Google’s commitment to continually enhancing user experiences remains evident through its ongoing updates and optimizations. In its latest efforts, Google’s Messages for Android app has undergone significant changes, including the removal of the top search bar and the introduction of a convenient Camera Icon in the app bar, streamlining the process of sharing photos.
Although currently accessible to a select group of users, the exciting new feature is expect to be available to a broader audience in the near future.
While Google has also recently initiate the rollout of a highly anticipate functionality within the Google Photos app, allowing users to seamlessly back up RAW Photos.
This significant update, already being implement across both Android and iOS platforms, caters to the needs of professional photographers who rely on unprocess images to retain intricate details for more refined editing and post-processing capabilities.
Messages by Google App brings a Camera Icon for Quick Photo Sharing
Given users with latest and the advance features is one advantage of Google’s Apps and services.
Following the removal of the top search bar in the Messages for Android app, Google now added a Camera Icon or shortcut to the app bar.
This new feature is currently enable for a few users, and may soon made available for a wider audience.
The Camera Shortcut seems to serve the purpose of increase media usage in the Messages.
As it allows the users to quickly snap a picture and attach it to the message.
Even the feature workflow first allows you to take a picture, and then asks you to “Select Conversation” from the UI.
In the future, we expect more features in the bar area.
This feature seems enable by the server-side switch, but make sure to update the Messages by Google app by heading to the Play Store.
Also don’t forget to update the Play System.
Google Photos adds the ability to Backup RAW Photos
Google is reportedly rolling out a new feature to back up RAW Photos on Google Photos App.
This new feature is already rolling out to both the Android and iOS apps.
RAW Photos are unprocess images that carry more details and are used by professional photographers to grade or better edit the photos.
These days RAW Photos on smartphones have become standard due to extensive support from the respective camera apps.
The Google Photos app by default uploads the RAW Photos to the Google Cloud.
A notice appeare in the app stating, “Google Photos brings Ability to backup Raw Images.”
A dedicated RAW image badge appears on the Photos.
However, the feature is currently spot on the Google Pixel 8 series and is absent on Pixel Fold and other devices.
Despite any official announcements from Google, the details about the new features, availability, and compatibility are currently unknown.
There are no settings to stop the Photos app from uploading the RAW files to Google Storage.
Even going to the Storage option in the Photos Preference –> Backup –> Backup Quality does not avail any solution.
With the available 15GB of free storage, the RAW Photos will surely fill up the storage pretty quickly.
It is highly recommend only for photographers who use it for professional use.
Google is actively bringing new features to the Google Messages app including the Google Account integration for the web, a full home screen overhaul, and animate emoji support for Web clients.
Apart from the smartphone and the Web client updates, the Google Messages app also added support for voice memos on Wear OS.
Google is bringing Wear OS support for more of its Services and Apps.
The company push official Gmail and Google Calendar Apps for the Wear OS smartwatches.
Also, a revampe share menu was introduce in the Google Photos app which lets users send images, create a new album, and add new images to the album.
Google even introduce desktop editing tools that let users choose different filters, and offer basic tweaks like changing brightness, saturation, HDR levels and many others.
