Android adds five new features: map enhancements, Gboard Emoji combinations, and more

In the coming weeks, Google will launch five new features for Android, including enhanced map navigation, Gboard Emoji combinations, Voice Access, Google Play audiobooks, and Nearby Share file sharing. In addition, Google will expand Android Auto to 36 new countries and regions around the world.

1. Enhanced map navigation

Google Maps has a new "Go" tab that allows you to quickly navigate to your favorite places without having to type in your destination. Pin your driving destination to school or work, and the "Go" tab will show you directions, real-time traffic and interruptions, and an estimated time of arrival.

Users can also pin their favorite transit routes on the tab to see departure and arrival times and any delays. Google recommends pinning both driving and public transit options to the same destination to get there faster. The company says the "Go" tab will begin rolling out to Android and iOS devices "in the coming weeks."

2. Gboard Emoji Set

Next, Google expanded the combination of custom Emoji from hundreds to more than 14,000. The current Emoji Kitchen allows you to click on two Emojis and then see the effect of the combination of the two, or double-click an Emoji to see a "stronger" version. Google said that the new version of Emoji Kitchen has been launched in Gboard Beta and will be available to Android 6.0 and higher users in the next few weeks.

3. More audiobooks

Google plans to make more audiobooks available on the Google Play Store. Google said it is making a new automatically generated narration tool available to publishers in the United States and the United Kingdom, which can be used to create audio versions of these books that are currently missing. The tool is currently in beta and should be available to all publishers in early 2021.

4. Enhanced Voice Access navigation

Google will further expand the Voice Access feature that has been launched in Android 11, which will run on Android 6.0 and higher in the future. With the help of machine learning, Voice Access can allow UI elements such as buttons and labels to be more easily manipulated by voice.

5.Nearby Share

It's now possible to share apps directly from the Play Store with nearby Android users. Apps can be sent over whichever method the phone deems fastest: Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, WebRTC, or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi. To share an app from Google Play, you'll need to go to the Shared Apps menu in Manage Apps & Games and select the app you want to share. Your friend will then have to accept the incoming app. This particular update will begin rolling out in the "coming weeks."

Finally, Google says it will expand Android Auto support to 36 additional countries in the "coming months," allowing anyone running Android 10 or higher (Android 9 users can download the app) to bring Google's apps and services to compatible car consoles.