What you want to know
- A report states Google plans to enhance how straightforward it’s to entry shortcuts on tablets and redesign its menu.
- Shortcuts is likely to be positioned in a brand new aspect navigation “rail” on the aspect of a pill’s show and its menu may use a dual-column method with search performance.
- Google introduced a shortcut toolbar to bodily keyboards for tablets in 2024 and upgraded the shortcut expertise of Gmail and Chat.
Google may arrive with a helpful replace to enhance the keyboard expertise on Android tablets.
When trying via the current QPR1 beta, Mishaal Rahman (Android Authority) found Google’s (potential) keyboard shortcut menu redesign. The change appears to deal with one explicit downside: lack of ease. Rahman states that the current QPR1 beta exhibits Google needs so as to add a “aspect navigation rail” for a pill’s assortment of keyboard shortcuts.
In testing, the rail seems as a vertical pill-shaped bar on the left aspect of a pill’s show. Tapping the hamburger icon (three horizontal strains) opens a sub-menu with settings, extra choices, and “Present keyboard shortcuts.”
Producing the menu within the beta exhibits that Google additionally redesigned that shortcut menu itself. As soon as it appeared, Rahman discovered sure facets had been moved into separate classes and contained areas. For instance, the listing of shortcuts occupies the proper aspect of the shortcut menu. The left aspect shows easy-to-tap classes for shortcuts. It appears Google plans to interrupt issues up into the next classes: system, multitasking, app shortcuts, and enter.
Moreover, customers can seek for shortcuts to avoid wasting time. The operate works equally to any “search” bar throughout Android’s OS, just like the app drawer.
It is also not clear when Google plans to roll this out. Rahman suspects it may arrive throughout the first QPR’s launch, which is slated for December 2024.
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The publication’s submit notes how totally different the present menu seems. Many of the facets are stacked, with the search bar on high adopted by horizontal classes and the listing of shortcuts beneath that. Furthermore, Rahman provides that customers usually attain for the highest of their pill to provide the shortcuts menu. This refined placement change ought to make issues simpler.
The keyboard expertise of tablets has been a constant topic for Google because it rolled out a shortcut toolbar for bodily variants in January. The bar was part of a Gboard replace for USB-C or Bluetooth-connected keyboards. Customers can discover a toolbar on the backside of their shows with “scrollable” pop-up home windows and an inventory of shortcuts separated into classes throughout the display.
Tablets even picked up a shortcut replace over the summer time for just a few of Google’s Workspace apps.
The corporate rolled out Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 in September — and it was a fairly chunky replace. Some replace highlights embrace a repair for Pixel Bluetooth, app crashes, stability points, and a preview of some new options. Extra importantly, Android 15 has been rumored to drop someday in October.
It may possibly do all of it
Google’s Pixel Pill is like holding all the firm’s Pixel magic in a single handy machine. Not solely does it characteristic all the Pixel-exclusive options you realize, but it surely doubles as a wise dwelling hub. Customers can take the Pixel Pill on the go or prop it up on its charging speaker dock for straightforward viewing from mattress.
