Kategorie: Android

Fast, simple checkout. Easy access to rewards and offers. One spot for purchases, passes, and payment methods. All of these are ways we’ve been working to make paying safer and easier for everyone, everywhere. And you can make the most of these features with the new Google Pay app for Android.

The app, which begins rolling out today, is just one part of everything we’ve got planned. We’re currently working on bringing Google Pay to all Google products, so whether you’re shopping on Chrome or with your Assistant, you’ll have a consistent checkout experience using the cards saved to your Google Account. We’re also working with partners online and in stores, so you’ll see Google Pay on sites, in apps, and at your favorite places around the world.

As we continue to expand to even more devices and services, the new app offers an exciting glimpse of what’s to come. Here’s a closer look.

Helpful info while you shop

Google Pay’s new Home tab gives you the info you need, right when you need it. See your recent purchases, find nearby stores, enjoy easy access to rewards, and get helpful tips.

A new spot for your stuff

The Cards tab is an easy way to keep everything you need at checkout organized and at the ready. It’s where you’ll store your credit and debit cards, loyalty programs, offers, and even that stack of gift cards from last year’s birthday.

A faster way to pay your fare

Use Google Pay on transit in cities such as Kiev, London, and Portland (with more coming soon), and stop worrying about your pass once and for all. Now all you need at the turnstile is the device that’s already in your hand. 

And more features are coming. If you live in the U.S. or the UK, you’ll be able to use it to send and request money within the next few months. In the meantime, the Wallet app is now called Google Pay Send, and we’re giving it a fresh coat of paint to go with the Google Pay brand.

Want to accept Google Pay for your app, site or business? If you’re a developer, you can work with our processor partners and find all the tools you need on our developer site. And if you’re a business owner building a site for yourself, we’ve partnered with Shopify to make integration even easier.

Ready to try the Google Pay app? Get it on Google Play today.

The Google Assistant is your personal Google. It lets you have a conversation and ask about everything under the sun and, best of all, it’s available wherever you need help—at home or on the go. Over the past year, we’ve been working to bring the Assistant to more devices in more places and now it’s available on more than 400 million devices.

Tuesday marks the start of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NV, and we’ll be there to showcase some of the exciting stuff we have in store for 2018. So if you’re at CES, stop on by the Google Assistant Playground (Central Plaza-21). Here we go!

At home

The Google Assistant gives you an easy, hands-free way to control your home, whether it’s helping you dim the lights from the comfort of your couch or play your dinner party playlist. It’s already lending a helping hand in speakers like Google Home, Mini and Max. In fact, we’ve sold more than one Google Home every second since Google Home Mini started shipping in October. And with so much excitement around speakers, we’re making the Assistant even more available—this week we’re announcing that the Assistant is coming to new voice-activated speakers from Altec Lansing, Anker Innovations, Bang & Olufsen, Braven, iHome, JBL, Jensen, LG, Klipsch, Knit Audio, Memorex, RIVA Audio and SōLIS.

But there are also moments when a screen would make the Assistant even more helpful, like when you need to learn how to cut a pineapple, and the best way is to watch a video. Today, we’re announcing that the Assistant is coming to smart displays. These new devices have the Google Assistant built in, and with the added benefit of a touch screen, they can help you get even more done. You can watch videos from YouTube, video call with Google Duo, find photos from Google Photos and more. You can also get recommendations for your favorite content, right on the home screen.

Starting later this year, the Assistant is coming to new smart displays from four companies, including JBL, Lenovo, LG and Sony. To learn more about how smart displays were built, visit the Android Developers blog.

Last year we brought the Assistant to Android TV devices including NVIDIA’s SHIELD TV and Sony’s Android TVs, so you can find the latest blockbuster, stock up on snacks with Google Express and set the perfect movie watching mood lighting. We will continue to roll out the Assistant to existing Android TVs such as AirTV Player, Bouygues Telecom, Free, LG U+, TCL, Skyworth and Xiaomi. And, this week, Changhong, Element, Funai, Haier, Hisense and Westinghouse are announcing new Android TVs with the Google Assistant. Plus, we’ve worked closely with LG to integrate the Assistant into the new line of LG TVs in the coming months.

