Key Highlights
- Google Releases AI-Powered Accessibility Features for Pixel and Android Devices
- Guided Frame: Enhances AI functions in the Magnifier app.
- Live Transcribe and Live Captions: Improves text identification in real-world settings.
- Features specific to Pixel smartphones, common to all Android devices.
With an eye towards those who suffer from low vision, vision loss, hearing, or speech impairment, Google has released new AI-powered accessibility features for Pixel smartphones and Android devices. The features include Guided Frame, additional AI functions in the Magnifier app, Live Transcribe and Live Captions improvements, and better text identification in real-world settings. Two of these features are specific to Pixel smartphones, and the other two are common to all Android devices.
With the help of the Guided Frame feature on the Pixel Camera, persons with impaired vision or blindness can capture excellent pictures and selfies. It offers spoken instructions to assist with tilting your face and adjusting the camera angle. Improved object detection, intelligent face filtering in group photographs, and enhanced subject focus in complex settings are all features of the most recent Guided Frame upgrade. Guided Frame, which was previously accessible via TalkBack, Android’s screen reader, can now be activated straight from the camera settings, making it much more user-friendly for individuals without screen readers.
Magnifier is an app that Google only released for Pixel phones last year. It lets you utilise the camera on your phone to take a closer look at the environment. Users can now search for specific words in their surroundings, such as flight departure times or vegetarian food items, using the AI-powered app. Additionally, it enables users to view information and context simultaneously on the screen by using the picture-in-picture format. In the app’s settings, users can select the ideal lens for the situation at hand, whether it be a wide-angle lens for context or a macro lens for fine print. Users may also use their front-facing camera as a mirror for touch-ups by turning on Selfie Illumination. For Pixel 5 and above, Magnifier is available on Google Play.
A dual-screen option has been added to Live Transcribe, an Android software that offers real-time transcriptions of speech and sounds, making it compatible with foldable phones like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This feature enables users to place their phones on any surface in a tabletop position for improved transcribing visibility, making it possible for everyone seated around the table to follow the conversation—whether it’s during a meeting or a get-together meal.
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There are now several languages available for Live Caption, an Android app that offers captions for sound content in real-time across all apps: Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Turkish, and Vietnamese.
Additionally, Google has added seven more languages to Live Transcribe, allowing users to use it in up to 15 languages even when they are not connected to Wi-Fi or the internet. When connected to the internet, Live Transcribe can operate in over 120 languages, even while travelling by subway or in flight mode.
