Category: App Update

The latest update to Google’s keyboard app Gboard for Android is rolling out and it is bringing a lot of new features.  With the update, version 7.2.9 for those keeping score at home, will allow users to create their own GIFs to share with others.  The feature requires that you give Gboard access to your camera and when you do, it will fire up the selfie camera on your phone to record about 3 seconds of video.  It then uses the video to create the short animation and will allow you to add filters to it as well.

The new feature is found when you open up Gboard for Android and then tap on the emoji icon (the smiley face) then tap on the GIF option.

Microsoft has rolled out a new update to their Android launcher app, Microsoft Launcher.  The new build, version 4.9.0.42615 for those keeping score at home, doesn’t bring a lot of orbit changing updates but rather focuses on creature comfort updates.  In other words, small tweaks that makes the launcher a little bit easier to use.

In this update, Microsoft Launcher has improved Home screen import logic from another launcher to make it a little bit less clunky of a process.  You can now also sort your apps alphabetically in folders on the Home screen so you don’t have to manually arrange them.  Display names of apps or folders are now visible in your dock while you can get customizable gesture for pressing the Home button from the Home screen too.  There is also a new gesture to quickly lock the layout of your Home screen.

Confirming a rumor from last week prior to Google I/O, the Mountain View company pulled back the curtains on the all new Google News app and service yesterday at the event.  The new look site and app brings an significantly updated, more Material Design look to the apps while also bringing more visual and video content along with it.

Along with the updated look, there is now a Newsstand tab in the app which brings in magazine and online content subscriptions to the app.  With that, it spells the end of the Google Play Newsstand app.

Fitbit for iOS has a new update rolling out that finally brings one of the most requested features of female users of the fitness tracking app and devices.  With the new update, women can opt-in to a new Female Health Tracking which will allow women to track their monthly menstrual cycle to better understand their bodies and their cycles, something that is unique to every women.

Fitbit announced the new feature last month and it is rolling out to iOS users today while it should hit Android users later this month.  Once you have the app update and have identified yourself as a female in the app, you should get a pop-up to opt into the new feature.  It is only available for women 13 years and older.

The Microsoft OneDrive for Android app has been updated with a feature that has long been requested by users:  The ability to install the app on a SD card.  To this point, if you have an Android phone with a SD Card, OneDrive would not allow itself to be installed on that external storage.  It is something that long time users of the cloud storage app have requested of Microsoft as it can save space, especially if you are syncing a lot of content offline from your OneDrive account, on your phone.

With version 5.9 which is now available in the Play Store, that changes.  You now have the option to install the app on your SD Card.  Further, if you already have the app installed, you can move the app to your card via the Settings in the app.

Microsoft has released a new update to Outlook for Android that brings a much improved search experience in the email, calendar and contacts app.  Version 2.2.147 landed in the Google Play Store on Friday and by now should be out to most reader’s accounts and available to for update.

The biggest change in the app is the improved navigation bar.  It is much more simple in this release, providing one-tap access to mail, calendars and to the improved search feature.  The navigation bar remains at the bottom of the display has it has for some time now but looks cleaner.