And, across all your devices, the Google Assistant is making your home even smarter. The Assistant now works with over 225 home control brands and more than 1,500 devices, including a bunch of new ones from Abode, Crestron, Gourmia, Insteon, Kohler and Yonomi. With these integrations, millions of new smart home devices are being connected to the Assistant every month, so you can stay in control, whether you want to heat up the house, check on the laundry or make sure you locked the back door.

On your phone and headphones

The Google Assistant is available on your Android phone, iPhone, and headphones, helping you when you’re on the go. And this week we’re announcing that over the coming year, more headphones are on the way from Jaybird, JBL, LG and Sony. These headphones are optimized for the Google Assistant; once you pair them to your phone, you can talk to the Assistant instantly with just the touch of an earbud, whether you want to skip a track to hear the next song, get notifications, or hear and respond to your messages.

In your car

The Assistant can also help you in the car, so that you can keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. Starting this week in the U.S., the Assistant is coming to Android Auto.

Android Auto is available in tens of millions of cars on more than 400 models from 40+ brands, including Ford, General Motors, Nissan, Volkswagen and Volvo. With the Assistant in Android Auto, you can listen to your playlists from apps like Spotify or Google Play Music, get quick directions from Google Maps or Waze, and send or receive messages from services like WhatsApp. And soon, you’ll be able to reserve a parking space with SpotHero or order your favorite handcrafted drink or food from Starbucks—all from the road.

You can use the Assistant in Android Auto on your car display by connecting your Android phone to a supported car—or you can use it on your phone screen in any car. And we’re working with auto makers to integrate the Assistant directly into their cars—no phone required.

With the Assistant on your phone, speaker or TV, you can also check your fuel level, lock doors, and more. This feature is already available on cars from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai—and today we’re announcing that it’ll be coming to cars from Kia and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Always ready to help

Since the Assistant can do so many things, we’re introducing a new way to talk about them. We’re calling them Actions. Actions include features built by Google—like directions on Google Maps—and those that come from developers, publishers and other third parties, like working out with Fitbit Coach. So finding photos with Google Photos would be one Action while meditating with Headspace would be another. All in all, today there are more than a million Actions you can take with your Assistant.

To help you discover the Actions available on the Assistant, we have a new directory page. You can also explore them with your Assistant on your Android phone or iPhone —just go to your Assistant, select the blue icon in the corner and dive in. And we bet you’ll find a few gems you never knew the Assistant could do. And the best part? We’re always adding more Actions.

That’s our news for the day. We’re just a few days into the new year and continuing to make the Assistant more helpful and more available, no matter what device you’re using. We can’t wait to see what you do with the Assistant this year.

Whenever we launch Android Pay in a new market, we think about how to enable faster, easier checkout while taking into account the distinct payment habits of each place. Working with partners is a key part of creating a local experience.

A few weeks ago, we launched Android Pay in Ukraine. Today, it’s available in Czech Republic and Brazil, and soon it’ll be live in Slovakia, too. Here’s a look at how two different approaches simplify checkout in two unique parts of the world.

Leave your wallet at home in Central and Eastern Europe

Paying contactless isn’t new in Central and Eastern Europe–in fact, in many places it’s the norm. With Android Pay, we wanted to make it easier for locals to leave their wallets at home at places they know and love. Starting today in Czech Republic, you can pick up a loaf of traditional Šumava bread at your favorite bakery or an ice-cold Kofola at Albert using nothing but your phone.

And in a region full of Android fans, we’re excited to see it’s already taking off! Ukraine’s Finance Minister Oleksandr Danylyuk was the country’s first person to try Android Pay when we launched on November 1, demonstrating how it works on the Kiev Metro.

Pay for pão de queijo with your phone in Brazil

On the other side of the globe in Brazil, contactless payments are just picking up speed. So we partnered with merchants like Ipiranga and Casa do Pão de Queijo to help us merge new experiences (like paying with your phone) with familiar ones (like buying groceries or Brigadeiros). Brazil is also the first Latin American country to get Android Pay, and we’re looking forward to helping contactless payments become part of people’s everyday routines.

We’ll be bringing Android Pay to even more places soon.

If you use Android Pay today, you’re in for a surprise. Like our beloved animations of space explorers, Halloween haunts, and Wimbledon players in the past, five of our Android bots have channeled their superpowers to become Justice League Super Heroes in celebration of the movie. Starting in the next few days through December 31, you can see them sprint, soar, and fight to defend the planet when you pay with your phone.

