Google Rolls Out Six New Android Features: New Emoji Kitchen Combos, Scam Checks, Urgent Calls, and More

Google has confirmed six new features coming to its Android ecosystem, including updates to Gboard and several Google services. This includes everything from fresh Emoji Kitchen combos to tools that help you quickly identify and leave unwanted group chats. Let's take a look at all the new features coming your way.

Expressive Captions Now Show Real-time Emotion

Expressive Captions on Android now creates real-time emotion tags like joyful, sad, cheers and more. It will help you understand tone and ambient sounds even when the sound is off, whether it's a video message from a friend, a live stream or a story on social media.

New Emoji Kitchen Combo

Gboard's Emoji Kitchen gains fresh sticker combinations ahead of the festive season. Users can create themed emojis by blending symbols and can then be shared directly from Gboard.

Mark Call as Urgent

Phone by Google is also getting 'Call Reason', which is currently in beta testing. The feature lets you flag a call to a saved contact as "urgent." That label appears on the recipient's incoming call screen so the contact knows it is time-sensitive. If the call is missed, the "urgent" note remains in the call history, reminding them to respond quickly.

Leave and Report Unwanted Group Chats

Now, one can easily spot and leave unwanted group chats in Google Messages. If an unknown number invites you to a group, you'll get an alert that shows key information about the group, which lets you quickly decide whether to reply or leave the chat.

Check for Scams Easily

With Circle to Search, you can now quickly find more information about what you see on your screen, including when you suspect a scam. You will get to see an AI Overview, backed by information from across the web, letting you know if the message is likely a scam.

Pinned in Your Chrome Browser

Chrome on Android now supports pinned tabs, mirroring the desktop experience. You can pin pages you use daily, such as news, work dashboards or travel planning sites. Pinned tabs stay fixed at the front of the tab strip. This helps you return to important pages instantly without scrolling through many open tabs or risking accidental closure.

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