Advanced Android keyboard adjustments

Plus a futuristic new face-decoder for your phone  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Android Intelligence](#) [Android Intelligence](#) Brought to you by: =​ Hi. I'm writing this message to you on my phone. That's not usually how I write any part of a newsletter. It's far faster and easier for me to type on an actual computer keyboard, especially when it comes to longer and less spur-of-the-moment, on-the-go missives. But I wanted to write this on my phone to remind myself that when I need to, I can actually tap out text quite quickly on a smooth, pocket-sized screen. And a lot of that comes down to the excellent nature and exceptional customizability of my Android phone's keyboard. That latter part really is key. Most Android-adoring mammals never even realize this, but a truly great smartphone typing experience is as much about finding the right ways to personalize your keyboard as it is anything about the keyboard itself, in its default state. That's what takes you from "reasonably decent" to "exceptionally ergonomic and optimized for your specific style of typing." Read on, and we'll explore some spectacular ways to achieve that elusive state of phone-typing enlightenment. [JR Raphael, Author] JR Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 2 minutes ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 1 minute 30 seconds ⌚ Just for Funsies: 25 seconds [] [3 Things to Know This Week] 1. Google's next-gen AI genie is here ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Google announced the launch of its long-anticipated Gemini AI model this week and made big promises about the technology's shape-shifting potential. 🔎 KNOW MORE: All the brand names and buzzwords here can get pretty confusing, but the simplest way to think of Gemini is as a new engine beneath all the existing AI systems Google's already been giving us. - Gemini is supposed to be able to understand information from and seamlessly function across all sorts of different mediums — text, images, videos, and beyond. - It has already now become the brains behind Bard, Google's AI chatbot, and will soon start showing up in all sorts of other Google apps and services — including an audio-summarizing option and enhanced suggested-response system on the Pixel 8 Pro. - Maybe I’m just a curmudgeon when it comes to this area, but so far, at least, I remain skeptical about the broad practical value most of this will bring to any average person anytime soon. Unless and until these systems can be trusted to provide accurate, high-quality results 100% of the time — which they absolutely still cannot — they'll remain reliable and thus useful exactly 0% of the time. 📌 READ MORE: Catch up on [all the Gemini high points]( and dive deeper into [an in-depth Q&A with Google's CEO](=) by the MIT Tech Review. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Some sweet new surprises are sliding into Pixels ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Google's latest quarterly Pixel update is officially on its way into the world, and this virtual gift basket is especially jam-packed with nifty new stuff. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The Pixel line's unparalleled approach to ongoing software updates has always been a key point of differentiation for the phones, but these quarterly feature bundles have really emerged as a meaningful and very frequent additional advantage as of late. - In addition to the Pixel-8-Pro-specific AI additions we just mentioned, the December feature drop includes a new video-enhancing feature for that same device as well as upgraded photo editing tools, a smarter document-scanning system, and a data-protecting Repair Mode for multiple Pixel models. - The update also introduces the new Android-14-connected option to use your phone as a webcam on any kind of computer without any special apps or software on either side. - The update is starting to roll out as we speak and should reach all current Pixel devices within the next week or two, going back to the Pixel 5a — so keep an eye out, if you're carrying any such contraption! 📌 READ MORE: [Examine all the incoming improvements for yourself]() and [peek through Google's handy chart]( showing which specific new features will show up for which specific Pixel products. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Google is rethinking its Pixel philosophy ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: With Android suffering from a comically off-base but increasingly common perception of being a place for cheap, low-quality products, Google seems to be shifting the way it's thinking about both Pixels and the entire Android platform. 🔎 KNOW MORE: For the first time, Google is now starting to refer to Pixels as a separate category from the rest of Android — a subtle-seeming shift that speaks volumes about Google's future plans. - When setting up a new Pixel phone, you're now prompted to restore data from a "Pixel or Android device." - It's a fascinating new step amidst the Apple-pushed idea that Android phones are somehow inherently less good than their magical and revolutionary iDevice counterparts. - And both in terms of anecdotal evidence and hard data, it seems this attempt to separate "Pixel" from "Android" might just be starting to have an impact in the way people perceive both of those entities. 