\nThis Week in Apps: Google I\/O 2023 recap; Android, apps and AI; Twitter\u2019s new CEO<\/br>
\n2023-05-15 22:14:19<\/br><\/p>\n
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series<\/a> that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy.<\/p>\n The app economy in 2023 hit a few snags, as consumer spending last year dropped for the first time by 2% to $167 billion<\/a>, according to data.ai\u2019s \u201cState of Mobile\u201d report. However, downloads are continuing to grow, up 11% year-over-year in 2022 to reach 255 billion. Consumers are also spending more time in mobile apps than ever before. On Android devices alone, hours spent in 2022 grew 9%, reaching 4.1 trillion.<\/p>\n This Week in Apps offers a way to keep up with this fast-moving industry in one place with the latest from the world of apps, including news, updates, startup fundings, mergers and acquisitions, and much more.<\/p>\n Do you want This Week in Apps in your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here: techcrunch.com\/newsletters<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n This week, Google held its annual developer conference<\/a>, which meant there was a tidal wave of news about new Google products \u2014 like its midrange Pixel 7a<\/a> smartphone, Pixel Tablet<\/a> (with its great magnetic combo stand and speaker) and its first folding phone \u2014 the pricey ($1,800) Pixel Fold<\/a>.<\/p>\n But the real star of the show was, of course, AI, and how Google is integrating it into a range of products and services from the workplace to coding to translation \u2014 and yes, even into Google Play and app developer tools.<\/p>\n If you missed the big event, TechCrunch has a Google I\/O wrap-up,<\/a>\u00a0where you can find all the news, including AI announcements, like its next-gen large language model PaLM 2<\/a>, other developer updates, like updates to Vertex AI<\/a> and an ML Hub to train AI models<\/a>, new Search features<\/a>, a new GitHub Copilot competitor<\/a>\u00a0and more.<\/p>\n In terms of news of note for Android developers, however, there was still quite a bit, including a preview of Android Wear OS 4, new marketing tools for apps, Android 14 updates<\/a> and more.<\/p>\n For starters, we got a look at the first \u201cfoldable\u201d apps<\/a>.<\/strong> Though it\u2019s not likely the Pixel Fold will gain a large market share, given its price point, a number of app developers have already optimized for Google\u2019s first foldable phone. Google said apps from Microsoft (Office, Minecraft), Zoom, Netflix, Disney (Disney+, Hulu), Roblox, eBay, Spotify, Amazon (Shopping, Kindle), Canva and others will be optimized for the Pixel Fold at launch. The new device has a 5.8-inch external display (when folded) with a 17.4:9 aspect ratio and a 7.6-inch internal (unfolded) display with a 6:5 aspect ratio.<\/p>\n Google\u2019s own apps, like Gmail and YouTube, are also Fold-ready, of course.<\/p>\n Coinciding with I\/O, Google released the second beta of Android 14<\/a><\/strong>, which includes enhancements around camera and media, privacy and security, system UI and developer productivity, as well as improvements to large-screen devices.<\/p>\n The company teased Wear OS 4<\/a>,<\/strong> as well, promising the update will bring improved battery life and accessibility features, an easier way to swap out your phone or watch without having to reset the device and new tools for building watch faces in collaboration with Samsung.<\/p>\n Plus, in news not tied to Wear OS 4, specifically, Android smartwatches are gaining access to<\/a> Spotify\u2019s AI DJ, and updated Google apps like Gmail and Calendar. And Google gets to brag it has the first smartwatch version of the WhatsApp messaging app<\/a>.<\/p>\n Google showed off a\u00a0new way to build Wear OS watch faces<\/a><\/strong>. Developers will get access to a new declarative format to design and build their watch faces, using the Jetpack Watch Face library. The format<\/a> is basically just an XML file, so there is now no executable code involved.<\/p>\n Android Auto is poised to hit a milestone<\/strong>, the company also said, as it should be available in around 200 million vehicles by year-end. Meanwhile, Google built-in, powered by Android Automotive OS, is getting YouTube, GameSnacks <\/a>and more Assistant integrations. Android Auto will add web conferencing support from<\/a> Cisco, Teams and Zoom<\/strong>. And developers will now be able to bring Internet of Things (IoT) and weather apps to cars with Android Auto.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The bigger news from this week\u2019s event was not the aggregated updates, but Google\u2019s plans for AI. The company is looking to showcase how AI will become a part of the tools and products people already use, like Google\u2019s Workplace apps<\/a> and Search<\/a>, including Shopping, Android and more.<\/p>\n The company had been dropping AI updates for some time, having already announced plans to bring features that use AI to write text in Gmail, Docs, Sheets and Slides, for example. At I\/O, it expanded on that<\/a> to note it was also bringing automatic table generation in Sheets and image creation in Slides while also expanding the AI features already announced for Gmail and Docs to support mobile. And it unveiled a \u201cSidekick\u201d tool for Docs<\/a> that provides suggestions based on the document\u2019s context as well as imagery or summaries.<\/p>\n On Android, Google is leveraging generative AI to allow users to personalize their phones with wallpapers created using prompts<\/a>. The wallpapers use Google\u2019s text-to-image diffusion models, the company said, and the color palette of your Android system will automatically be set to match the new wallpaper. In addition, new cinematic wallpapers will use on-device learning to turn photos into 3D images, arriving alongside new emoji wallpapers. Suddenly, iOS\u2019s Lock Screen 3D wallpaper effect<\/a> feels dated.