Google Messages is supposed to compete with WhatsApp – updates for Android and Wear OS

When Google announces a big update that’s out of the ordinary, there’s always a lot to see. Google wants to introduce a total of eleven new functions for Android smartphones, tablets and smartwatches through Google Wear OS, the company revealed via Blog entry.

Above all, the company is expanding its messaging app, Google Messages. It has long supported the RCS (Rich Communications Services) messaging protocol, which is intended to replace SMS and MMS and will soon also work on the iPhone.

The company announces another ad dedicated to Google Messages Blog post Now offers new functionality. In the future, you will be able to reply to RCS messages using Photomoji. The app uses artificial intelligence to create little emojis from your photos. According to Google, this conversion takes place directly on the device. The Messages app keeps track of your Photomojis in an additional tab. Friends can use it too.

On the other hand, if you use classic emojis as reactions to messages, Google will spruce them up with visual effects, at least for some images. If you post an emoji directly as a message, you’ll also see an animation here in the future. This is intended to make chats more dynamic.

The same applies to the new screen effects. In the future, they will convert certain messages into “visual representations.” Google talks about a “sea of ​​colors and movements.” These messages include phrases such as “It’s snowing” or “I love you.” In total there are over 15 hidden keywords to discover.

You can also add an emoji to voice messages to express how you were feeling at the time you recorded them. In addition, Google wants to improve sound quality.

Finally, the company gives you new customization options. This makes it possible to adapt the color of speech bubbles and your profile to your own desires. However, there is one limitation: the new functionality is only available in the beta version of the Google Messages app. This requires registration. Google Messages is available at play store Downloadable for free.

For Android, Google is introducing two new features to improve accessibility. If there’s no alt text for an image, Android’s reply function can now use AI to generate descriptions and read them aloud.

In addition, automatic media translation will soon be available in other languages ​​and you can then also answer phone calls by entering text that will be read to the person you are talking to.

Google is introducing some new smart home functionality for Wear OS. In the future, you can also control compatible devices via your wrist if necessary. You can also change your status via Wear OS watches. You can use your smartwatch to tell your devices whether you’re away or at home.

The company also provides a Google Assistant live view link for watch faces. It shows you important information such as travel updates or weather warnings.

More innovations:

• Gboard introduces new combinations for the “Emoji Kitchen” emoji mix function.
• FIDO2 security keys can be secured with a PIN that you can use to log in if the key is lost.
• In the future, Google Assistant operations on Wear OS smartwatches can also be initiated using a voice command.

Google did not reveal exactly when the individual functions will appear or whether they will be available for all devices.