Android phones will warn you of earthquakes in all 50 US states thanks to new update
Google is also finally shipping Android 15… sort of
🆙 Google has announced some fresh updates coming to Android users
🎤 The list of new features includes earthquake alerts, Circle to Search for music, and more
🏞️ Gemini is coming to TalkBack
🤖 Android 15 is also launching, but only for specific developers
Google is rolling out a fresh Android update that adds a lot of interesting features, including up-to-the-minute earthquake alerts in all 50 states, music search, and more. The update arrives on the same day that Android 15 is released… well, sort of.
The good news is you don’t need to own the Pixel 9 Pro XL or Pixel 9 Pro Fold to get the update. Google is shipping these new features to many users on varying platform versions. Those running on recent versions of Android such as Android 14 and Android 13 will get the new features first, but they’ll eventually roll out to everyone’s devices (assuming you aren’t using something like a Galaxy S7 from 2015, of course).
Earthquake alerts expand to more users
📳 Feel the vibrations. Google is expanding the availability of earthquake detection notifications beyond California, Oregon, and Washington to all 50 states and six US territories. The feature uses your Android phone’s accelerometer to detect earthquakes as they’re taking place to warn you before they worsen. Google partnered with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), and the ShakeAlert system to launch the feature in 2020, and it looks like it’ll be continuing the partnership for the foreseeable future.
Notably, only California, Oregon, and Washington will rely on ShakeAlert’s technology for their notifications. Every other state will rely on your phone’s accelerometer.
Circle to Search adds music discovery
🎤 It’s like Shazam at your fingertips. After we checked it out in our Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review earlier this year, Circle to Search has quickly become one of our favorite features on Android. Google is making it even better with music discovery.
Hold down the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen, then tap the music icon to identify the song that’s playing on your phone. It even works with headphones connected. That way you can identify songs in ads, TikToks, YouTube videos, and more. It’s like having Shazam right at your fingertips.
What else is coming?
🏞️ Gemini integrates with TalkBack. Google is adding to the AI experience of Android with Gemini integration in TalkBack. If you’re unfamiliar, TalkBack is an accessibility feature that can audibly describe what’s on your phone’s screen if you have trouble seeing. Starting with today’s new update, Google is integrating Gemini AI to describe images with more vividness and accuracy.
🎧 Listen to web pages in Chrome. Google Chrome is getting updated with a new feature that lets you listen to web pages you find on Chrome, whether it be a blog post, a recipe, set of instructions, etc. If you’re not much of a reader or find it easier to consume long-format text content, this will be right up your alley.
📍 Offline maps on Wear OS. Okay, this one might be oriented to Wear OS, but it does affect your Android phone, too. In Google Maps, when you download a map to your phone, it’ll automatically download to your Wear OS watch so you can always find your way back home, even if your phone loses connection or dies. Your watch can help identify your surroundings and offer directions, even with your voice.
Wait, did Android 15 come out, too?
🤖 Technically yes. Google released Android 15 to developers through the company’s AOSP channel, which means the new version of Android is ready for developers and companies to take and develop for their own devices. Basically, it’s available to smartphone makers and those who want to fork the update to older devices, but not the general public.
Thus far, Google has been quiet on the Android 15 release date. We know it has to be soon; the company’s original timeline for the update hinted that it would roll out to the general public around the end of August or the beginning of September, and the new Pixel 9 comes with the year-old Android 14. It’s fair to say that we can expect Android 15 to roll out any day now, but that day isn’t today.
The latest Android updates are rolling out starting today. Each new feature might take some time to reach everyone, but Google says the rollout should wrap up in the coming weeks.