📌 READ MORE: Put on your pondering cap and [think through the significance of this high-level, big-picture shift with me](. SPONSORED MESSAGE Web3 news, translated into plain English [Robot saying "Oh, now I see."](​ Want to learn about Web3 but sick of pretending to know what “layer 2 cross-chain protocol” is? (Or maybe you do know, if you’re reading this newsletter!) Whether you get it already or not, the team at [Web3 Daily]( is taking all the hullabaloo around Web3 and crypto and sharing it in a way that makes it easy to understand, and — dare we say? — enjoyable to read. Why else you should get Web3 Daily: 🙊 No hype, no BS, no jargon 🤝 It is totally free ➜ [Cut through the noise of Web3 news by subscribing to Web3 Daily with just one click!](​ [UPGRADE YOUR BRAIN FOR FREE​ ➜]( ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Explore some advanced Android keyboard adjustments Google's Gboard Android keyboard is packed with [all sorts of awesome shortcuts and out-of-sight time-savers]( — but one of the smartest ways to enhance your virtual typing setup is to change the form of the keyboard itself. ➜ Gboard has a surprising amount of options for taking total control of its shape, size, and placement on your screen. They're possibilities most Android-using animals never even notice, let alone take the time to finesse. ⌚ But each will take you no more than one minute to unearth and then optimize for your personal typing style. 📌 [Check out all four advanced Gboard adjustments for yourself](), and get ready for a refreshingly refined Android typing experience. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Save time with simple email emoji reactions Speaking of text-connected experience-enhancers, Google announced an interesting new feature for the Gmail Android app a while back, and it now seems to be showing up and starting to be broadly available. ➜ It's a system that lets you respond to an email with a simple emoji reaction, like you might do with a message in Messages, Slack, or other more messaging-specific programs. ⌚ You'll be able to acknowledge an email in about two seconds with its help. - Just look for the smiley face icon at the top or bottom of any email in your inbox within Gmail on your phone. It's there on all personal Google accounts for me at this point (but not paid Workspace accounts), so with any luck, you'll see it now, too. - Tap that icon, and you'll be presented with a list of common emoji reactions. - You can then tap any one of those reactions to use it or tap the plus icon to pick another. [The Gmail Android interface with a smiley-face reaction icon at the top and bottom of an opened email view] ​ Whatever symbol you select will then show up as an in-line reaction within the email for the recipient, if they're using Gmail in a compatible environment — or as a plain-text note explaining that you reacted to the message with that symbol within Gmail, if they're using some other email app or service. [The Gmail Android app with an emoji showing a reaction within an email] ​ This one clearly gets a big 👍 from me. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Let your phone act as your (futuristic) eyes Here's an interesting new Android goodie to gorge on this week: Microsoft has just released a wild new app called [Seeing AI](). ➜ It's technically designed for accessibility purposes, and while it could clearly have a huge amount of helpful potential on that front, it can also open up some intriguing new possibilities for practically any of us. - Seeing AI is meant to "narrate the world around you" via your Android phone's camera. - It can do things like read any text that appears within your camera view out loud, answer questions about the contents of text in a printed page you're pointing your phone at, and even — get this! — save images of people's faces and then estimate their age, gender, and expression to help you recognize them again later. - And it's completely free to use. ⌚ Seeing AI will take you two minutes to install and get going with. 📌 You can [grab it now from the Play Store](). [] ​ [And Just for Funsies...] The next time you're feeling creative — or maybe just feeling like annoying someone around you — glide your way over to Google's glistening new [Instrument Playground](). It's the latest in the company's series of Arts & Culture "experiments," and it's a surprisingly fun little ditty to play around with. You just tell the site what type of music you want to make, using any combination of adjectives and instruments — moody saxophone, funky drums, vibrant vibraphone, or maybe even obnoxious oboe — and Google will generate a 20-second AI-powered clip of whatever creation you cook up. And that's just the start. From there, you can fine-tune and customize every aspect of your musical moment and then use special on-screen controls to remix and play it in all sorts of different ways — even recording yourself as you go, if you're so inspired. [Google's Instrument Playground with an "obnoxious oboe" AI creation] ​ Happy creating — and apologies in advance to everyone around you. Until we meet again... Hey, a very happy Hanukkah, if you're celebrating this week. And my goodness: Just a few more weeks left to 2023 after this. Let's see how much high-calorie geekery we can pack into that time, shall we? I'll see ya next week. 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up]() [Thumbs Down](=) Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. Want less email? [Update your reading preferences](=) to opt out of any individual publications or unsubscribe entirely. New here and not yet subscribed? Take two seconds to [sign up for our newsletters](): Android Intelligence, Windows Intelligence, or Cool Tools (or all three!). Hungry for even more? [Learn about becoming an Intelligence Insider](=) to gain access to our one-of-a-kind community, power-packed advanced resources, on-demand help desk, and tons of free apps and services. Independent journalism relies on you. 🤝 [An Intelligence Insider membership](=) allows you to support our work and keep this newsletter sustainable!