<\/p>\n Google also introduced a new feature<\/a> that combines Android\u2019s guided customization with its advances in generative AI to help people compose more personal messages. The feature, called Magic Compose, can be used within conversations in Google Messages to rewrite texts in different styles. For instance, you can set the text to sound more positive or more professional \u2014 or, for fun, to sound as if Shakespeare wrote it.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Another of the more fun additions involved the AI advances coming to Google Photos:\u00a0the soon-to-launch \u201cMagic Editor\u201d feature<\/a>.<\/strong> This demo caught people\u2019s attention during the event as it showed off a practical, everyday use case for AI.<\/p>\n With Magic Editor, users will be able to make edits to specific parts of the photos \u2014 like the foreground or background \u2014 as well as fill in gaps in the photo or even reposition the subject for a better-framed shot<\/strong>. For instance, you could fill in the sky to turn a gray, overcast day into a bright blue sky with fluffy clouds, or you could \u201ccut out\u201d the subject of the photo and move them around to a better spot. The latter is similar to Apple\u2019s image cutout feature in iOS 16<\/a> but actually put to use.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The niftiest gimmick, however, was using AI to fill in gaps in a photo<\/strong> when you move things around. In one example, a photo of a child holding balloons while sitting on a bench was dragged closer to the center of the photo and AI created more of the bench and balloons to fill in the gaps. How well this works in real-world photos remains to be seen, of course.<\/p>\n Still, the ease of creating images via AI will lead to its own issues, which is why Google also introduced new tools for <\/span>identifying and labeling AI photos in Search and elsewhere<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV\/AFP \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In terms of the Android app ecosystem, the company announced several ways<\/a> for developers to use AI to build and optimize their apps for Google Play<\/strong> alongside other new tools. Notably, developers will now be able to use a Generative AI helper to draft new Play Store listings<\/strong> using Google\u2019s PaLM 2 model. This will initially be available in English and as an experimental tool. Developers could use the tool to generate listings or customize listings for different types of users, among other things.<\/p>\n AI will also be used to summarize users\u2019 app reviews for the Play Store<\/strong>. A new machine translation tool will use AI to translate apps and listings into other languages.<\/strong><\/p>\n These arrived alongside other Play Store updates aimed at helping developers grow their businesses,<\/a> like tools to lure back lapsed users, expanded subscription features, and broader access to promotional content, including more ways to market in-app events.\u00a0Plus developers will be able to now prompt users on certain app versions to update their apps,<\/a> Google said.<\/p>\n Also at I\/O, the company announced a good handful of updates to existing apps, like Home and Maps, some of which involved the use of AI. It also took the waitlist off its AI chatbot Bard, announced plans for AI image generation (via an Adobe partnership<\/a>) and integrations with third-party apps like Instacart and OpenTable. And it launched a new AI music-making feature in its AI Test Kitchen.<\/p>\n In Maps, Google unveiled Immersive View for Routes<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 a new feature that builds on the existing AI-powered Immersive View addition announced last year, which fuses Street View and aerial images together<\/strong> to create a digital model of the world. With Immersive View for Routes, you can preview a route ahead of taking it<\/strong>, as opposed to having to click through Street View. Google says you\u2019ll be able to see bike lanes, sidewalks and parking along your journey, and get weather and traffic estimates based on historical data. The feature will start to roll out in the months ahead in 15 cities (Amsterdam, Berlin, Dublin, Florence, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paris, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tokyo and Venice).<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Google<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Google\u2019s app for controlling your smart home devices, Google Home, was also updated<\/a> this week with a redesigned interface that includes a new Favorites tab, easier ways to view cameras \u2014 including original Nest cameras, support for more Matter-enabled devices, expansion of Matter support to iOS and the ability to do more with Home from Wear OS \u2014 like see camera previews in notifications and make adjustments. A new home panel on Android devices is also available, offering quicker access to Google Home directly from the lock screen or quick settings.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Google\/Google Home app<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Plus, the company launched an experimental tool \u201cMusicLM\u201d<\/a> for turning text prompts into music via its AI Test Kitchen app for web, Android and iOS. Users can ask for instruments like \u201celectronic\u201d or \u201cclassical,\u201d as well as the \u201cvibe, mood, or emotion\u201d as they refine their creations.<\/p>\n Google introduced<\/a> a series of improvements coming to its own Find My Device network as well as proactive alerts about unknown trackers traveling with you with support for Apple\u2019s AirTag and others. The news follows Apple and Google\u2019s recently announced plan<\/a> to lead an industry-wide initiative to draft a specification that would alert users in the case of unwanted tracking from Bluetooth devices.<\/p>\n Find My Device will now make it easier to locate devices by ringing them or viewing their location on a map, even if offline.