Speaker 1: At Google IO, we got a fresh look at Android 13, and here's everything you need to know about. What's coming to your phone.
Speaker 1: Android 13 builds on the vast changes that came with Android 12 and offers you more material you options to personalize your phone increase tools for privacy and security, more RCS messaging support of [00:00:30] brand new Google wallet and better integrations with Chromebooks, watches, TVs, cars, and smart home devices. The new software makes Android and Google's vast software ecosystem, more competitive with apple and its wide portfolio of software and services. And the proof is in the numbers for the first time ever. Google shared the number of Android phone activations, which in 2021 exceeded 1 billion devices. [00:01:00] And there are more than 3 billion active Android devices. Monthly, according to Samir, Samat vice president of product management for Android and Google play. Here's a look at some of the most interesting features coming to Android 13.
Speaker 1: One of the most obvious changes at Android 12 was material U essentially Android adapted the way your home screen and apps looked based on the colors found in your wallpaper image for Android [00:01:30] 13, Google is introducing pre-made color sets for those who want something a little different. You can use the premade color scheme and it's applied across the entire OS. Another interesting addition is that themed icons will no longer be limited to system apps. There's now a toggle in settings that lets you turn themed icons on for all apps on your home screen. Media controls also get a boost from material you, when you're listening to music, the player window will automatically adopt a color [00:02:00] from the album artwork for whatever you're listening to. There's even a new wave form progress bar that moves along with the audio. Next Google worked with carriers and phone makers to upgrade SMS, text messaging to rich communication services. RCS, which provides better privacy features like end to end encryption for one to one conversations later this year, group chats end messages will also be encrypted.
Speaker 1: [00:02:30] There is a new Google wallet which can store digital versions of important essentials like payment cards, transit passes, office badges, vaccine records, car keys, boarding passes, and student IDs among other things. The idea is to provide a faster, more secure, alternative to physical cards. Google is working with us states and international governments to support digital IDs. Now, this is something apple wallet started rolling out [00:03:00] in several us states back in March. And of course Google wallet has its own unique spin that goes beyond just being a digital version of your physical cards. Instead of handing your phone over to someone, to show them a digital card, you can opt to use NFC or a QR code. Google wallet will also support integrations with other apps that you can opt into. For example, if you have a transit card in Google wallet, your card and balance will automatically show up in the Google [00:03:30] maps app. When you search for directions. That way, if your balance is low, you can add more money for the fair. Before you arrive at your station or stop.
Speaker 1: Let's talk about some important additions for emergencies and natural disasters. Our phones are vital when there's an emergency. As part of Android, 12, Google rolled out emergency SOS, which lets you get help contact a trusted person and share your emergency information without unlocking your phone. Google [00:04:00] is working to bring emergency SOS to where OS also there's updates to early earthquake warnings via Android, which are already in place in 25 countries. And this year Google is gonna launch them in many remaining high risk regions around the world. Now in places that lack any official early warning for earthquakes, Android can crowdsource indications of an earthquake from phones when devices first detect waves generated by a quake. Google analyzes the data from phones and sends an early warning [00:04:30] alert to people in that area. But now let's move on to talk about Android tablets and Android foldable phones. Google says that there are 275 million active users on large screen devices like tablets and foldables in March Android, 12 L launched to help developers design apps for these larger screens devices. And foldables now Android 13 continues where Android 12 [00:05:00] L left off and introduces better multitasking from the toolbar for split screen apps as well as support and optimizations for more than 20 Google apps like YouTube music, Google maps and Google messages.
Speaker 1: Let's talk a little more about privacy and security features and begin with app language settings, which got a significant change to be more inclusive. You can now set different default languages for different apps. [00:05:30] For example, your banking app could be set to English while your messaging app could be set to Hindi. The Android photo picker inherits a great iOS feature and that's the ability to limit which photos and videos an app has access to. So instead of granting an app access to your complete photo library, you can choose specific images for a particular app. Now, another thing is Android already notifies you when an app accesses your copy paste clipboard, but Android 13 will go [00:06:00] farther and automatically delete your phone's clipboard history. After a short period of time. And later this year, Google is going to add a unified security and privacy settings page that brings all of your phones, data, privacy, and security front and center. There will be a color coded indicator that shows your safety status as well as offers guidance to better increase your phone security. And look, there is a lot more, but that's all I've got. If you wanna learn more [00:06:30] about Android 13, check out the links into the description, but now I wanna hear from you. What do you think about Android 13? Is there a particular feature you're excited to try? And what do you think about Android 13 compared to the large update we got last year via Android 12, throw your thoughts in the comments.
