This was the year AI completely took over Google’s annual developer conference, I/O, which kicked off Tuesday in Mountain View, California. CEO Sundar Pichai took the stage, headlining a two-hour presentation that centered around artificial intelligence. We got a preview of what’s coming to Google Search, Gmail, Photos, and Gemini. Although Android, surprisingly, was notably absent during the first day of the keynote. But on the second day of the developer conference, Google reminded everyone that Android is still very much a part of the company’s future plans, and AI will make the operating system more personal. Here’s a roundup of new features coming to Android smartphones, including those that heavily use artificial intelligence. Theft detection lock, private space Google is adding new security upgrades and features in the latest version of Android, the world’s most popular mobile operating system, which were previewed for the first time at the company’s annual developer conference in Mountain View, California. Android 15, the newest version of the mobile operating system, is getting a ton of new security features as Google aims to add capabilities to better detect thefts and scams that could compromise the device data. Google is bringing something called "Theft Detection Lock” that uses t he phone’s accelerometers and "Google AI" to sense if someone snatched your smartphone and locks it down. It works just like Apple's Find My iPhone feature, which locks down iPhones when they're reset. Google didn't say exactly when the feature will launch but said it will be available on a range of Android devices from Google, Oppo, Honor, Lenovo, OnePlus, and others "later this year." Google is also adding the private space feature that works by creating a separate space on your device to bring all your apps with sensitive information into single space. Google said the private space works off a separate user profile where the profile is paused and the included apps are no longer active when you lock it. You can wipe your private space completely too. Android phones have had features that let you lock certain apps behind your fingerprint or passcode but now, Google is embedding this directly into Android through Private Space. Another way Google is protecting Android users from fraudsters and scammers is by enhancing one-time password (OTP) security implementation. So messages containing one-time passwords (OTPs), that are used in two-factor authentication, are now hidden from the notifications system, making it harder to intercept them. In recent years, it is becoming apparent that SMS-based OTPs are far less secure, and push notifications can be a major security flaw. Additionally, restricted settings will be expanded for side-loaded apps—ones that aren't downloaded through the Google Play Store. App archiving, AI-powered scam call detection The next version of Android will save storage space by moving unused apps aside while keeping your data safe. This means if you have an app that you barely use but may want to use it in the future, simply archiving it. In Android 15, app archiving is natively built, so you can decide to choose auto-archive apps when storage is running low. During its I/O developer conference, Google announced that it’s testing a new call monitoring feature that will warn users if the person they're talking to on a call is likely attempting to scam them. The feature uses Gemini Nano to provide alerts during calls if it detects that the unidentified caller uses speech patterns associated with scams. Gemini will immediately show users a red warning sign on the phone screen that reads "likely spam," asking the user to end the call, along with a short description of why Gemini thinks it could be a threat. As of now, there’s no word on when the scam detection feature will be available, but Google says users will need to opt-in to use it and that it will have to share more information “later this year.” Circle to search is expanding Originally made available on Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series and later expanded to Pixel phones, Google is bringing the popular AI feature to 100 million devices. Circle to Search allows users to launch a Google search on your phone's screen by drawing a circle around it, highlighting it, or scribbling on it. Android 15 will be rolled out later this year Google first released the first Android 15 developer preview back in February, a pre-release meant to provide developers with early access to new tools, services, and APIs before the final release. This was followed by the first Android 15 public beta release aimed at early adopters. At I/O, Google announced several new features coming to Android 15 when it gets released later this year. It also announced the release of the second public beta of Android 15, which is available on certain Google Pixel devices and non-Google devices, including from iQOO, Honor, Lenovo, Nothing, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Sharp, Tecno, Vivo, and Xiaomi. Google says AI is the heart of Android and the core experience. Thanks to the new Gemini 1.5 model, Android users will soon be able to overlay Gemini on top of any app. With AI more deeply integrated into Android phones, they can generate AI images and drop them into apps like Gmail and Google Messages. Meanwhile, with "Ask this video" and "Ask this PDF," users will be able to get more information about a YouTube video they're watching or get answers about a PDF without the need to scroll through pages of information. Google says it plans to roll out new AI updates to Android users in the "next few months." The writer is attending I/O in Mountain View, California, at the invitation of Google India.
