Google is bringing its personalized text stickers to Android users who use the Gboard keyboard in US English. Previously, the function, which allows you to create and share customized stickers by putting in your own text and selecting a readymade design, was only available to Google Pixel users.
In addition to personalized stickers, Google is extending Gboard’s Emoji Kitchen with over 1,600 new Pride Month and summer-themed mashups. You can try out the functionality by entering an emoji (or two) into a message and seeing what type of mashups you can make with them. The result is a variety of amusing and sometimes unusual emoji pairings, such as a soccer ball built of watermelon.
Aside from Gboard, Google is adding new capabilities to Sound Amplifier and Lookout, two of its accessibility-focused products. Sound Amplifier, which is meant to enhance certain sounds for those with hearing impairments, is receiving a new user interface, better background noise suppression, and “faster and more accurate” sound. Google is introducing an offline option to Lookout, an app designed to assist visually impaired individuals, as well as a mechanism for users to hear a description of a picture from “just about any” app or browser.
Finally, Google will soon make it possible to redeem all (or a portion) of your Google Play Points while playing a game or using an app. You won’t have to go through the extra steps of converting your Play Points into a voucher before making a purchase, which should make it easier to redeem any earned points. The feature will be available “in the coming weeks,” according to Google.
