Google Gemini eases web surfing for users with vision and hearing ...
Android devices have offered a built-in screen reader feature called TalkBack for years. It helps people with vision problems to make sense of what appears on their phone’s screen and lets them control it with their voice. In 2024, Google added its Gemini AI into the mix to give users a more detailed description of images. Google is now bolstering it with a whole new layer of interactive convenience for users.
Enhanced Image Description
So far, Gemini has only described images. Now, when users are looking at images, they can even ask follow-up questions about them and have a more detailed conversation. “The next time a friend texts you a photo of their new guitar, you can get a description and ask follow-up questions about the make and color, or even what else is in the image,” says Google. This builds on the accessibility upgrade that integrated Gemini within the Talkback system late last year.
Enhanced Image Description - Image Here
The Talkback menu on Android now shows a dedicated Describe Screen feature that puts Gemini in the driving seat. For example, if users are browsing a garment catalogue, Gemini will not only describe what appears on the screen but will also answer relevant questions. Users can ask questions such as “Which dress would be the best for a cold winter night outing?” or “What sauce would go best with a sandwich?”
Gemini will also be able to analyze the entire screen and inform users about granular product details or if there are any discounts available.
Expressive Captions in Chrome
In the Chrome browser, Google is giving a small lift to the auto-generated captions for videos. Captioning will now match not only the commentator’s words but also their emotions and expressions. This feature, called Expressive Captions, covers important sounds such as whistles, cheering, or even the speaker clearing their throat.
Expressive captions will be available on all devices running Android 15 or later versions in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.
Interactive Features - Image Here
Another useful change coming to the Chrome browser is adaptive text zoom, which updates the Page Zoom system available on Android phones. Users can now customize text zoom preferences without affecting the layout of the web page. A slider at the bottom of the page enables easy adjustments to the zoom range.
Transition to Gemini AI Assistant
Google Assistant is being replaced with Gemini, leading to the retirement of some Google Assistant features. Users will be shifted to Gemini as the default AI assistant on their devices. Google plans to extend this change to various devices such as smartwatches, tablets, and smart home devices.
Notification Summaries in Android - Image Here
Android is introducing notification summaries for conversational content, enabling users to catch up on messages in a group setting. This feature allows users to disable notifications for apps they don’t want to see summarized notifications from, avoiding clutter.
Notification summaries offer a convenient way to stay updated on conversations without being overwhelmed, improving the user experience.
