Google makes Android more accessible than ever with Sound Amplifier and Lookout upgrades
We’re only a couple of days into June, but Google saw it fit to roll out a brand newAndroid Feature Dropfor users everywhere. On top of enhancements toGboard, Emoji Kitchen, andPlay Points, the company is also bringing improvements to some much-loved accessibility apps. Sound Amplifier and Lookout are both featured in this month’s Feature Drop, complete with new features and a design overhaul.
Sound Amplifieris getting a Material You-esque redesign, and while it might be months late to the party, it looks pretty good. While that new coat of paint might look awfully shiny, some under-the-hood changes make it worthy of inclusion in this month’s Feature drop. Google touts improved background noise reduction, which should make it easier for the app to actually pick up the noise you’re trying to boost. Today’s announcement also boasts about “faster and more accurate sound,” and as vague as that might sound, it should make a big difference in day-to-day use.
Lookoutisn’t quite as well known as Sound Amplifier — and it isn’t getting a redesign today — but that doesn’t mean Google’s ignoring it altogether. A new Images mode uses machine learn models to understand photos on your device, reading out a description of whatever Lookout detects automatically. Google says it works in any app on your phone, perfect for assisting when a Twitter user forgets to add alt text to their tweet.
It’s not the only change to the service. In addition to improvements to Text, Documents, Food Label, and Explore modes — all of which, Google says, are more accurate — Lookout now works without an internet connection.
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