Update: Factory images are now available for all devices getting the update.
Android 6.0.1 will be rolling out via an OTA update starting today to current Nexus devices. It brings new emoji, brings back an old do not disturb mode from Android 5.1, and a new bottom bar for tablets that moves the onscreen buttons to the sides of the screen.
A couple of days ago we told you that Hiroshi Lockheimer, SVP of Android at Google, announced on Twitter that new emoji recently approved from Unicode 7.0 and 8.0 are soon coming to Nexus devices (specifically, it looks like they should be rolling out starting sometime next week). If you’ve been wondering what these new emoji are going to look like, you’ve come to the right place…
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Android Police spotted that WhatsApp is testing a new version of the app containing scores of new emojis in line with the web version and iPhone app.
There are new facial expressions for hugs, upside down smiles, dollar signs, rolling eyes, nerds, and extreme sadness, among others. There is a new sign of the horns gesture that joins the previously added vulcan (Spock) salute and raised middle finger. Family emojis have been extended with the addition of plenty of LGBT choices. Among other novelties, the nature tab sees a turkey, shamrock, spider, unicorn; the food tab has a popcorn box, popped champagne bottle, taco, burrito, hot dog; and sports/activities get their separate tab and now include racing cars, medals, ice skating, volleyball, weightlifting, and a quirky levitating man in a business suit.
The emojis have also been reorganized – so if you can no longer find the hearts, that’s because they’ve moved from faces to symbols.
If you’re too impatient to wait for the new version to hit the Play Store, you can download it today …
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Android head Hiroshi Lockheimer has announced on Twitter this evening that Android devices will soon support the latest set of Unicode emojis. Lockheimer confirmed in his tweet that an update will begin rolling out to Nexus devices next week with the changes, while Google has also shared the fonts and tech details with other OEMs so they can update as well.
A couple of weeks ago, Hiroshi Lockheimer was formally named senior vice president of Android, Chrome OS, and Chromecast operations. And while his involvement with Android definitely isn’t new, it seems he wants to kick off this position of slightly higher stature on good note.
On Twitter late last night, Lockheimer confirmed that the new emojis from Unicode 7 and 8 — the ones that Apple just pushed to iOS devices in version 9.1 of its mobile OS — are on their way…
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After mostly letting it sit stagnant for nearly two years, Instagram is ready to show its Direct messaging feature some love. Instagram Direct, which lets you share photos, videos, and messages privately with other Instagram users, was seen as a play at Snapchat and similar apps when it launched in 2013, but it’s so far experienced limited appeal within the photo sharing app. Now Instagram hopes to change that with new features including message threads, giant emoji, sharing from your timeline, and more.
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Nuance Communications is today releasing an updated version of its popular Swype Keyboard for Android, “the world’s most powerful keyboard,” which includes an all-new Swype Store with additional premium themes as well as an emoji keyboard. Swype is a popular alternative to the default Android keyboard due in part to its many customization options, like the ability to change the keyboard’s overall layout, key sizes, and a bunch more.
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The popular messaging app Snapchat has received a new update for Android which includes both some fun changes in the form of a new emoji button, as well as some more utilitarian changes that will help save cellular data if you’re capped or traveling internationally…
Google announced today that it’s rolling out a ton of new themes for Gmail — the built-in feature that allows customization of your inbox with color palette options and background images — as well as new emoji.
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Skype today released an update to its Android app, version 5.3, which introduces new features that bring the Android version more up-to-date with features recently released for iOS and desktop users.
Among the new features, Skype 5.3 for Android includes an updated UI with chat bubbles, which looks much like the Skype experience already on other platforms.
The update also includes large and animated emoticons, emoji support, and other performance and user experience enhancements.
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Google has this morning pushed out an update for the stable channel of Chrome OS, and as is usual, it packs a huge number of changes. But also as usual, most of these changes are under-the-hood tweaks and there are often just a few small notable changes that the end-user might notice. This update brings a new default wallpaper that sports Material Design, automatic syncing of wallpapers between devices, and a new “Emoji palette” that will allow users to quickly access Emoji.
Some highlights of these changes are:
- The default wallpaper has been updated to Material Design
- Custom wallpapers are now synced across your devices
- Emoji palette allows users to quickly access emoji
The update, specifically numbered version 40, is being pushed out as we speak. You can likely just give your Chromebook or other Chrome OS device a reboot within the next few hours to receive the update. To read more about the update (in case you maybe want to dig through the countless bug fixes), head over to Google’s Chrome Releases Blog.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3NXNnoGr3Y]
In keeping up with tradition, Google started rolling out its annual April Fool’s Day pranks last 🌇 and has continued into the early 🌅. A new post on the Chrome blog announced the availability of a new Google 🇺🇸🔄🇫🇷 feature that converts webpages into emoji icons for faster 📖:
Suddenly we realized that we could apply the magic of Emoji to webpages. Not only does this pictorial and theatrical language allow us to communicate complex emotions, it’s also far more compact. One Emoji symbol can easily replace dozens of characters, improving efficiency and comprehension on the go. It turns out the best way to communicate in the future is to look to the past: the ancient Egyptians were really onto something with their hieroglyphs.
The 😜 has a bit of an ironic twist, though…
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Facebook for Android just updated to version 1.9.8.
The latest version notably includes a new uploader for selecting and uploading multiple images, while another tweak adds the ability to enter photos and emoji characters in messages. Moreover, users can now create an event with various options like inputting location details.
Changelog:
- Easily create events
- Share photos faster with a new upload flow
- Add photos and emoji to messages
Grab the new Facebook for Android at the Google Play Store.
