Version 4.2.2 of Telegram on Android lets you search or add emojis by typing the ':' keyword followed by the type of emoji you want. For example, if you're feeling relieved, type ':relieved; feeling satisfied, type ':satisfied'. I don't know about you, but I find this tedious. I'd rather browse for the emoji, which, to me, is way faster and easier
This update also lets you find messages from a particular user in any group. According to the changelog, to achieve this, tap '...' in the top right corner when in a group. Tap 'Search' and the new 'Search by member'. Then select a user to browse through all of their messages.
That's it for this update, which you can download in Google Play Store.
WhatsApp published another update today for users to search for emojis while in a conversation. Users simply have to tap the emoji icon which will reveal the emoji search icon. From there, type anything you want and WhatsApp will retrieve it for you. For example, the screenshot above brought up rabbit emojis after I typed rabbit. Just type anything you can think of and WhatsApp will show all the emojis related to your query.
For heavy emoji users out there, make sure you check out the update in Google Play Store.
Gboard is quickly becoming the goto keyboard on Android devices as Google keeps adding new features to it. Gboard has always been my default keyboard on my Android devices and today it has been updated, again.
The first noteworthy feature happens in the emoji search box. Users can now tap the emoji handwriting icon and start drawing an emoji. Gboard's machine learning will automatically recognize the drawing and retrieve the results from its emoji list. See the GIF below to see how it works.
Gboard has also improved suggestions when typing text. The new update will predict what you plan to type and suggest phrase. Only English is currently supported, but Google said more languages will be rolling out soon.
There's more in this update, so check out Google's blog post. Head over to Google Play Store to get the update Gboard. The update may not be available yet in your region.
Ever since my first smartphone back in the days when smartphones were not yet a thing, I have always used the default keyboards, never venturing out to try third party keyboards available on the market. It's not out of laziness or lack of curiosity, I'm simply happy with the default keyboards and never needed all the bells and whistles that come with third party keyboards. Enter Gboard, Google keyboard offering for Android and iOS. Google has updated its keyboard with a lot of features that brings the typing experience up to a new level, the kind of level where the keyboard is not restricted to being just a typing tool.
With today's numerous messaging apps available, Google is making the keyboard experience an exciting one. While some of the added features are not really new, Google did use its fire power to make its offering quite enticing. Typing a message in supported messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, Hangouts, Google Allo etc, Gboard will now suggest emojis and GIFS.
Google also built translation right into its Gboard. Tap the new Translate icon, select the languages and it will immediately translate text in the language you chose. No more launching the standalone Translate app and copy paste the translated text between apps anymore.
Gboard also supports themes. Before that update, it was possible to change the keyboard color from a color palette or add a picture to the keyboard's background. Google has added some scenic views and said they will keep adding more from now on. Support for right-to-left languages is also included in this update. Users can now make searches in Arabic, Farsi and Hebrew.
Gboard is definitely a keyboard you should look into if you haven't done so yet, specially with the integration of Google tools like Search and Translate. Gboard is available free in Google Play Store for download or update.
WhatsApp, the messaging app with a billion downloads in the Play Store, picked up an important update today. Version 2.12.250 adds a few features that will please both heavy and casual users.
First in the list is the ability to set custom notifications per chat. That makes a lot of custom notifications that users can apply to individual conversations. Add to that the option to mark messages as read or unread should you want to easily locate a particular message later.
WhatsApp also made some work on emojis. Not only were new emojis added, but a tap and hold on the chosen emoji will allow users to change its color.
In terms of improvements, the most notable is how you can change the call quality in Whatsapp. A switch was added to lower call quality and relieve the pressure on our precious data plan.
The last three items in the change log are:
- When receiving a contact card, you can now quickly message or save the contact if they're on WhatsApp.
- Language support for Urdu and Bengali.
