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Android Nougat update steps up your gif, emoji game

The changes make a more diverse array of emojis available to Pixel and Nexus users.

Laura Hautala
Laura Hautala
Laura Hautala Former Senior Writer
Laura wrote about e-commerce and Amazon, and she occasionally covered cool science topics. Previously, she broke down cybersecurity and privacy issues for CNET readers. Laura is based in Tacoma, Washington, and was into sourdough before the pandemic.
Expertise E-commerce, Amazon, earned wage access, online marketplaces, direct to consumer, unions, labor and employment, supply chain, cybersecurity, privacy, stalkerware, hacking. Credentials
  • 2022 Eddie Award for a single article in consumer technology
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Laura Hautala
emoji-mechanic.png

Women mechanics with different hair colors and skin tones will be available to users of Nougat 7.1.1.

 Courtesy of Google

So you're getting the latest update to Nougat -- version 7.1.1. What does new Nougat have that old Nougat didn't?

According to Google, the updated operating system "showcases more ways to express yourself." Available starting Monday, the latest version of Android software lets you use gifs and emojis in new ways. Users can find and send gifs from their keyboards in Google's Allo, Messenger and Hangouts messaging services, and they can access a new set of gifs that include more skin tones and roles for men and women.

What's more, the new operating system lets users jump to a specific page in an app directly from their home screens. Users press and hold over an app's icons and then choose from a menu of options that pops up. For example, by holding down the YouTube icon, users can find a menu that lets them jump straight to the search bar in their YouTube app, or go directly to the YouTube channels they subscribe to.

Available at the same time is the December security update for Android, which includes fixes for five critical security vulnerabilities in Android phones.

In its developer blog, Google said it plans to roll out the Nougat update to all eligible devices "over the next several weeks."