Google Action Blocks Updated With Dark Mode, Vibration and More

Sep. 11, 2020

Googleis rolling out a number of visual changes to its ‘Action Blocks’ app that enables people to addGoogle Assistantshortcuts to their smartphone homescreen. The biggest new change is the addition of a Dark Mode that not only applies to the app itself, but also to the widgets. According to9to5Google, each widget’s background can now switch from white to dark gray depending on the system theme. Prior to today’s update, the icons were always displayed against a white background.

In case you don’t know it already, Action Blocks is a standalone Android app that uses the Google Assistant to make it easier for people to use smartphones and tablets. Designed for people with cognitive disabilities, and released alongside acouple of other accessibility features, it enables users to add Assistant commands to their Android homescreen with an accompanying image in the form of a widget. One can then tap on the widget to trigger the desired action, like placing a phone call or playing music. The app is compatible with Google app version 10.73 and higher, running on devices with Android 5.0 Lollipop and higher.

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