Google is rolling out a fresh wave of Android features that land on your phone at no extra cost. The headliner is a meaningful audio upgrade that makes sharing sound with a friend far simpler, joined by a cleaner, faster Quick Share experience and a smarter, more browsable Emoji Kitchen for Gboard.
These updates arrive via Google Play services and app updates, so you don’t need a full OS upgrade. Here’s what’s new and why it matters.
The big one: easier audio sharing with LE headphones
The standout change lets two people connect compatible LE Audio headphones to a single Android phone and listen together—ideal for flights, workouts, or watching a video without waking the household. It cuts the old tangle of splitters and workaround apps and replaces them with a straightforward pairing flow.
Under the hood, this relies on Bluetooth LE Audio and the LC3 codec, a standard the Bluetooth Special Interest Group says delivers similar quality at around half the bitrate of the legacy SBC codec. That efficiency can translate into steadier connections and better battery life, especially in crowded wireless environments. In practice, you get clear, synchronized audio to two sets of earbuds with less fuss.
There’s a catch: both your phone and your earbuds need LE Audio support. Many recent flagships from leading brands and newer earbuds such as premium models that have updated to LE Audio are compatible, but support is not universal. Check your Bluetooth settings for LE Audio indicators or look for LC3/LE Audio on your headphone spec sheet. If you see a new “audio sharing” or similar option when pairing, you’re likely good to go.
Quick Share gets clearer and faster
Android’s Quick Share—Google’s cross-device file sharing system that replaced Nearby Share—now sports a streamlined interface. You can explicitly toggle between sending and receiving, making it obvious which mode you’re in, and you’ll see live progress indicators for transfers. Device discovery is also more transparent, so you spend less time hunting for the right laptop or tablet.
Quick Share works across Android phones and tablets, Chromebooks, and even Windows PCs with the companion app installed. It typically uses a mix of Bluetooth for discovery and Wi‑Fi Direct for speed, with ultra-wideband assisting device detection on some hardware. For classrooms, offices, and family photo swaps, that translates into fewer failed sends and clearer feedback about what’s happening.
Emoji Kitchen is more creative—and easier to browse
Gboard’s popular Emoji Kitchen—the feature that lets you mash two emojis into a custom sticker—has been upgraded with a new browse view and fresh combinations. If you’ve ever wanted a sneaker with butterfly wings or a coffee cup that’s also a shooting star, you can now find and remix those ideas in seconds rather than guessing at the right pairing.
It’s a small change with outsized impact for messaging. The Unicode Consortium’s own reporting shows how emoji drive nuance in digital conversations, and Google’s expansions here make playful self-expression a little more immediate. If you already rely on stickers to set tone, the improved navigation will save time and spark new combinations you might not have tried.
Bonus tools arriving alongside
Gboard is also gaining an on-device writing assistant that can adjust tone (more formal, more expressive, or more concise) and fix grammar and spelling. Because processing happens locally, your keystrokes aren’t sent to the cloud—an approach privacy advocates often recommend for sensitive content.
There’s also a playful addition: the option to spin up a personalized Android bot by uploading a selfie or typing a prompt. It’s not essential, but it taps into the broader trend of lightweight, user-created avatars that show up across apps and services.
How to get the features
Most users will see these upgrades arrive automatically. To nudge them along, update Google Play services, Gboard, and system components like Android System Intelligence from the Play Store. For the audio feature, pair a set of LE Audio earbuds and look for new sharing options in Bluetooth settings. If you don’t see the changes yet, they’re rolling out in stages and should appear soon.
With smoother sharing, richer audio, and more creative messaging, these free additions quietly make everyday Android tasks feel faster, friendlier, and more fun—no new phone required.