Summary
- A new “What’s new” shortcut is coming to the Google Home app, offering users easy access to detailed release notes.
- This shortcut will be permanently located in the Google account menu and will not disappear after you view the latest updates.
- A redesigned account switcher menu is also being tested in the same build, and it’s likely that both this new menu and the “What’s new” shortcut will roll out together.
Back in mid-April, Google was spotted testing a major addition to the Google Home app — one that would make finding the right smart home device from a list of many a seamless process.
We’re talking about dedicated in-app search tools, one in the Devices tab and the other in the Favorites tab. We’ve been patiently waiting for the search tools to roll out, though even with the latest build installed, and Public Preview joined, the feature is yet to show up.
While search capabilities remain out of reach for now, Google could soon make it easier for users to know when certain features that they’ve been waiting for land on the app.
Related
Google Home could soon make scrolling through device lists a thing of the past
A search feature is en route
Soon after Google began proactively updating its Google Home app release notes to better explain the changes it made with previous app builds, it now wants users to actually visit the support page and read what’s new and what has been fixed.
Code unearthed in Google Home version 3.32.126.1 by the folks over at Android Authority suggests that Google is looking to add a prominent “What’s new” shortcut to the app, allowing users to keep up with the release notes without having to search for them separately.
Coming together soon?
The shortcut will appear in the Google account menu, alongside options to switch and Manage your Google Account, Help, Feedback, and the relocated Settings menu (which is yet to actually be relocated from the bottom bar). The ‘What’s new’ position is permanent, and it will not disappear after you’ve gone through the latest release notes. It’s currently unclear if Google will highlight new additions to the release notes with a subtle visual unread-notification-like indicator.
Elsewhere, within the same build, Google is also reportedly testing a redesign of the account switcher menu. Unlike its previous iteration, the new design doesn’t appear as an overlay on the Google Home app. Instead, it appears to be its own page with separate sections (pills) for account settings. It is likely that both, the redesigned menu and the ‘What’s new’ shortcut will appear for users together in a future update.
