Google may launch new Android controls to manage phone usage

To help users manage time spend on Android mobile devices, Google may launch a new set of controls to its operating system at its annual developer conference "Google I/O" scheduled to kick-off on Tuesday.

In his keynote address in US' Mountain View city in California, Indian-origin Chief Executive Officer of Google, Sundar Pichai, was expected to emphasise the theme of responsibility, The Washington Post reported late on Monday.

This anticipated shift is reportedly due to the increased public scrutiny of the industry that revolves around the so-called negative consequences of technology products that are used by people.

"Some of the criticism centres on the suspected addictive nature of many devices and programmes," the report said.

However, when it comes to family controls, Google is a step ahead with "Family Link" -- a suite of tools allows parents to regulate how much time their children can spend on apps and remotely lock their child's device.

Its rival Apple offers "do not disturb" modes that limit an iPhone's function overnight or while driving.

Google might also announce new capabilities to its Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered Google Assistant to make its products more interactive and helpful.

It might also launch the latest version of Android operating system, called Android P. An early iteration of Android P was released to developers and anyone who owns Google's Pixel phones in early March.

According to the media reports, the next OS might be called "Android Popsicle".

In March, Google released the first developer preview of Android P that was mostly focused on the changes that will affect developers and not on user interface (UI) adjustments.

Google added a built-in support for a notch cutting into the display at the top of the screen, called "display cutout support".

The company also tweaked the look for the "Quick Settings" panel and the notification drawer with rounded corners.

--IANS

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