Google Announces 5 New Android Features, Including Earthquake Warnings and Improved Circle to Search

Google is always adding updates to Android, whether it's new ways to experience Google AI -- like with Gemini Live and Circle to Search -- updated features to improve privacy and security on your phone or better ways to communicate with others, including the ability to edit text messages even after they've been sent.

Today, Google has five more new updates that it's bringing to Android, including a more broad earthquake alert system to warn you of a potential earthquake from anywhere in the US, an updated Circle to Search to help you recognize music you hear out in the real world and offline maps on your WearOS smartwatch.

Here are the five new updates that Google announced.

1. Get notified before an earthquake starts, no matter where you are in the US

The Android Earthquake Alerts System is a free service that can detect an earthquake and alert you before you feel the shaking. Today, Google announced that the Android Earthquake Alerts System is expanding to all 50 states and six territories.

If there is an earthquake in your area, you can expect one of two notifications: Be Aware Alert and Take Action Alert. The Be Aware Alert is designed to give you a heads up for light shaking, with information on the location and magnitude of the earthquake. The Take Action Alert is sent out to those who may experience moderate to heavy shaking, with information on how to protect yourself.

Once the shaking is over, you can tap your screen for tips on what to do next.

2. Use Circle to Search to help discover music you're hearing

Shazam works great to recognize music you hear out in the wild, but if you have a phone with Circle to Search, you can now use the AI-powered feature instead to help you find a song, whether it's playing at a bar, in your car, at a restaurant, during a concert or even on social media.

All you need to do is long press the home button, or navigation bar, to trigger Circle to Search on your supported phone, and then tap the music button right next to the Google search button at the bottom of your screen. You should get the track name, artist and a link to the song on YouTube in Google search results.

3. Use Google Maps offline on your WearOS watch

It's tough to use Google Maps when you're out in the middle of nowhere because without cell service, not all of map's features -- and maybe not any -- will work to successfully get you around. That's why you should always download your Google Maps offline, especially when you have a trip planned.

Fortunately, if you own a WearOS Watch, you can now use offline maps on your smartwatch too. As long as the map is downloaded to your phone too, it'll sync with your watch so you can access it directly from your wrist, even if your phone is left behind.

Google also has two other new Google Maps shortcuts for your smartwatch: You can search for a destination using only your voice, and you can check out your surroundings by tapping on your watch face.

4. Listen to a web page aloud in Chrome while you continue surfing the web

Also coming today is a new feature that can read any webpage, like a long-form article or a recipe, out loud to you from within Chrome.

You can access the feature, called "Listen to this page," from the three-dot menu at the top-right of any page in your web browser. Once the feature is enabled, you'll see a player at the bottom of the screen with a few playback controls. You can pause or play the audio, skip 10 seconds forward and back, scrub to your desired time and toggle on text highlighting & auto scroll. Additionally, you can change the listening speed, preferred voice and language. 

You also don't have to stay at the page to keep listening -- you can browse the current website, switch to a different tab or even lock your screen and you'll still be able to hear the web page being read aloud.

5. You can also listen to detailed audio descriptions of images, powered by Gemini

If you're using TalkBack on your Android device, you'll now get more detailed audio descriptions for images on your phone or tablet, powered by Gemini AI models on supported devices.

TalkBack is a Google screen reader included on most Android devices that provides spoken feedback so that those who have difficulty seeing, whether they're blind or low-vision, can use their device without having to look at their screen. You can tap or swipe around a screen, and TalkBack will announce what's on your screen, like text, buttons and items, and the accessibility feature might also suggest what to do next.

This new Gemini feature will work on photos in your camera roll, pictures in your text messages, images on social media and the web and more.