularly updates this app with new features and functionalities every now and then like its other apps.

Now, according to a report by Engadget, Gboard gets a new emoji row at the top above the keys. This row will include the most emojis by users. Since conversations are incomplete without emojis these days, the new feature is a welcome addition.

Normally, to access emojis on Gboard, users have to tap on emoji icon and then select the emoji they need to use. But with the new quick-access emoji bar (that’s what Google is calling it), users can insert emojis in their chats with a single tap.

Apart from most used and suggested emojis, the quick-access bar at the top also includes an option to access all the emojis. And for those who seldomly use emojis, they can disable this row in the app settings.

Having said that, as we mentioned in the beginning, this feature is currently only available on Gboard Beta for Android. To use it, either enrol yourself in the beta program from the app listing on Google Play Store or download the latest beta APK from APKMirror.

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It took a decade for the tech giants to understand the impact of white screen on the human eyes. According to recent research, the time spent while viewing mobiles has surpassed the TV in 2019. Smartphones have become an essential part of everyone’s life. It has become difficult to survive without smartphones.

Dark Mode is the in-demand feature for smartphone users. It puts less strain eyes by just inverting the colors. Moreover, it even saves battery life on your AMOLED packed phone, improves readability, and looks beautiful.

At the Google IO 2019, the search giant announced system-wide dark mode availability in the Android Q. Since then, the company is facilitating its services with the dark mode. Google Chrome, Calendar, Photos, News, Discover, and Keep are some products and services which have received the Dark Mode capability. Half-baked Dark Mode on the Android 9.0 Pie will become fully furnished in the newer Android version.

In today’s write-up, we will guide you to turn on Dark Mode in Google Apps following the easiest way. Most of the apps have native Dark Mode support. Meanwhile, some need little tweaks. We’ve compiled a list of all the Google services that offer a dark mode with instructions. So let’s start without wasting any additional time.

Enable Dark Mode on Google Apps

Google provides various free-to-use services, such as Gmail, Maps, Search, etc. We use these services in our daily routines, either on desktop/laptops or on mobile devices.

Update: 28 October 2019

Google Play Store

Recently, Google silently rolled out Dark Mode for Google Play Store. A server-side upgrade has rolled out the Dark Mode support for Google Play Store. The dark mode carries gray color instead of black and works with Android 10 toggle. The new dark mode is also available on older Android versions.

Google Duo

The famous video calling app known for its quality video calling has also received the Dark Mode. The Dark mode is available within the contacts list, and users can toggle it by heading to the settings > Choose Theme. The dark grey colored UI does not affect the calling interface.

Google Fi Dark Mode

The Google Fi Dark Mode which is for Google’s own cellular service. It has also eloped into the Dark clothes with a recent update. It works with the native Android 10 Dark mode toggle. It also features dark grey color instead of black. Moreover, you can also manually toggle the Dark Mode by heading to the Settings > App theme.

Gallery Go

The app optimized for the Android Go device has also received the dark theme support. The version 1.0.2 delivers a dark theme that respects the Android 10 system theme, and also has a manual toggle in the settings menu.

Update: 6 August 2019

Google Fit

The dark grey mode for Google Fit was recently made available with v2.16. The Google Fit Dark Mode can be manually applied through the app’s settings. Enable the new way:

1. Update and open Google Fit App.
2. Tap the Profile icon in the bottom right corner.
3. Now, Select the Settings icon from the top-right corner and then tap Display settings.
4. Select Dark Mode from the pop-up menu and enjoy.

Google Files

An important app for Pixel devices to browse the files locally on the phone’s internal storage. In an announcement post to celebrate 100 million users for the Files App, Google revealed the Dark Mod and integrated media player. After a much delay, users can enjoy the dark mode for Google files after updating the app. The new theme carries pue black sections of content which can be a boon for OLED back. To get the Dark mode on Google Files:

1. Update the Google Files App.
2. Open the app and press the menu icon on the top right bar.
3. Now head over to Settings > Other Settings > Toggle Dark Theme and enjoy.

Gmail

The most widely used service of Google in every part of the world. The mailing service is providing service to users since its launch in 2004. The dark mode for Gmail was in line since a long time, but still, it hasn’t made it to the Android App. Unfortunately, Gmail or Google Mail Dark Mode is limited to the Web version only.

Steps to enable Dark Mode in Gmail

1. Open Gmail Web Interface
2. Now, hit the Settings Icon and Open “Themes” Menu.
3. Select “Dark” Theme and press “Save” on the pop-up console.
4. Enjoy the Dark Mode on Gmail

However, the dark Mode on Gmail for Android is in the pipeline and is currently available for the beta version. Interested users can download the Gmail V2019.06.09 for the Dark Mode. It is not stable and fluctuates automatically as per the beta users.

Google Chrome

The world’s most used browser also carries support for Dark Mode. Earlier the Dark Mode was used to be present in the beta, but now it is rolled out on the stable build for some Operating Sytems.

Windows:

Google Chrome for Windows has received the Dark Mode in its stable version. Notably, Chrome’s Dark mode runs in sync with the UI mode on Windows 10. Steps to enable Google Chrome’s Dark Mode on Windows 10:

1. Goto Settings>Personalisation and select Colors tab from sidebar.
2. Now, Scroll down and choose your default app mode to Dark.
3. Google Chrome will automatically switch to Dark Mode.

Android:

Google Chrome for Android also carries Dark Mode support in Beta builds. To enable the dark mode support, users need to toggle some settings. Follow the steps below to enable it:

1. Open chrome://flags/#enable-android-night-mode in Chrome for Android.
2. Select the dropdown menu below ‘Android Chrome UI dark mode‘ and enable it.
3. Relaunch the browser and go to the Settings page.
4. Toggle the ‘Dark Mode‘ option and enjoy.

