Android gets new features! Emoji creator, Family bells, new widgets and more

Android is getting new features! Starting today, Google is dropping a couple of new features set to enhance the overall user experience. These features include the Family bells, new Photos widgets, Auto-resetting of app permissions, new Gboard emojis, and auto launch for Android Auto.

Most of these features have started rolling out to Google's Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, as well as the Samsung Galaxy S21 series. The features will eventually rollout to more Android smartphones over the course of a few months. Note that not all regions will get all the features. Some of these are limited to the newer Android 12 while others will be coming to Android 6 and newer devices.

Android gets new features!

Digital car keys: Owners of the Pixel 6 series and Samsung Galaxy S21 series can now unlock their cars using their Android phone. Car keys is currently working with select BMW cars as of now but expect support for more vehicles and phones to be included in the future.

Gboard Emoji kitchen: This allows users to create their own emoji stickers by combining two emojis. You can just type two emojis of your liking in the text box and Gboard will automatically create a sticker with mixed expressions. The feature is coming to all Gboard users very soon.

App permissions with stricter privacy: Unused apps on your Android phone will be stripped off their privacy permissions. In order to give back permissions to those apps, you can simply open them again and give back the permissions.

Google Photos widgets and memories: Google Photos now gets new widgets for your homescreen. Called the People and Pets widget, you will need to select the people and pets you want to see on your homescreen and the widget will sort it out accordingly. 

“These Memories appear in your photo grid and feature a curated selection of photos and videos from holidays like New Year’s Eve or Halloween, to important milestones like birthdays and graduations,” says Google about the Memories feature.

Family Bells: Similar to the Intercom feature on Apple's ecosystem, Family Bells lets you set a reminder for all your family members. Whether your home has a smart speaker, display or just smartphones, Family Bells will alert everyone for important events.