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New Android Drop adds remembered items in Find Hub, makes anti-nausea dots official - Ars Technica

New Android Drop adds remembered items in Find Hub, makes anti-nausea dots official - Ars Technica

Entertainment and CultureBy Ryan Whitwam9/1/20261 min read

New features are rolling out across the Android ecosystem starting today.

✨ Key Highlights

  • Google's September Android Drop rolls out today across a range of devices beyond Pixels, mixing Gemini-powered additions with several non-AI upgrades.
  • On Android 16 and higher, users can ask Gemini to log where they placed everyday items that lack a tracker tag, optionally including a photo, with the information saved in Find Hub for later recall.
  • Find Hub, previously used to locate phones, earbuds, and tracker tags, now also stores these remembered item locations, accessible via Gemini or directly in the app.
  • Gemini Live gains a Guided Vision feature aimed at accessibility, helping users locate objects in the camera frame or read hard-to-see text like a menu in a dim restaurant, and it can indicate how far a hand is from a target. It works on phones running Android 9 Pie and later and is available through Accessibility shortcuts and the TalkBack menu.
  • Google Messages adds integration with Google Keep, letting users create a shared note from the "+" menu without leaving a conversation, with the note shared among participants; Keep may also be suggested on Gemini Intelligence devices.
  • Message threads can now be individually customized with chat themes, using either a system wallpaper or a photo from the camera roll, and the widely appearing Motion Assist "anti-nausea" dots are officially rolling out.
New Android Drop adds remembered items in Find Hub, makes anti-nausea dots official - Ars Technica — Bloorian