How did these heroic characters make their way into the app? It began back in 2016, when the Android Pay team designed an animation–an Android bot dressed up as a space explorer–to surprise our fans. This little space traveler sparked so much delight that the team created more, drawing inspiration from Diwali, Halloween and Chinese New Year, among other celebrations.

So far, these charming bots have always been fleeting, but our fans liked them so much we wanted to find a way to let you keep them beyond the checkout line. And with these action-packed animations, you can do just that–by collecting them in your app after you pay in stores. Here’s how it works.

1. Pay in stores with Android Pay

Make sure you’ve downloaded the latest version of the Android Pay app and added a credit or debit card. Then you’ll have the chance to collect Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg or Aquaman when you pay in stores–you won’t know who until you try.

2. Unite the Justice League

Keep using Android Pay to recruit all the characters. You can see how you’re doing in the app.  

3. Share with friends and family

You can’t save the world alone! Tap on your bots to share them with friends and family–and invite them to join in.

Ready to unlock your superpowers? You’ll find them starting in the next few days in the following countries: United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, Russia, Canada, Spain, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

JUSTICE LEAGUE © 2017 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved TM & © DC Comics

Android Wear was created to take smartwatches beyond “one size fits all.” That’s why we’re thrilled there are even more ways to express your style this fall—all while keeping you informed with messages at a glance, activity tracking, and help from your Google Assistant.

Fit for the runway

With Android Wear, you never have to sacrifice fashion for function. We’ve partnered with designer brands like: Diesel, Emporio Armani, Fossil, Guess, Gc, Hugo Boss, Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger. With a range of designs and endless watch face options, you’ll always be able to find a look that matches your outfit or mood. The Michael Kors Access My Social app lets you dress up your watch face with your favorite Instagram or Facebook photos. Fossil Q Explorist and Q Venture’s unique social sharing feature lets you share your personalized watch face with friends.

Crafted for multi-tasking

If you want a watch that keeps up with your busy life, Android Wear has options. The Montblanc Summit lets you stay ahead and in style, while keeping an eye on your heart rate. The TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45 is the ultimate in customizable luxury, combining the latest technology with Swiss watchmaking—including both Android Pay and built-in GPS. Movado Connect maintains its iconic design while providing 100 watch face variations and on-watch payments with Android Pay. Want to leave your phone behind? The ZTE Quartz is smart, affordable and cellular enabled.

Stamina for active lives

With heart rate monitoring, activity tracking, GPS, music on the go and sporty designs, Android Wear has a range of watches built for your workout. The Huawei Watch 2 provides motivation with a professional running coach feature and comes fully-loaded with a heart-rate monitor, GPS and Android Pay. The Polar M600 is designed to keep you connected while you train, including smart coaching features that turn your activity and training data into actionable insights. Ticwatch S&E is great for your everyday workout, with a lightweight, breathable design, heart rate monitor and GPS antenna integrated right into the band.

Made for the journey

For the jet setter, Android Wear apps provide on-watch boarding options, travel tips, translations, world timers and maps to help guide your trip. Louis Vuitton Tambour Horizon connects you to exclusive travel apps like “LV Guide” and “My Flight,” which organizes your flight times, gates and terminals to guide your journey.

Built for adventure

From climbing to kayaking, the Casio Pro-Trek Smart is your outdoor companion. Built to military standards, the Pro-Trek is crazy tough, with unique outdoor capabilities like advanced GPS functionality and built-in sensors that measure altitudes and atmospheric pressure. With location memory and a full-color offline map, you can even track your hike and record voice-notes along the way.

Whether you’re a jetsetter or trendsetter, Android Wear has got you covered. With so many new watches to choose from, it’s never been easier to wear what you want.

When we launched Android One in India back in 2014, the goal was to get the next billion people online by providing them with high quality, affordable phones. Since then, the larger community has told us they value what Android One stands for across a range of phones—a refreshingly simple software experience that is accessible, always fresh and stays ahead of the curve, with improvements to battery life, usability, and of course, security.  

As phone manufacturers continue to innovate by delivering high quality devices at accessible price points, keeping the inside of one’s phone innovative, fresh and secure is critical to a great experience. We’re extending our commitment to Android One by working with more partners to build phones that run a software experience designed by Google.

