Google has started testing new features in Gboard, Google Contacts, and Digital Wellbeing apps. As per @wongmjane, she discovered these upcoming features in the latest updates for these three apps. Here are the new features that we might get to see in the near future.
Gboard GIF suggestion and sentence completion
Gboard, Google's ever popular keyboard app is reportedly testing a new GIF suggestion feature. This new feature will allow users to easily search for GIFs based on the emotion of the word they type in. In effect, the feature will let you find happy GIFs just by typing in the word 'happy' in the keyboard. Here's a short clip from @wongmjane of the feature in action:
Gboard is testing GIF suggestion based on the emotion of the word pic.twitter.com/a6EV5Quqo6
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) October 18, 2019
She tweeted that Gboard is also testing a sentence completion feature which works quite a lot like the Smart Compose feature in Gmail. The feature makes use of Machine Learning to provide accurate predictions that will help you complete sentences with a single tap. Check it out in action in her tweet below:
Gboard is working on sentence completion pic.twitter.com/vjXAsMzbVf
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) October 18, 2019
UI changes and improvements for Google Contacts
In their Contacts app, Google is making certain changes in shortcuts which will bring the contact information close to the bottom of your phone for easy access.
Google Contacts is testing a new bottom sheet UI for contact shortcuts pic.twitter.com/WDOVWSk9e5
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) October 18, 2019
The app might also feature a new design for the contact form, search history support for easy access to contacts that you looked up, and a new contact sharing UI which will let you choose specific contact details you wish to share with someone else.
Google Contacts is testing to let users pick the specific contact details to share pic.twitter.com/qGvngbVPsJ
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) October 18, 2019
Apart from all these changes, Google Contacts is also testing a new feature that will let you look up contacts from other apps like Telegram, Messenger, etc. This feature is expected to simplify the process of looking for contacts, however, it won't let you modify contacts stored on the other apps.
Google Contacts is testing the ability to show unmodifiable contacts from other apps pic.twitter.com/2QEf9GREqb
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) October 18, 2019
Google Contacts is also testing another new feature that will allow you to move saved contacts between different accounts. This feature would be really helpful for those of you who have multiple Google accounts on their phone. Once implemented, the feature will let you move any contact from one account to another with just a single tap.
Google Contacts is testing the ability to move contact to another account pic.twitter.com/9ow4EQFFIr
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) October 18, 2019
Changes in Focus Mode and manual app pausing in Digital Wellbeing
Google is testing a feature in their Digital Wellbeing app that would allow you to pause apps and focus on your work for a set time duration. Now, it seems like the company is planning to give users the option to take a break in between and resume the Focus mode after a while. Screenshots of the upcoming feature reveal that the new Take a break feature will let you take 5, 15 or 30 minute breaks while you're using the Focus mode and it'll also give you the option to resume the mode before the break elapses.
Google Digital Wellbeing is testing to let you cheat on Focus Mode by taking a break for a certain amount of time pic.twitter.com/sLT6sDfV8n
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) October 18, 2019
Additionally, there will be a new Pause button in the App timer which will let you manually pause any app on your device to help you stay away from distractions.
Google Digital Wellbeing is testing manual Pause app button pic.twitter.com/kwWa4t6urF
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) October 18, 2019
As of now there is no information regarding the release timeline for these features. However, since the features have already made their way to the apps, it won't be long before Google starts rolling them out to users. What do you think of these new features? Let us know in the comments section below.
