Google announces new features for older Android phones

Android 12 is still some ways off but that doesn't mean you will have wait long to see some new features on your Android phone. Google has announced a slew of updates coming to older Android phones.

People using Android messages - the default messaging app on stock Android - can now schedule messages to be sent at specific times. As Google points out in it's blog, this can be useful for cases where people reside in different time zones or to use as a birthday greeting. This feature will be coming to phones running Android 7 and above.

Chrome's password checkup tool will also be making its way to Android. The nifty tool alerts you if your password has been compromised or was present in any 'leaks' online. This is tied to Android's autofill feature, which stores your password information. Google will roll this out on phones running Android 9 and above.

Google Maps is now getting dark mode. The new feature can be enabled by navigating to settings, tapping on Theme and then select "Always in Dark Mode".

Google has also made improvements to TalkBack, an accessibility feature for the visually impaired. Google has added new gestures for easier navigation, unified menus and has a new reading control menu. Google says that it, "worked closely with the blind and low vision communities on this revamp of TalkBack to incorporate the most popularly requested features."

The company has also made several improvements to Android Auto starting with custom wallpapers. Google has also added voice-activated games like Trivia and Jeopardy. These can be started by the phrase, "Hey Google, play a game."

Besides the new games, Google has also updated the launch screen with shortcuts. There is also a new split-screen view for wider panels that can have media controls and Google Maps open at the same time. These new updates will be coming to devices running Android 6.0 and above.