In the past year, we’ve expanded the program to new partners, geographies and price points. For example, in Japan, Android One devices are among the top selling phones in Softbank-owned Y!Mobile stores. General Mobile has committed a full portfolio of Android One devices in Turkey, and recently released their fourth offering, the GM 6. 

Today, our newest program partner Xiaomi just launched Mi A1. This phone is a great example of what Android One represents: a collaboration between Google and our partners to deliver a software experience designed by Google. For example, users can capture moments in stunning detail on Xiaomi’s dual camera with 2X optical zoom. They can then seamlessly save unlimited photos at high quality with Google Photos. Mi A1 will be available in dozens of markets, including India, Indonesia, Russia, Vietnam and Taiwan.

All Android One phones are powered by a Google designed software experience that is:

• Simple: All Android One phones consistently run a pure Android experience with a clean design and a small, carefully curated set of preinstalled apps.

• Smart: The latest technology from Google is built right into Android One phones and core to the experience. For example, all devices will be optimized for the Google Assistant for a personalized experience. Google Photos will also be the default gallery for Android One phones to help users avoid running out of space, by providing free and unlimited storage of high quality photos and videos.

• Secure: With multiple layers of protection, Android One phones are kept safe and secure with regular security updates. Devices will also stay secure with Google Play Protect: built-in malware protection that keeps phones clean, fast and high-performing. 
• Fresh: Android One devices will receive timely upgrades to the latest Android OS, so people can quickly gain access to the latest platform innovations on their device. Users of the new Mi A1 will receive an upgrade to Android Oreo before the end of the year and next year they will also be one of the first to receive an upgrade to Android P. 

Android One phones are Google endorsed devices that run a simple, fresh, and secure experience. We look forward to bringing more Android One partner phones to more consumers around the world. Check out android.com/one to learn more.

Today, we are officially introducing Android 8.0 Oreo, the latest release of the platform–and it’s smarter, faster and more powerful than ever. It comes with new features like picture-in-picture and Autofill to help you navigate tasks seamlessly. Plus, it’s got stronger security protections and speed improvements that keep you safe and moving at lightspeed. When you’re on your next adventure, Android Oreo is the superhero to have by your side (or in your pocket!).

Android Oreo, to the rescue!

Ever try checking your schedule while staying on a video call?  Android Oreo makes it easy with picture-in-picture, letting you see two apps at once: it’s like having the power to be in two places at the same time! Overwhelmed by notifications, but missing the ones you care about the most? With Android Oreo, notification dots let you tap to see what’s new in your apps — like the important ones you put on your homescreen — and then take action on those notifications quickly.

Evildoers trying to get bad software onto your device? Android Oreo is more secure with Google Play Protect built in, security status front and center in settings, and tighter app install controls.  

Battery depleted and still galaxies away from a charger? Been there, too. Android Oreo helps minimize unintentional overuse of battery from apps in the background;  these limits keep your battery going longer.

Supersonic speed

When you’re on the go, speed is perhaps the most important superpower. With Android Oreo, you can get started on tasks more quickly than ever with a faster boot speed (up to twice as fast on Pixel, in fact). Once you’re powered up, Autofill on Android Oreo remembers things like logins (with your permission) to quickly get you into your favorite apps. Plus, support for Android Instant Apps means you can teleport directly into new apps, no installation needed.

League of extraordinary emojis

Even superheroes don’t go it alone. Android Oreo brings along a team of fully-redesigned emojis, including new emoji to help save the day like:

Coming to a device near you

We’re pushing the sources to Android Open Source Project (AOSP) for everyone to access today. Pixel and Nexus 5X/6P builds have entered carrier testing, and we expect to start rolling out in phases soon, alongside Pixel C and Nexus Player. We’ve also been working closely with our partners, and by the end of this year, hardware makers including Essential, General Mobile, HMD Global Home of Nokia Phones, Huawei, HTC, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, OnePlus, Samsung, Sharp and Sony are scheduled to launch or upgrade devices to Android 8.0 Oreo. Any devices enrolled in the Android Beta Program will also receive this final version. You can learn more at android.com/oreo.

You asked, we heard you, and it’s official: starting today, Waze is available for Android Auto.

