Main points
- Android updates include new features like Circle to Search for finding objects on the screen and improved anti-theft tools.
- Other improvements include privacy features, selective screen recording, and automatic archiving of rarely used apps to manage memory.
More security and free memory – what your smartphone can do now / Collage of Channel 24
Google often introduces major improvements to Android, but doesn't tell anyone about them. That's why you often have no idea what your smartphone is capable of, especially if you don't keep up with system updates. In particular, recent updates have brought some very useful features that you won't want to miss.
Most likely, while you were sleeping (and updates are most often installed at night), your smartphone “learned a few new tricks.” This time, Android received improved search, new anti-theft tools, and smart memory management, says 24 Kanal .
What hidden features have appeared in your smartphone?
There are a lot of interesting features, so we'll try to briefly go through each noteworthy new feature of the Android operating system. Some of them you will definitely need in your daily use of the device.
Easily search for anything on your smartphone screen
One of the most interesting changes is the updated Circle to Search tool. This feature allows you to find almost anything you see on your smartphone screen. For example, you are scrolling through Instagram, and your favorite blogger has a beautiful vase on his table that you would also like to have. With Circle to Search, you can simply circle the desired item on the screen, and Google will find its name, model, price or store where you can buy it.
But now it's not just a way to quickly find something on the Internet, but a full-fledged assistant integrated into the system. To activate it, just hold down the navigation bar, after which you can circle any objects on the screen, as Google explains.
The feature has learned to instantly translate text directly on top of an image, recognize background music, and even supports voice queries. What's more, the translation now doesn't disappear when you scroll through the page, making it much easier to read pages in a language you don't understand.
Real-time theft protection
No update is complete without updated security features, so the developers have paid significant attention to security here as well. However, this time we will not be talking about system security, but about protecting the smartphone itself from theft.
Android has tools that work in the background and protect the device in real critical situations . For example, the system is now able to recognize sudden movements characteristic of theft and automatically lock the smartphone if someone snatches it out of their hands and runs.
There's also an “offline lock,” which is triggered if the gadget is disconnected from the network for a long time, and the ability to remotely lock it in case of loss, explains MakeUseOf.
User privacy
But the developers haven't forgotten about the user either. In addition to protection against physical theft, privacy features have been added.
The smartphone can now alert the owner if someone else's Bluetooth tracker (such as an AirTag) moves near it for an extended period of time. The system will help find the tracking device and disable it.
In addition, the Google Messages app also has the ability to automatically blur sensitive images before viewing or sending them, so now you can hide images behind a spoiler not only in messengers, but also in regular Messages, if you use them.
How video recording has changed
Improvements have also been made to everyday tasks, such as recording screen videos. Whereas previously the entire display with all notifications and service icons was recorded, now you can choose to record only a specific application or area. This allows you to create clean videos without unnecessary information in the status bar that do not require further editing.
Out of memory issue resolved
We are all familiar with the situation when sooner or later an annoying notification about low memory on the device appears. It is safe to say that this problem has finally been solved.
The developers have decided to sacrifice apps that smartphone owners rarely use. The new automatic archiving feature deletes most of the app's files, but keeps its icon, your data, and settings.
When you need such an application again, just click on the icon – the system will download the missing components from the Play Store, and it will work in its previous state. You can enable this option in the Google Play settings in the “General” section.
Given the almost universal availability of a mobile network with 4G Internet, this will happen relatively quickly. And the lucky ones who use 5G will not experience any significant delays at all. You will also no longer have to worry about forgotten applications, because the smartphone will practically delete them itself.
Have you seen these features? It's worth checking your settings after the last system update, as this is where new useful toggles are often hidden.