Gboard is preparing a new floating toolbar, stylus handwriting gestures, and new generative AI features including proofreading and emoji sticker creation

In the latest beta version of the Gboard app, users have discovered several new features that are in the works. These include (text below copied from the GappsModsFlags Telegram group):

The final list of changes in Gboard beta. Some features are working fully and some are considered to be still WIP.

1. Predictive Back Navigation.

2. Undo, delete, space and other various gestures intended for devices with stylus support only. They will not work for normal users. The gesture feature is disabled for now. The needed flags are not exposed.

After looking at the code and flags I can say that there will be a stylus widget (like clipboard, resize) in Gboard which will open a vertical toolbar (Will be able to change to horizontal as well) to help you perform the gesture in the text edit field. The toolbar will probably hide the keyboard.

3. Proofreading support using Generative AI. Proofread helps you correct spelling, grammar and punctuation with just a tap. Google named it Jarvis according to the code. 🫣

4. Emogen - A Generative artificial intelligence emoji generator.

5. Next Generation Assistant will also support Proofreading mode. It means Gboard will also show the chip for text entered/typed using NGA (I guess it's obvious)

6. A new banner will be shown after you add a new language in Gboard.

7. Auto-correct suggestion for physical keyboard. To select, first press & hold the Alt key, then press the "number" of the suggestion to select it. There will be physical keyboard setting in Gboard.

8. Show a floating toolbar when using voice typing.

9. The toolbar will show in three cases when enabled - First is Voice typing, second is Stylus Gestures and the third is when physical keyboard is connected.

If you have a U.S. or Canadian Samsung phone and want to set a preferred SIM card for calls, texts, and mobile data, Reddit user /u/FragmentedChicken has shared a quick tutorial on how to do so!

(This limitation isn't present in all regions, just NA.)

Samsung's version of Android's Privacy Dashboard lets you see permissions usage from up to 7 days ago, unlike Android's which only lets you see the past 24 hours of permission usage.

Android's Privacy Dashboard is provided through the Permission Controller app, delivered to devices as part of the Permission Mainline module (which is also present on Samsung devices). However, Samsung turned Privacy Dashboard into a standalone app.

Back at I/O 2022, Google said that Android 13 would extend the Privacy Dashboard timeline from 24 hours to 7 days. However, this never ended up rolling out.

The 7-day view in Privacy Dashboard is still there, it's just disabled by default. To enable it, you can run this command:

adb shell device_config put privacy privacy_dashboard_7_day_toggle true

This app turns any Android device into a Chromecast.

When Google released the Pixel Tablet, the first Android tablet with Google Cast built-in, many people asked me if it's possible to bring this functionality to other devices.

Turns out you can (with some caveats!)

The app you need is called, wait for it... CastReceiver, and it's available on Google Play (thanks to @nailsad_eleos for bringing it to my attention!)

I didn't think this app would work at first, as I was actually tinkering with the idea earlier this year but after reading this article on the Google Cast protocol thought it would be impossible without hacking Google Play Services. I ripped the cast receiver APK from an Android TV device and did get my device to appear as a cast target, but I wasn't able to get around the authentication issue described in the above article.

I'm not quite sure how this app works then, but all you need to do is download it and the device that has the app installed will appear as a target in any app that supports Google Cast.

As I mentioned before, though, there are a few caveats:

1) You can't cast DRM-protected content, so neither Netflix nor Amazon Prime Video will work. (This is because you need a valid cast key integrated into the firmware.)

2) Your device needs to be unlocked for casting to start. (This is because it can't launch the browser activity on top of the lock screen.)

Still, though, this could be a useful app if you have an older tablet that you want to repurpose into a smart display (as I've done) or maybe turn an old phone with a 3.5mm jack into a Chromecast Audio.

(The app is free to download so you can test it, but if you want to stream for longer than 5 minutes, you have to unlock the app for $3.99)

This app lets you change your Bluetooth codec settings without diving into Developer Options.

You probably already know this, but you can change various Bluetooth audio-related settings like the codec, sample rate, and more by going to Settings > System > Developer options.

You shouldn't have to use this menu as your Android device and headphones should negotiate the best settings, but sometimes, they just don't. For example, every time I connect my WH-1000XM3s to the Nothing Phone 2, it defaults to aptX HD even though I enabled LDAC on the headphones through Sony's app. But there's a bug in Nothing OS 2.0 that prevents you from changing the Bluetooth codec in Settings (all the options are blank)!

But thanks to this app, called Bluetooth Codec Changer, I can change the codec to LDAC! The app also has a long list of extra features, available through a one-time in-app purchase (currently $2.99, normally $9.99), such as automatic codec switching, profile saving, widgets to change profiles, and more.

(Thanks to aborne25 for bringing this app to my attention! I should've mentioned this in my other post on Cast Receiver, but neither this thread nor that one were "sponsored" in any way, and I'm not in contact with the developers of either app.)