Google enhances Search widget customization and Android Studio Gemini tools for developers
In recent updates, Google has brought back custom color options to its Search bar widget on Android, providing users more control over the widget’s appearance. In addition, Android Studio is advancing its AI-driven features to support app development more effectively. These changes reflect Google’s ongoing efforts to provide enhanced customization options for users while offering more robust tools for developers.
Google Search Widget Customization
In August, Google updated the Search widget to support Dynamic Color. Now, Google has reintroduced “Custom” color options in its latest beta update (Google app version 15.43). The customizable theme offers advanced options for hue and saturation, alongside transparency adjustments, in line with Google’s Material 3 design. This new design includes pill-shaped sliders with separated handles, allowing precise control over the widget’s appearance.
Users can find these new settings under the “Customize Search widget” option in the Google app, accessed by tapping the profile icon in the top-right corner and navigating to Settings > Customize Search widget. The new Custom color options are expected to be available in the stable release within a few weeks.
Additionally, Google may soon allow users to add shortcuts for Translate, Song Search, Weather, and Finance directly next to Google Lens and voice search icons, expanding the widget’s utility. This update also includes visual tweaks, such as changing the Song Search widget icon to a blue musical note on a white background for better visibility.
Enhanced Android Studio Features with Gemini
Android Studio, Google’s primary development platform, has introduced more capabilities powered by Gemini, an AI tool designed to support developers throughout the app development lifecycle. With Gemini, developers can now access features like:
- Code Transforms: Refactor and modify code easily within the editor.
- Automatic Commit Messages: Gemini can automatically generate descriptive commit messages.
- Rename Assistance: Efficiently rename classes, methods, or variables.
- Prompt Library: Quickly access and save frequently used prompts.
- Compose Preview Generation: Instantly generate previews for composable elements.
- Documentation Generation: Easily produce documentation for complex code.
- Unit Test Scenarios: Create comprehensive test cases to ensure code quality.
- Build and Sync Error Insights: Access insights to troubleshoot build and sync errors more effectively.
- App Quality Insights: Identify and resolve issues from Android Vitals and Firebase Crashlytics.
These Gemini features are currently available in the Android Studio canary channel, with a full release expected in December alongside the Ladybug Feature Drop.
New Google Play Store Features
To enhance app discovery and improve the user experience, Google Play is introducing a new fullscreen portrait video player for app listings. This new design includes a prominent “Install” button and app details at the bottom of the video, increasing user engagement with a reported 7% increase in total watch time, 9% increase in video completion rate, and a 5% boost in conversions.
In addition, Google has been actively encouraging users to set up payment methods through various prompts during account creation, device setup, and Play Store navigation. This has led to a doubling in the number of purchase-ready accounts, now exceeding half a billion users. Biometric authentication is also being promoted to enhance security, with a notable increase in adoption this year.
Users in the U.S. can now also add Cash App as an eWallet payment method. Google Play will display inline “Still interested?” reminders, nudging users who’ve shown interest in a product but haven’t yet completed the purchase.
Security Advancements with Play Integrity API
On the security front, Google will soon let developers opt into improved Play Integrity API verdicts for Android 13 and newer devices. These verdicts will use hardware-backed security and other enhanced signals to improve app and device verification, making it more challenging for attackers to bypass protections. This update aligns with Google’s commitment to faster, more reliable, and privacy-focused security measures.
These updates underscore Google’s dual focus on offering user-friendly customization and security improvements while providing developers with the tools they need to create high-quality apps.
Google brings new AI tools for learning languages and adds more features to Wallet and NotebookLM
Google is rolling out several new AI-powered features to help users learn languages, manage documents, and store IDs more easily.
First, Google is introducing new language learning tools through its Search app. These tools use AI to give users personalized lessons to practice speaking and listening in Spanish. English speakers in the U.S. can try these lessons, which include feedback and daily reminders. Google plans to expand support for more languages and regions soon.
Next, NotebookLM — Google’s AI note-taking tool — is getting smarter. It now offers “audio overviews,” where users can listen to summaries of their notes. This feature works in English, but Google says more languages like Spanish, Hindi, and Japanese will be added later this year. NotebookLM can also now answer questions based on user documents in more languages.
Lastly, Google Wallet is becoming more useful in the UK. People can now add digital versions of their UK passports for identity verification. This feature, in partnership with the UK government, helps users quickly confirm their identity online for government services.
With these updates, Google continues to blend AI into everyday tools, making learning, organizing, and identification easier and more accessible for users worldwide.
Google is bringing a cleaner and more modern design to many of its apps with the latest Material You changes. Apps like Google Calendar, Contacts, and others now have rounded corners, better spacing, and improved colors. These small updates make the apps look more polished and easier to use, especially on tablets and foldable phones. Google is quietly adding these updates through server-side changes, so users don’t need to download anything extra.
At the same time, Android Auto is also getting a helpful new feature. Google is testing built-in climate controls that let you adjust your car’s temperature and fan settings directly from the Android Auto screen. A demo shown by Google includes a new “Climate” button on the screen, which opens controls like temperature, fan speed, and even seat heaters.
This update is meant to reduce distractions while driving, as drivers won’t need to switch between different screens or reach for physical buttons. Google says the feature will work on cars that already support digital climate control systems.
Together, these changes show how Google is making its software not just prettier, but smarter and more user-friendly. Whether you’re checking your calendar or driving to work, these improvements are designed to make daily tasks easier and safer.
Google is giving its Gemini app a fresh new design on Android to make things easier for users. The biggest change is how you switch between different Gemini AI models like Gemini 1.5 Pro and Gemini 1.0 Pro.
In the old version of the app, you had to dig into the settings menu to switch models, which wasn’t very convenient. But now, Google has made it simpler by adding a new button right below the chat box. This lets you quickly choose the AI model you want to use. You’ll also see a short note explaining what each model is good at, helping you decide which one to use.
The new layout also moves the microphone and image upload buttons. They now sit to the left of the text input bar, which makes the bottom of the screen look cleaner and more organized.
These updates seem to be rolling out slowly, so not everyone will see them right away. However, it looks like Google is testing these changes before launching them more widely.
With this update, Google is trying to make the Gemini app more user-friendly and give people more control over how they interact with its AI tools. It’s a small but helpful step in improving the overall experience.
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