Handy vaccine cards, air quality alerts & translation option in chat: Google rolls out interesting features for Pixel amid Apple's WWDC

Tech giant Google is trying to steal Apple's thunder.

Amid the five-day-long Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the Pixel-maker dropped its latest for its flagship devices. These updates have been rolled out to all devices, starting with Pixel 4 to the latest Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro which were unveiled last month in May.

In the wee hours (local time) of Tuesday, an excited Sundar Pichai shared the 'helpful improvements' for Pixel devices.


The Google and Alphabet CEO said that the update will make it easier to access vaccine cards, check air quality alerts, be able to use the translation option in chat, and of course, get improved better audio quality in Meet.

"Plus the ability to make your music and video cut-ups," he added.


Vaccine-ready!
Keep access to your vaccination certificate on the homepage. Take a screenshot of your vaccination document, and add a shortcut on your smartphone's home screen. Indians may have to wait longer for this feature as it will be available in Australia, Canada and the U.S. Also, access to digital vaccine cards will vary depending on the state and healthcare provider.

Getting musical
Creating your music on Pixel is now possible. The pocket operator for Pixel can now make this possible.

The company collaborated with teenage engineerings to shoot video content and turn it into music and video cut-ups. "Layer sounds, add visual effects, create patterns and beats and mix it all to make your unique tracks," said the new blog on Pixel. It is available (in English) on Pixel 5 and newer models.

No more background noise
The conversation mode, which was previously in beta first on Pixel models, is finally live on the Sound Amplifier app for Pixel 3 and newer devices. Designed for and with people with hearing loss, Sound Amplifier uses your phone to amplify and filter important sounds around you. Based on a deep learning model that uses both audio and visual signals to separate speech, conversation mode amplifies the voice you want and filters out the background noise and other voices you don’t. "Use your camera to focus on whomever you want to talk to and tune in to only them," said the blog spot.

You’ll also get great audio quality wherever you are with noise reduction on Google Meet. The Google Meet noise reduction feature filters out background noises like traffic or a dog barking, so you've heard no matter your surroundings. No need for a workplace account, this feature is available to all Pixel users.

At-a-glance Pixel features
Pixel users can check the live Nest Doorbell feed on the device's lock screen. However, you may need a compatible Nest Doorbell (sold separately) and the Google Home or Nest app.

As part of one of the updates, Pixel users will get a reminder if the flashlight is on. The reminder will also show a shortcut so the users can turn it off.

Air Quality Alerts are coming soon to Pixel for Indian users. "Stay safe and protect your lungs with air quality alerts for your current location," said the blog post.

Real Tone Filters, shared at the Google developers event last month, are now live in Google Photos. Head to the ‘filters’ under the edit menu in Google Photos to explore this feature.

All-new chat translation features in messages will now be available in Traditional Chinese, Dutch, Korean, Thai, and Turkish for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

The company has also introduced colourful wallpapers to celebrate Pride Month.