Google announced a handful of new features, including shortcut expansion, to its Google Assistant used in Android 12 at its 2021 I/O developer festival.
Its latest Google App v12.22.5 has been torn down by XDA Developers, suggesting that another new feature will soon be added to the Assistant.
At present, there is not any information about time of the release to users.
The upcoming “quick phrases” feature will enable users to interact with Google Assistant without saying “Hey Google”. It will only work for the most common voice interactions, such as closing a ringing alarm clock or a running timer. Code-named “guacamole”, the feature was first discovered in April this year when a “voice shortcut” page unexpectedly appeared in Google Assistant’s settings for several users.
The latest Google App also comprises strings related to the dynamic shortcuts feature announced last month. Once the feature debuts, the Assistant will begin to recommend shortcuts based on your app usage pattern.
Google also introduced Dynamic Shortcuts in Android Nougat 7.1, enabling developers to provide context-specific actions within their apps. At the bottom of the Assistant UI is the new Suggestion Chips. Tapping on the deep link shown in the Suggestion Chip, you will be redirected to a relevant page in an app.
Another upcoming helpful feature in the Google Assistant is the option to shut down your phone. Unlike quick phrases and dynamic shortcuts, however, the option is likely to be applied to devices running Android 12.
The above features are expected to be brought to the best Android phones sometime in the near future.