<\/p>\n The flurry of AI updates from Google comes at a worrying time for Apple, whose own AI assistant\u2019s progress is reportedly in disarray along with Apple\u2019s other AI efforts. A recent report by The Information<\/a> detailed organizational dysfunction around Siri as the voice assistant has failed to improve over time. It\u2019s so bad that Apple\u2019s Siri is supposedly mocked internally at Apple, the report said. The company also lost in-house AI expertise to Google, where there was more ground-breaking AI work on things like LLMs.<\/p>\n With WWDC only weeks away, we\u2019ve only heard about the usual slate of coming updates to Apple\u2019s platforms, while the big news is meant to be the long-rumored AR\/VR headset for gaming. It\u2019s unclear if there\u2019s even significant consumer demand for such a device, given the declining VR headset sales in 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n Apple\u2019s iOS 17 is said to be a quieter update focused on smaller quality-of-life improvements<\/a>, not a breakthrough AI upgrade where Apple has figured out how to make Siri a better AI helper or has integrated AI improvements across its apps and OS, for instance.<\/p>\n None of Apple\u2019s heel-dragging has hurt the company before, but if AI is the movement the industry claims it will be, this could be a weak spot for competitors to capitalize upon.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Collage by TechCrunch \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Now that Elon Musk has run Twitter\u2019s advertising business into the ground<\/a>, the Twitter owner is bringing in new leadership \u2014 and not a moment too soon. Following rumors of the hire, Musk confirmed via tweet on Friday<\/a> he has chosen NBCU chairman of its advertising and partnerships group, Linda Yaccarino, as Twitter\u2019s new CEO, replacing himself. Musk will stay on to focus on product design and new technology, he said.<\/p>\n While Musk said Yaccarino will help transform Twitter into the \u201ceverything app,\u201d the reality is that this hire is meant to telegraph to advertisers that an adult is once again back in the room as the company tries to recoup its lost advertising revenue and woo back its client base.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a tall order for the new CEO, who will have to contend with Musk\u2019s continual attempts to wreak havoc at Twitter by changing company policies and features with little or no warning, then sometimes reverting them<\/a>, given enough backlash. That was the case, for instance, with some of the API changes<\/a> and the labeling of respected U.S. news organizations as if they were on par with<\/a> the state media and propaganda efforts in communist China. Twitter\u2019s massive layoffs also mean there are fewer engineers to fix problems when Twitter<\/a> breaks<\/a>, leading to<\/a> outages<\/a> and security incidents, like private tweets becoming public<\/a>.<\/p>\n Under Musk\u2019s leadership, Twitter lost its top 500 advertisers<\/a>, including major brands like Mondelez International, Coca-Cola, Merck, Hilton and AT&T. Ad revenue in its mobile app dropped 89%<\/a> from September-October 2022 to January-February 2023, Sensor Tower data indicated. Despite Musk\u2019s more recent claims of an advertiser return and Twitter reaching a break-even point, several former top advertisers were not found in a list<\/a> of Twitter\u2019s top 10 or top 50 ad customers as of April.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Telsa exec\u2019s plans to monetize Twitter\u2019s verified service via a Blue subscription has not gone well, generating around $11 million on mobile<\/a> in its first three months \u2014 not enough to replace Twitter\u2019s lost ad revenue which is forecast to be down by $2 billion this year.<\/a><\/p>\n Installing an ad chief as CEO may not solve Twitter\u2019s problems, however, as Musk himself contributes to advertiser fears that the platform is no longer \u201cbrand-safe\u201d by his tweeting<\/a> and boosting of conspiracy theories<\/a> and disparaging the media<\/a>\u00a0while suspending<\/a> journalists. Hate speech<\/a> also has risen under his purview.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Meta<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/google-io-2023-generative-ai-wallpaper-android.jpg?resize=1140%2C641&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/google-io-2023-magic-compose-2.jpg?resize=1140%2C641&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/I-0_MagicEditor_BALLOONS.gif?resize=680%2C383&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n![\"Google](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/google-play-store-getty.jpg?resize=680%2C453&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nAnd more\u2026<\/h3>\n
Google Maps<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Google's](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/immersive-view-for-routes.png?resize=680%2C489&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nHome<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/google-home.webp?resize=1140%2C475&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nMusicLM<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Find My Device<\/h3>\n
WWDC worries<\/h3>\n
![\"New](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Yaccarino-Musk.jpg?resize=680%2C495&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nApple<\/h3>\n
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Streaming & Entertainment<\/h3>\n
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Fintech<\/h3>\n
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Social<\/h3>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Meta-AI-Sandbox-Background-Generation-Test-Jones-Road-Beauty-e1683820314909.jpg?resize=1140%2C641&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nMessaging<\/h3>\n
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Dating<\/h3>\n
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Travel and Transportation<\/h3>\n
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Gaming<\/h3>\n
Etc.<\/h3>\n
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Government & Policy<\/h3>\n
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HiNOTE<\/h3>\n