Android Oreo is official and will soon be reaching your smartphone. While you are waiting for the update, here a nifty list of the best Oreo features that you will be getting.
Picture-in-picture
You no longer need to pause a video or lose a video call just because you wanted to check something else on your phone. With Android Oreo, you just need to press the home button and the video call or video will simply move to a smaller window. After that you can continue browsing your phone and the video will continue to play.
Smart Text Select
Every one of us gets frustrated with text selection on Android occasionally. Google is trying to fix that with smart text selection in Oreo. Basically, Oreo uses machine learning to figure out stuff like phone numbers, email addresses, etc. So when you double tap on the text and Android will highlight the right words.
Google Play Protect
We keep hearing about malware and spywares on Android. Being the most used platform, Android is obviously the juiciest target for malicious hackers. With Oreo, Google is taking security measures a step further. “Google Play Protect continuously works to keep your device, data and apps safe. It actively scans your device and is constantly improving to make sure that you have the latest in mobile security,” explains Google. What’s even better that Google Play Protect is not just limited to Oreo, but will be available on all Android devices.
Notification Badges (aka Dots)
Like iOS, Android is also getting Notification Dots with Oreo. If you have a pending notification about any app, it will appear at a dot over the app icon. If you don’t like dots, you will be able to disable them in settings.
Autofill with Google
Google is bringing its autofill technology from Chrome to Android. It will allow users to synchronise their usernames/ passwords and seamlessly fill them at the time of logging into apps. No longer copying and pasting passwords from password managers or remembering them.
Emojis
Oreo brings a fully redesigned set of emojis with 60 new ones. A fan of emojis? You will surely like Android 8.0 then.
Integrated Printer Support
Although Android has had printer support for a while now, the users often needed to download extra plugins for specific brands. With Oreo however Android will support over 97% of the printer models right out of the box.
Wi-Fi Assistant
Previously a Nexus/ Pixel exclusive feature, Wi-Fi Assistant is now coming to all Android Oreo-powered devices. This feature allows users to securely connect to open Wi-Fi networks that have been verified as fast and reliable by Google. The feature uses Google’s own VPN, so you don’t have to worry about data theft over open Wi-Fi.
Auto-Enable Wi-Fi
In addition to Wi-Fi Assistant, there is another nifty trick in Android Oreo. The updated version will now automatically switch on Wi-Fi whenever you are near a high-quality saved network like Home or Office. All you have to do is select the option in Network and internet > WiFi > WiFi Preferences.
System Optimisations
The changes in Android Oreo aren’t just limited to new features, Google has also made a number of under-the-hood improvements in Android Oreo like optimizing battery life, startup time, graphics rendering, and stability.
