What you might want to know
- Google’s new Magnifier app, launched on the Pixel 8 collection, is now being realized on older Pixel fashions.
- The app, addressing a key accessibility perform, designed to extend the readability of textual content and pictures.
- Thought the Magnifier app is obtainable on the Play Retailer, it is restricted to Pixel 5 telephones or later. It is unclear whether or not Google will develop it to the broader Android ecosystem.
Google’s newest Pixel smartphone lineup features a beneficial accessibility app. The corporate’s new Magnifier app — which is designed to make small, dimly lit, or distant textual content simpler to learn — is now launched publicly on the Play Retailer.
Making its debut on the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Professional this week, the app lets customers “enlarge small textual content, see object particulars, or zoom in on faraway textual content like road indicators or restaurant menus behind a service counter.” Now, as famous by Android knowledgeable Mishaal Rahman on Telegram (because of a tip from Threads person _better_be_me), it seems to be just like the Magnifier app has been made usually obtainable to older Pixel fashions, particularly to Pixel 5 telephones or later.
Pixel’s Magnifier app appears to have a reasonably intuitive interface. The default display options giant + and – buttons — that are positioned on both aspect of the app’s spherical shutter/zoom button — to regulate the characteristic’s zoom perform. The app’s interface additionally contains the power to allow or disable the digicam’s flashlight.
Past these core features, the app helps different options, akin to changes for colour distinction and brightness, in addition to the power to use colour filters to extend the readability of textual content on pictures. This final possibility could be discovered by deciding on the settings button discovered within the decrease left-hand nook of the app. The app additionally robotically adjusts the brightness of pictures taken in dimly lit environments.
Extra capabilities — as soon as customers snap a photograph of magnified textual content utilizing the app — embody with the ability to copy the textual content, hearken to it through text-to-speech performance, or ship the textual content to Google Lens so it may be additional analyzed.
The corporate hasn’t confirmed as as to if the Magnifier app can be launched to the overall Android platform. Nonetheless, since Apple presents an identical characteristic that helps iPhone customers who face Presbyopia (the frequent situation amongst adults that necessitates using studying glasses), it might make sense for Google to develop the app’s availability to the broader Android ecosystem.
The Pixel 8 Professional is the perfect Pixel ever made, with an upgraded digicam system and a flat 120Hz show, now with a matte glass on the again. The telephone is able to some highly effective machine studying to energy enjoyable new AI options and enhance digicam high quality, notably with video seize.