Google just launched its final Android 8.0 Oreo version on August 21, after months of speculation from fans regarding the supposed updates and features that the new software would add. However, even after digging into the betas released by the company before the release of the final build, there remain some aspects of the Android 8.0 software that is relatively unknown to fans. Here are some of the new features that have been added to the software by Google.
Notification Dots
In Android Oreo when a notification arrives regarding a particular app, a notification dot appears on the icon of that app.
These dots are unique as they can change the color based on the color of the icon itself. Google has also made accessing these notifications much easier than before. Users can tap and hold on the icon to quickly open a window which showcases exactly what the notification is about. If the user taps on it, the app opens directly into the section that the notification points to. Users can also swipe away the notification from the window that opens after tapping the dots, which will also dismiss those notifications from the status bar.
Default print service
Google has also addressed a major issue when it comes to printing documents from the smartphone. In previous Android versions, people had to download separate printer plug-ins from the Google Play Store depending on the printer they were using.
After downloading the plug-in, users had to undergo a clunky install procedure of the said plug-in and only then were they able to print a particular document stored on their smartphones.
However, with Android Oreo's new default printer plug-in, users will no longer have to use a third-party application to print a document. This feature has been brought forward through a collaboration with Mopria and thus works with all printers that are certified by the said company.
100 million printers in the market or 97 percent of the total printers are certified by Mopria, which makes it highly likely that the new functionality of Android 8.0 will work with most printers.
To use the default print, a user must go to Settings and from there navigate to Connected Devices, followed by Printing. Finally, the user must select Default Printing Service.
Once this option is selected, the user can locate the printer using the in-built Wi-Fi or by entering the IP Address of the machine. Although this feature is long overdue, nonetheless, fans will be especially happy to see such an improvement in the newer software. There are several other additions as well, which should make the Android 8.0 OS one of the most sought-after updates in the future.