MacOS:

Google Chrome is also present as the primary browser on Apple’s macOS. Surprisingly, Google Chrome’s Dark Mode also works in sync with the MacOS’ Dark mode as like of Windows 10.

1. Open Apple Settings and navigate to System Preferences.
2. Now, open “General” and locate the “Appearance” menu.
3. Tap the “Dark” option.
4. Google Chrome will automatically shift to dark mode.

Google Photos

It is Google’s free service to store unlimited photos and is being used by various Android users. It also carries some inbuilt AI features which can turn your simple photos into a full, lively video or can beautify with some filters automatically. It is a favorite choice among users who preserve their photos. Google has officially rolled out the Dark Mode support for Photos app. Users can easily enable the Dark Mode in photos on Android Q by enabling system-wide dark mode.

Note: On the Android Q, users need to enable the system-wide dark mode (Night Mode) by heading to the Developer Options. 

Google News

Google’s News app is a catalog of news curated by Google-approved publishers. Users can customize their preferences over the news topics and publishers. They can easily follow interests and publishers for news. Being a kind of newsreader app, Google has fully rolled out the dark mode for News App. Users can easily enjoy the new feature by following the instructions below:

1. Open the Google News App.
2. Tap your round profile icon on the top-left side.
3. Select “Settings” from the slide-up menu.
4. Browse the “Dark theme” option under the General listing.
5. After tapping, select “Always,” “Automatically (at night & Battery Saver),” “Battery Save only,” or “Never” option.
6. The app will automatically update itself with the select preference.

Google Calendar

Google Calendar is an essential app to save important dates and add tasks. It recently received dark mode for Android Nougat+ devices. The primary dark grey colored UI of the Google Calendar is impressive. The Dark mode on Google Calendar can be enabled by following the instructions below:

1. Update your Google Calendar App.
2. Now, open the app and tap the “Menu” icon on the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings>General>and tap Theme option.
4. Choose theme style between “Light,” “Dark” or “Set by Battery Saver.“
5. The app will refresh with the selected option

Google Keep

Are you an avid user of note-keeping apps? Then the Google Keep might fit comfortably in your smartphone. It also carries a Dark theme scheme as similar to the other Google Apps. To enable the Google Keep dark mode to follow below:

1. Update Google Keep from the Play Store
2. Open the app, and now enter settings.
3. Tap ‘enable dark mode‘ to toggle the setting.

Google Maps

It is the world’s best maps service available on the digital platform. Google Maps already offers Dark Mode while navigating from one place to another.  However, the full-fledged Dark Mode for Maps is not yet available. Users can easily enable Google Maps Dark mode:

1. Open the Google Maps and tap menu icon on the top-right corner.
2. Now, head over to the Settings>Navigation settings>Map display.
3. Select the Color Scheme options between Automatic, Day, and Night.
4. Choose “Night” option to darken the Navigation window dark even during day time.

Android Messages

The default messaging app for devices based on vanilla Android or Android One Platform. It is the central console where users get simple text messages. The Dark mode on Android Messages is available from August 2018. It can be enabled easily:

1. Tap the hamburger icon on the top-left corner of the Android Messages UI.
2. Now, tap ‘enable dark mode‘ in the menu.
3. The UI will refresh into the dark mode.

YouTube

How anyone can forget about YouTube – the world’s largest online video streaming service. It is the house to most of the videos on the internet. Users spend a significant amount of time watching YouTube videos. To prevent excessive battery drain and save users’ eyes from strain, YouTube enabled Dark Mode on every OS platform. YouTube Dark Mode is available for Windows, Web, Android and iOS operating systems.

Web:

1. Browse to YouTube.com in the browser.
2. Click the Profile Icon, and select the Dark Theme option.
3. Now, turn the Dark theme option on by toggling it.

Android:

1. Update the YouTube Android app.
2. Launch the App, and tap Profile Icon in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings>General>Dark Theme and toggle it.
4. The app will refresh to dark mode.

iOS:

1. Launch the YouTube app on an iOS device.
2. Tap the Profile icon in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings and toggle Dark Theme option to ON position.
4. Exit settings, and enjoy dark mode on YouTube iOS App.

Gboard

It is the native keyboard for Pixel powered Android devices. It is one of the best Android Keyboards available till now on the Play Store. However, there’s nothing official Dark Mode available with Gboard. Users can choose any Dark theme to save eyes from strain and save some battery life.

Google Contacts

The full-fledged dark mode for Google Contacts recently rolled out via version 3.2 update. It carries fully-furnished dark style with the entire interface from the list to contact details turned dark. Follow the instructions below to enable dark mode on Google Contacts:

1. Update the app for Dark Mode.
2. Launch the app and tap the hamburger menu icon on the top-left corner.
3. Now tap ‘Turn dark theme on‘ option.

The option will freeze if the device is using system-wide dark mode.

Google Discover Feed

It is the home for personalized information to most of the Android users. The discover feed brings the information optimized from your activities and actions. It will give you customized news stories, weather, and other information. Google recently added a proper dark theme to the Discover feed. Unfortunately, the inbuilt dark theme is only seen if system-wide Dark Mode is enabled. There’s no manual option or way to turn the Google Discover Feed Dark.

Google Drive

The greate productivity tool for users has also come up with native Dark Mode capability. The users running Android Q can easily avail this facility by enabling system-wide dark mode. Otherwise, users have to wait for the App update to switch Light and Dark Mode on Google Drive app manually.

We hope you have successfully enabled Dark Theme on Google Apps using our guide.

Up Next: How to block system-wide ads on Android without root access?

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