New for I/O: Assistant tools and features for Android apps and Smart Displays

Google I/O 2021 introduced several new features aimed at enhancing the integration of Google Assistant with Android apps and smart displays. These updates include App Actions, which allow developers to incorporate voice commands into Android apps, enhancing user engagement by enabling voice-driven tasks like booking rides or sending messages. The Capabilities API, now in beta, lets developers declare support for built-in intents, offering users direct navigation to app-specific activities via voice. Android 12 introduces improved user discoverability with Shortcuts, enabling personalized voice commands and proactive suggestions. Widgets in Android 12 will support quick interactions and updates linked to specific intents, with potential applications in Android Auto. For smart displays, enhanced Conversational Actions are facilitated by Interactive Canvas, which supports game and storytelling experiences using web technologies. Developers can manage action releases more flexibly, and improvements in visual and media handling are designed to enrich user experiences on smart displays. Google also aims to streamline transactions on these devices by adding on-device credit card entry, enhancing the business potential for developers by reducing reliance on mobile devices for transactions.