Google has received a slew of Android and app updates in time for MWC, starting with a new way to talk to its own Gemini chatbot: right inside Google Messages. There are also a handful of other small updates to Android Auto, Google Docs, and a few new intelligent accessibility features for the visually impaired.
If you’re just dying to DM your new Gemini bestie, you won’t have to wait long—it’s arriving as an update to the Messages app this week, though you’ll need to be enrolled in Google’s beta testing program to access it for now. The same access rules apply so no Google One subscription is required, at least for this version. When I tested Gemini along with ChatGPT a few weeks ago, Gemini left a lot to be desired as a conversation partner. Adding a chatbot to your messaging app is one way to make it feel more like you’re talking to a friend. Gemini in Messages is currently only available in English and only in “select markets”.
Android Auto also gets an AI update, enabling summaries of long texts or conversations so you can keep your eyes on the road while catching up. It will also suggest responses and actions based on context, such as showing the option to share your arrival time if a friend asks you when you’re arriving.
Generative AI is also at the heart of some accessibility feature updates for Lookout and Maps. Lens in Google Maps is getting screen reader improvements to help identify business locations and provide relevant information about them, such as business hours. Lookout, which identifies objects and signs for the visually impaired, will now automatically generate descriptions for images using AI, including photos online and those shared in messages. Google says this is now appearing globally in English.
The last few updates in the bunch have nothing to do with AI — they’re just neat. Google is making a small change to Android that makes it easier to switch output devices when using Spotify — it’s nice! But my favorite new feature in the bunch is support for handwritten notes in Google Docs. It’s an update for Android phones and tablets that lets you choose from a variety of pen and marker colors to annotate your document with your finger or stylus.
As someone who buys too many magazines and likes to take notes with a pen, this makes me very happy. It’ll no doubt be more useful on a larger canvas like the Pixel Tablet — remember, Google is still trying to make Android tablets — or on the inside screen of a foldable so you can doodle to your heart’s content. No artificial intelligence required.