If you have a car that supports Android Auto, you can now navigate with Waze via your vehicle’s in-car display, touch screens, steering wheel buttons, and other console-mounted controls.

The power of the Waze Community will be right there in the car with you (or at least on your screen). So you’ll not only find the fastest routes and most up-to-date road alerts, you’ll also be able to:

• Navigate to all your most frequented destinations as pre-programmed in your Waze app in one tap—we’re talking home, work, and your Waze favorites.
• Start any drive using the voice command “OK Google” to tell Waze where you want to go, keeping your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.
• Receive visual and audio alerts to keep you informed of what’s ahead and find the fastest routes on a larger map with bigger views of alerts, hazards, and more.
• Access your personalized Waze experience from your phone on your car’s bigger screen.
• Easily view your ETA Panel, which organizes everything you need in one place so you can seamlessly check alternate routes and adjust your sound settings.
• Help other Wazers on the road by sharing accidents, road hazards or traffic jams through a visual reporting menu.

Getting started is easy. First, make sure you have the latest versions of both apps on your Android phone. Then, connect your phone with a cable to your car USB port, select Waze from the Navigation App footer, and start a drive by entering a location. Check out the Waze blog for more detailed instructions.

Our goal is to help users avoid traffic while providing the best possible driving experience. If you’re new to Android Auto, please share your experiences with the User Community.  We will continue to make improvements and bring new features to Android Auto to deliver a safe and seamless experience that is purpose-built for driving.

Waze for Android Auto is available in all countries where Android Auto is available. Integration of Android Auto on your phone screen is in the works, sign up to receive the latest news on Waze for Android Auto.

If life’s all about savoring the moment, there may be nowhere that does it better than Spain. Between the culture, the food, and the people, the country has perfected the art of enjoying the present. And Android Pay is about to make that even easier to do. Today, we’re introducing ourselves to Spain, making it the 14th country with Android Pay. We’re thrilled to bring you faster, more secure checkout – just tap with your phone wherever contactless payments are accepted.

Where you can use it

Meeting a date for tapas or picking up snacks for the beach? You can now ditch your wallet. The next time you’re getting your café con leche at Starbucks, a new look from Zara, the essentials at El Corte Inglés, or tapas at 100 Montaditos, you’ll be able to pay quickly and easily using just your phone.

Android Pay works anywhere contactless payments are accepted, which amounts to over one million stores in Spain. Here are some of the places you can check out:

And Android Pay isn’t just accepted in stores. Once you’ve set it up, you can speed through checkout online and in apps like Vueling—which means a weekend getaway to Italy is only one tap away.

Banks on board – and coming soon

If you’ve got a Visa® or Mastercard debit or credit card with BBVA, you’ll be able to use Android Pay right away. Not you? No worries. We’re always adding more partners.

Build up your business

If you’re a business owner or work for one, we’ve also made it easy to accept Android Pay in your stores, websites and apps. We’ve teamed up with a diverse group of leading payment platforms, processors, and technology providers—Adyen, Braintree, IMSolutions, and Stripe among them – so you can give your customers a faster way to pay for your goods and services. Check out the Android Pay API developer site to learn more.

Pay with your phone today

Ready to give it a whirl? Download Android Pay on Google Play. If you have any questions, stop by our Help Center or visit our website. Then, go enjoy your day with the better way to pay.

Editor’s note: On World Emoji Day, we’re taking the time to bid farewell to our old Android emoji, known fondly by fans as “blobs.” We’re rolling out a new set of emoji as part of Android O. They’re squishy and lovable—and designed for more consistent communication. Breaking up is hard to do, but we’ll find love in a blobless place.

Dear Blob,

I see it all now that you’re gone.

We were both young when I first saw you… I said “it’s a love story, Blobby just say yes.”

Now, you lost that blobbin’ feeling. Blobversation has run dry—that’s what’s going on. Oh Blobbie, I couldn’t have tried anymore. Blame it on the blob.

Once upon a time I was falling in blob, and now you’re just someblobby that I used to know.

It’s time we had the talk. Blob, bye.

Although we’ve come to the end of the blob, I want you to know you couldn’t have loved me blobber. I’ve had the blob of my life… you’ll always be my Blobby.

Don’t you forget ablob me,

Google

P.S. Nevermind, I’ll find someblob like you… You can blob your own way with new stickers in Google Allo.

#BlobVoyage!