Google Unveils These New Accessibility Features for Android Devices

Google unveiled a sequence of accessibility merchandise and have updates on Thursday to commemorate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). The day includes elevating consciousness about digital accessibility, which signifies that people with “a disability must be able to experience web-based services, content and other digital products with the same successful outcome as those without disabilities.” The Mountain View, California-based tech large mentioned that the merchandise and options launched have been constructed by and for individuals with disabilities.

Among the brand new options and updates introduced, is Live Captions being made accessible extensively. More customers can now use Live Captions on Chrome, Android, and Google Meet purposes to generate real-time captions. Live Captions for calls may even allow customers to sort their responses on name, that can then be learn aloud to the opposite caller. The firm can also be testing a “caption box” characteristic for Android tablets. 

The firm has mixed AI and DeepMind to replace the Lookout app that was launched in 2019 to assist the visually impaired group by permitting customers so as to add alt textual content to pictures. The Image Q&A characteristic will likely be able to describing photos whether or not the unique content material accommodates alt texts and captions or not.

With the Lookout replace, customers may ask for added details about the picture by both typing or utilizing voice instructions. Google can also be testing the characteristic with a restricted variety of individuals from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and is planning to roll it out extensively by the tip of the yr.

Chrome for Android can now detect typos in URLs and make related recommendations with the most recent replace. Already out there for Chrome desktop customers, this characteristic will step by step roll out to Android customers over the following few months. With a brand new replace to the Google TalkBack characteristic, Chrome for Android will goal to make managing tabs simpler for individuals with disabilities. The characteristic can now assist in organising tab lists in grid codecs, and likewise enable capabilities like reordering, bulk tab actions, and tab teams.

Google Maps additionally obtained a Wheelchair-accessibility replace, which makes the wheelchair accessibility icon extra distinguished by default. To additional improve this characteristic, Google is collaborating with enterprise homeowners, native guides, and the Maps group everywhere in the world. The new updates additionally embody a quicker and extra dependable text-to-speech characteristic that will likely be part of Wear OS 4, which was introduced on the Google I/O 2023 occasion. 


Google I/O 2023 noticed the search large repeatedly inform us that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable cellphone and Pixel-branded pill. This yr, the corporate goes to supercharge its apps, providers, and Android working system with AI know-how. We focus on this and extra on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is accessible on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate hyperlinks could also be mechanically generated – see our ethics assertion for particulars.

#Google #Unveils #Accessibility #Features #Android #Devices