Google not only provides the Pixel smartphones with a Pixel Feature Drop every three months but at some point without much announcement has also introduced the concept of Android Feature Drop. This is a whole bunch of innovations that will be rolled out for all users of the operating system. So that everyone registers these innovations, there will be a new splash screen.
With Google products, it is very often the case that changes, innovations and improvements are carried out and rolled out in the background without users noticing. This applies not only to the web services but in the case of Android even to the operating system. Every few months there is an Android Feature Drop, which, unlike the Pixel Feature Drop, reaches all users. It is also different from the Google System Update, which is rolled out several times a month.
According to plan, it should be back in June, but an earlier update is also possible. Usually, users only learn about the improvements through the tech media, because they are usually not extensive enough to make it into the regular press. So that the innovations do not get lost, a splash screen will be introduced, which informs about the updated functions after the first restart. This consists of several pages and is comparable to the Tips app.
Google Play Services will soon give users a tour of new features added in each “Android Feature Drop.” These cover the new features added to Google’s suite of Android apps. pic.twitter.com/3jyzsCmlfC
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) April 25, 2022
This splash screen has now been detected by a teardown and could already be activated for the last edition. On the following screenshots, you can see how this short walkthrough through the innovations is structured and should inform the users in the fastest way what they might try.
You are greeted by a nice, colorful graphic as well as the short note that there are new functions. Interestingly, it says “Google just added new features to your phone”. So you want to make sure that these innovations are also associated with the brand and not the nameless Android developers. From a marketing point of view, a big psychological difference. You can then decide to start the short tour through the innovations or to do without it.
Then the presentation follows page by page. At the top, there is an image or animation, a short headline and below it the explanation. At the bottom, you can see how many such slides you still have in front of you by means of the point navigation. Once everything has been read, you can quit the app and use your smartphone or go directly to the Play Store. Whether the link leads to the Play Store homepage or to a special category is unfortunately not known.
You will see the new feature for the first time after a rollout, about which we will of course inform you here in the blog in a timely manner. I could imagine that this would meet with mixed reactions. Some people are happy about the information, but for others, it is an annoying intermediate step until it is used. But I think that the first group is significantly larger and quickly types through it.