Google updates are on the way as the tech giant previews new features from its upcoming Android 12 operating system and recently-released functions for Chrome.
Android 12, codenamed “Snow Cone” and slated for the latter half of the year, has released its second developer build. It’s set to gain a suite of new features, such as wi-fi sharing; a new top-level Emergency SOS feature that can be activated by pressing the power button five times; face-based autorotation that detects orientation based on facial recognition; a privacy revamp including the ability to shut off the cameras and microphones completely; and updates to ease of use for third-party app stores.
Chrome users on Android and PC, meanwhile, can now access a range of features including linking directly to highlighted text – by right-clicking and selecting “copy link to highlight”, users can send links to the exact section of text they want to share.
The browser’s PDF viewer has received an overhaul as well, including a new sidebar with thumbnails; two-page view; and a presentation mode which removes distractions such as toolbars, address bar, and tabs.
Chrome has also implemented a number of under-the-hood performance improvements, and in the beta version, collapsed tabs are now frozen so as to reduce CPU usage.
These and other Chrome features, including the ability to name windows, are rolling out now.
