There’s exciting news for Google’s vast ecosystem of apps: Messages starts showing end-to-end encryption for RCS-based group chats in the stable channel, and then the Public Preview version of Home gets three new features. Here are all the details.
After several months of testing in the stable channel, it seems that the security/privacy functionality is ready to expand into the stable one. End-to-End encryption has been available for one-on-one conversations since 2021, but by then Messages had become virtually the only one that did not support it even in group chats. The reports are already quite numerous, all things considered; It seems that it is important to have the latest version of the app, which is identified with the initials “messages.android_20230329_00_RC01.phone_dynamic”, but it is not clear if a server-side intervention is also needed. It seems so, because some of those who have updated have confirmed that they have not noticed the news. We expect an extension of the roll-out over the next few days.
Reorder your favorites for a personalized view of the house
We decided to allow you to manage your smart home in your own way by making the Google Home app more customizable. While you’ve loved being able to bookmark your devices, including live camera streams, one of your main requests was the ability to rearrange them. So we’re happy to announce that this feature is rolling out today!
You can easily rearrange everything that’s been added to the Favorites tab so you can manage devices and automations with just a few taps. Is the front door locked? What is the temperature of the stay? Do you have to turn up the volume of the kitchen speaker while preparing food? Simply prioritize frequently used devices in the Favorites tab for easy access whenever you need to.
In focus: camera improvements
Your contribution is important because it allows us to prioritize corrections and improvements. We’ve heard your feedback on camera performance and speed in the Google Home app. Today, improvements to the speed of real-time display and the speed of access to recordings are being rolled out.
Control your cameras and intercom with Google Home for Wear OS
We’re also adding new features in the public preview of the Wear OS app. Starting today, you can receive notifications from Nest cameras and door phones released in 2021 and later on on your watch.
Finally, Google promises that the Preview program for the Home app will continue, and that “in the coming weeks” there will be “big news”. It is worth mentioning that the I/O 2023 conference will be held on May 10th, one of the preferred occasions for the most important announcements both on the software and hardware side.
Google Home has become the reference point for the home automation ecosystem of the Mountain View giant, now consolidated between some difficulties and hitches, including the acquisition and merger of the hardware and software proposal of Nest (in fact some of the software features of Nest Home are still missing). The Public Preview program was launched on Android a few months ago just, around November 2022, on Android devices, and follows a significant and profound restyling distributed a month earlier.