Tech enthusiasts have a lot to look forward to as Gemini, Pixel Recorder, and Google Messages unveil significant updates aimed at improving user experience and functionality. Here’s a deep dive into these updates and what they mean for users.

Gemini App Expands with Utilities Extension

The Gemini app has begun a wider rollout of its Utilities Extension, allowing users to handle various tasks directly within the app. This new addition eliminates reliance on Google Assistant for basic functions like turning on the flashlight or setting alarms.

How to Access the Utilities Extension

1. Open the Gemini app.
2. Tap multitasking, select App Info, and force stop the Google app.
3. The Utilities feature should now appear in the Extensions section of Gemini and is enabled by default.

Key Features

With Utilities, users can perform numerous tasks even from the lock screen, such as:

• Managing alarms, timers, and notifications.
• Controlling device features like Bluetooth, Flashlight, Battery Saver, and Do Not Disturb mode.
• Adjusting volume and brightness settings.
• Powering off or restarting the device.
• Capturing photos or screenshots.

The update also allows Gemini to interact with Pixel Screenshots, enabling advanced browsing or searching through screenshots using voice commands.

Detailed Capabilities

Gemini supports multitasking with commands such as:

• “Turn on Battery Saver and reduce brightness to 50%.”
• “Take a selfie with a 10-second timer.”

Additionally, it can open apps, settings, and websites or manage alarms and timers with natural language commands like:

• “Set an alarm for 7 AM.”
• “Show my alarms and delete the one for 8 AM.”

Pixel Recorder Preps “Clear Voice” Feature

Google is testing a new feature for Pixel Recorder called Clear Voice, designed to reduce background noise for clearer speech playback.

What is Clear Voice?

This feature isolates human speech while removing environmental sounds, improving recording quality. However, it only works with the phone’s internal microphone and mono audio, as external microphones and stereo recording are not supported.

Technical Highlights

• Users can toggle Clear Voice in the Recorder app settings.
• Strings within the app suggest guidance like:
  • “Switch to mono audio for this feature.”
  • “Clear Voice is disabled for new recordings by default.”

Though Clear Voice isn’t live yet, its development shows promise, particularly for those frequently recording in noisy environments.

Other Recorder Updates

Pixel Recorder has also integrated Gemini Nano multimodality for summarizing longer transcripts on Pixel 9 devices. Additionally, a Recorder app shortcut has been added for quick access, and support for wrist-based recordings on the Pixel Watch 3 and older models was recently introduced.

Google Messages Rolls Out New Text Field Redesign

Google Messages is undergoing yet another design revamp, improving usability and addressing feedback from prior updates.

What’s New?

The latest beta version introduces a left-aligned text field with redesigned button placement:

• Plus Button remains on the far left for quick access.
• Buttons for Magic Compose, Emoji, and Gallery are rearranged for better ergonomics.
• Voice Memo/Send remains to the right of the text field.

This redesign seeks to declutter the interface while maintaining functionality.

Additional Updates

• Read Receipts Redesign: Now visible on the main message list, though this may still be in beta testing.
• Smart Reply Suggestions: Users hope for a return of the Magic Compose/Rewrite option for more streamlined messaging.

How to Try the Update

To access the redesign, install the beta version (20241202_01_RC00) and force stop the app via settings. However, it may not be available to all users yet, as the rollout is gradual.

Conclusion

The recent updates across Gemini, Pixel Recorder, and Google Messages signal Google’s commitment to enhancing usability and efficiency. Whether it’s through Gemini’s expanded task management, Pixel Recorder’s noise-reduction technology, or Google Messages’ improved interface, these innovations make life easier for users in a tech-driven world.

Stay tuned as these features continue to roll out and improve over time!