The last Beta of Google's main application reveals new profits in the short and medium term. These range from visual design tweaks to clues as to when it might arrive. Android P, the next version after Android Oreo. It also incorporates significant improvements in Google Lens and in its integration with AssistantThis makes the camera and screenshots a central tool for searching, translating, and performing actions without leaving the current screen.
Google Lens actions: translate, save and remember everything
The last Beta7.17 adds three official changes and three unofficial ones. In the first group, we find the Google Lens actionswhich, when taking a photograph, then offers three key recommendations: Remind me of this, Translate this to me and Import it to KeepThese actions turn any image, poster, or document into a starting point for performing useful tasks with a single tap.
The first action, Remind me of thisIt appears to be the least developed, since it is not stored anywhere other than the interface of AssistantThis means it doesn't group with the app's typical reminders, although it fits with Assistant's philosophy of showing contextual cards based on what you see on the screen. Even so, it's a first step towards turning your photos into visual reminders associated with specific moments.
The second action, Translate this for meIt speaks for itself. Lens is capable of recognizing text in real time and sending it to the Google Translate engine. Thanks to this, you can point your camera at a menu, a street sign, or a printed document and get a translation. instant translation without typing anything. This function relies on character recognition and the same translation system that Google offers on the web, allowing translation into all languages supported by Google Translate, both in photos and screenshots.
The third and final action Import it to Keep opens a window of Keep so you can save anything you're interested in to the Google Notes app. This way, any text detected by Lens—like a business card, phone number, or address—can be turned into a editable notea list or a reminder, staying synchronized in the cloud and available on all your devices.
Beyond these three highlighted actions, Lens also suggests smart behaviors based on the type of content it detects. If it's clothing or household itemsIt suggests searching for similar products and where to buy them; if it is a bar-codeIt displays product information and purchase options; with a visiting card allows you to save the contact; with a book It offers reviews and summaries; and before landmarks, buildings, plants, or animals It provides historical data, species, or breeds to help you better understand what you are seeing.
These features aren't just available when taking a photo with the camera. You can also use Lens from within. Google Photos To analyze images already saved in your gallery: simply open a photo, press the Lens button, and let the app recognize the content to offer specific actions depending on what appears in the image.
Improves voice recognition and integration with Assistant
Google has improved the settings regarding the speech recognition to make it easier to set up. It also seems to add options for shared devices so they can better identify your voice model and to offer a more personalized experience depending on who is speaking. This is especially useful in smart speakers and connected displays, where several members of the household use the same device.
A new option is included for invite contacts to install Google Home on their devices, making it easier for friends or family to control smart home devices or participate in streaming groups. In addition, Google is reinforcing the call screen contextWhen you invoke Assistant on an app or web page, you can now use the "Search on screen" command linked to Lens to analyze what's on the screen at that moment.
This integration makes Lens usable almost anywhere: messaging apps, social media, browsers, or even documents. Assistant can capture what's on your screen, send that information to Lens, and suggest things to you. translations, product searches, location identification, or text copying without leaving the current app.
Regarding privacy, all this analysis is associated with your Google account, so you can check and delete your Google Lens activity From the Google My Activity panel. This way, you maintain control over visual searches and how your screenshots and photos are used.
Design and user experience adjustments
The last official change, and the one with the least direct impact on functions, is a small redesign in setup screens of the application. Dividing lines are removed, and the emphasis is on a more positional structure, with better-grouped blocks of options and cleaner text. This results in an interface more consistent with Google's design language and faster navigation through the settings.
This redesign affects sections such as the voice settingsThe general Assistant section and Google Lens options are accessible from the Google app. In the image below, you have the old version on the left and the new version on the right, where you can see that visual noise has been reduced and toggles and clear descriptions have been prioritized.
Work is also underway on a new filter bar In search, it's easier to select categories or refine results when using Lens or Assistant to look up information. This works in conjunction with multi-search features: combining an image with additional text to narrow down what you're looking for, for example, searching for a specific type of garment from a photo and adding the color or style in writing.
Changes within the code: new Android P hints
A look at the code included within the application reveals that the current API 27 is called Android P. The interesting thing is that this API was until now Android 8.1, so we will have to see what movements take place and if Google is determined to take a greater leap than we expected, something that can be a problem if we take into account the low presence of Oreo currently. Most likely it is an error, but it can also indicate that from the 28 API We can see more specific details of the future version of Android.
These types of early references in the code often serve as priority clue from Google in the next major version of the system and from a possible release dateIn this case, the obvious approach involves a deeper integration of Assistant and Lens across the entire system, so that functions such as “Search on screen”, capture translation, object identification and multimedia content tagging are available natively and more homogeneously.
In addition, other internal functions are included, such as a explicit content tagging in podcastsdesigned so that audio playback can display warnings and ratings in a standard way, and so that the search engine can better differentiate episodes suitable for all audiences from those with more sensitive themes.
Work is also underway on the aforementioned new filter bar in the search results, which would appear at the top when performing complex or visual queries. This bar would allow combining text and image In a single query (multi-search), apply filters by category, price or location and navigate visual results with greater precision.
If you want to try the new beta now, you can download the apk from APK MirrorThis way, you can experience for yourselves how Assistant and Google Lens are gaining prominence in Android while the technical and visual foundations are being prepared for the final arrival of Android P.
