The MWC 2023 is currently underway in Barcelona, and various companies, including Qualcomm, Xiaomi, HONOR, and more, have already made some exciting announcements. Adding to the flurry of announcements, Google has unveiled some new features coming soon to Android smartphones and Wear OS devices. The Q1 2023 feature drop will introduce several improvements for smartphones, smartwatches, and Chromebooks, including new app shortcuts, a new way to connect to ChromeOS devices, and accessibility updates.

Google at MWC 2023: New Android and Wear OS Features

Noise cancelation in Google Meet

Google Meet is our go-to online meeting app, and it's about to get even more impressive with the latest update. Google Meet is gaining noise cancelation support meaning it will be able to eliminate unwanted background noise during conversations. Although this feature is available on select phones and tablets right now, it will noe be available on many more Android devices.

Fast Pair Coming Soon to Chromebooks

Fast Pair will soon be available on Chromebooks as well. This means that if you have a Fast Pair supported device, you’ll soon be able to connect them to your Chromebook with just one tap. Additionally, if you have already configured your headphones with an Android phone, your Chromebook will automatically be able to connect with them as well — much like how iCloud sync works between Apple devices.

Page Zoom on Chrome for Android Gets Better

Currently, you can currently zoom in on a page, similar to how you would do with a static image. You pinch and that particular part of the webpage becomes bigger. Google is now working to improve this. A new update on Chrome for Android will bring the ability to pinch-to-zoom and increase only the size of the text, images, video, and controls while retaining the page's layout.

Additionally, users will be able to set their preferred zoom size as a default. You can now experience this feature if you want to as it is now available in Chrome Beta. It can be accessed by navigating to Settings > Accessibility. The feature will be available on the stable version next month.

Google Keep Gets a New Widget

Google has updated its popular Keep note-taking app with a new single note widget. This new widget allows you to manage your notes and tick off to-do lists with ease from your Home screen. The new widget exhibits reminders, background colors, and images added to notes from the Keep app, while also synchronizing with your smartwatch to ensure that you stay on top of your tasks.

And while we're on the topic smartwatch, Google has also added a functionality wherein you will be able to access Keep notes from the primary watch face on your Wear OS 3+ smartwatch.

New Ways to Annotate PDFs on Android with Google Drive

Google has also finally added the ability to annotate PDFs with just a touch or using a stylus on the Google Drive app for Android. With the option to select from a range of ink strokes, users can provide freehand notes or feedback. Additionally, the highlighter tool can be utilized to neatly save important text on the tablet or phone. After annotating, users will also be able to easily hide, undo, delete, or save a new copy of the annotated documents, ensuring their notes are always organized and easily accessible.

New Tap-to-Pay and Emoji Kitchen Features

Moreover, Google has announced that Wallet's tap-to-pay feature for Android phones is about to get even better. The company says that new transaction confirmation animations will soon be rolled out. While full details are not available right now, Google has confirmed that the animations will include a range of adorable animals. So, the next time you use Google Wallet to make a purchase, keep a lookout for these new animations that promise to not only enhance your transaction experience but also add an element of joy and amusement.

The Emoji Kitchen feature on Gboard for Android already allows you to combine and create new emojis. With the new update, you can combine even more make even wilder emojis.

Google says features such as annotated PDFs in Drive, expanded Google Meet noise cancelation, new Emoji Kitchen mashups, and page zoom on Chrome should be available to the consumers starting from Monday. Meanwhile, the new Wallet animations will be available from next week, though an exact date has not been disclosed. Keep an eye out for these updates and remember to check your devices for the new features.

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