What’s New in Google Accessibility | Episode 12

0:00 [voiceover] What’s New in Google Accessibility (light music) Hi everyone!

0:04 It's Perrin Anto, Staff UX Design Lead here

0:07 with another episode of What's New in Google Accessibility.

0:11 Today we'll be discussing some exciting product updates for Android, Pixel,

0:16 Chrome Browser, and YouTube, as well as some tips for Gemini.

0:24 First up, we're excited to share some additions to Android,

0:28 starting with a quick update for those who use

0:30 hearing aids or cochlear implants with their Android devices.

0:34 Independent hearing device presets and ambient volume

0:38 control are now available for each ear,

0:41 allowing you to adjust these settings separately for each side.

0:44 This could be helpful for people who have unequal or fluctuating hearing loss,

0:49 different devices in each ear,

0:51 or for situations where the volume levels of a particular space are unequal.

0:57 Also on Android, users who are blind or have low vision who

1:01 use an external keyboard can now access the TalkBack screen reader via

1:05 a useful shortcut that turns the feature on and off by pressing

1:10 “Action+ Alt+ T.” Note that the action key varies based on the keyboard:

1:16 Windows keyboards use the “Windows” key for these actions,

1:19 and Mac keyboards use the “Command” key.

1:22 Those who find Android's 3-button navigation

1:25 mode easier to use than standard navigation,

1:27 will be happy to know that the order

1:30 of the “Back,” “Home,” and “Recents” buttons is now customizable.

1:35 The “Back” and “Recents” buttons can be

1:38 swapped between the left and right positions.

1:41 This may be helpful for those with mobility issues or for users

1:44 switching from other phones who are used to a different button order.

1:48 This setting preference will also carry over when you set up a new device.

1:53 Also, users who rely on Android's Mouse Keys feature,

1:57 which lets you control your cursor with a physical keyboard rather than a mouse,

2:02 can now experience custom cursor acceleration and speed.

2:06 In another update for Android, Voice Access has introduced a major change

2:11 to how users turn on listening for the feature.

2:15 Before, users had to find and tap

2:18 the silent notification to enable listening mode

2:21 or manage two separate floating shortcuts to activate

2:25 the overall feature and the listening state.

2:28 Now, Voice Access offers a unified Android

2:31 Accessibility shortcut in settings that controls listening mode,

2:35 and the shortcut automatically appears.

2:38 To turn listening on or off, simply tap the floating Voice access shortcut.

2:44 If you don't like the default floating shortcut,

2:46 you can opt to turn listening on or off using volume keys,

2:51 accessibility gesture, or the navigation bar accessibility button instead.

2:57 We've also made improvements on large-screen devices.

3:00 When you have multiple windows open,

3:02 Voice Access will now interact only with the top most application window,

3:07 preventing accidental interactions with hidden content,

3:10 and reducing the number of visual labels on your screen.

3:14 Use the “Show recent apps” command to switch to a different window.

3:22 Moving on to Pixel, we have some exciting updates to share for Guided Frame,

3:26 the camera feature that assists users with blindness

3:29 or low vision to take awesome photos.

3:32 You may recall that Guided Frame leverages Gemini capabilities to provide

3:36 users with a detailed and natural understanding of the scene,

3:40 using real-time descriptive audio and haptic feedback,

3:44 such as vibrations, to guide users to a great shot.

3:47 Now, the scene description feature for Guided Frame can be used offline.

3:52 So whether you're capturing a sunset or a group portrait,

3:56 Guided Frame on Pixel helps you compose

3:58 more accurate shots even without an internet connection.

4:03 This update is available to those with a Pixel 10 series device,

4:06 including the foldable model- with the exception of Pixel 10a.

4:10 In addition, as of the latest update, Guided Frame is now enhanced with Gemini

4:16 to support over 40 additional languages, including Danish, Thai, and Turkish.

4:22 Note that using these additional languages does require an internet connection.

4:30 Switching over to Chrome Browser,

4:32 Caret Browsing on Android devices is now available,

4:36 meaning users can navigate the web using only a keyboard.

4:40 This may be helpful to those who prefer not

4:42 to use a mouse because of blindness or low vision,

4:45 mobility issues, a broken mouse.

4:47 or personal preference.

4:49 Once the feature is turned on, a text caret will appear on web pages;

4:54 users can then move the cursor using the arrow keys on a keyboard,

4:58 as if they are navigating within a text document.

5:01 Users can also activate buttons and links within the text

5:05 by toggling the cursor inside of a button or link,

5:09 and can even select text via the caret by holding down

5:13 the “Shift” key while moving the caret over the desired text.

5:20 Moving on, Voice Boost on YouTube makes dialog more

5:24 clear by filtering out background noise and highlighting speech.

5:28 Available now on select videos,

5:30 this feature can be especially helpful if you are hard of hearing,

5:34 watching YouTube in a noisy room, or learning a new language.

5:38 You can use it now for select videos via your computer or TV.

5:45 Finally, we're excited to share some tips to make

5:48 the most of the latest AI innovations in Gemini.

5:52 We've been partnering closely with the neurodivergent community to better

5:56 understand how AI can show up as a meaningful daily ally.

6:00 We wanted to share a few insights from that collaborative

6:04 research– strategies that can offer needed cognitive load reduction for some,

6:09 and boost focus for everyone.

6:11 To save time and reduce the frustration of having to over-engineer prompts,

6:16 you can set permanent preferences in Gemini under “Settings”,

6:20 then go to “Instructions for Gemini,” which the AI will apply to every chat.

6:27 For example, if you find blocks of text hard to read,

6:31 tell Gemini to always prioritize scannability.

6:34 With features like bulleted lists, distinct headings,

6:37 and plenty of breathing room and responses.

6:41 You can also leverage the new Personal Contacts feature to let Gemini provide

6:46 even more relevant and personalized responses based on what it knows about you,

6:51 with the option to have Gemini reference past chats

6:54 and even Google apps that you choose to connect.

6:58 So whether you'd like help navigating

7:00 a socially challenging workplace situation or want

7:04 a second set of eyes to coach you through a complex email,

7:07 Gemini can offer advice tailored to you.

7:12 Well, that concludes this episode of “What's

7:15 New in Google Accessibility.” To stay informed,

7:19 sign up for our newsletter at g.co/a11y/news or click

7:26 the link in the description of this video.

7:29 Thanks so much for tuning in.

7:31 See you next time.

7:35 [voiceover] What’s New in Google Accessibility