Google's Android 7.1 Nougat will be released soon on its developer preview program by the end of the month. Features like App Shortcut, Image Keyboard, and several other features will be added soon.
Dave Burke, vice president of engineering, announced on the Android Developer's website the things to arrive with Android 7.1 Nougat. The list starts with App Shortcuts, first seen during the early beta versions of Nougat. This feature works similar to the 3D Touch feature of Apple's iOS 9. Users will simply need to press and hold an app icon in order to execute the specific actions within the app. Developers can create up to five actions on their app.
Meanwhile, enhanced live wallpaper will soon have its metadata available, which will allow developers to put in important information on their creations. It will now contain field boxes for the label, description, author, and URL. The circular app icon support will also be enabled, and it will provide third-party developer shortcuts a more standard look for the operating system.
Image keyboard support will also come along, as this will allow app creators to allow their users to send content directly from the keyboard. This includes stickers, GIFs, and emojis, among others. It is still unclear, though, if this feature will be supported by Google Keyboard.
Lastly, the storage manager, Intent, will let a user directly access the settings screen and free up additional storage space straight from an app. This feature will lessen the steps needed to be performed by a user to achieve the same result.
Burke said, "We've already been working closely with device makers to get them ready for Android 7.1, and next we'll give you access to this update so you can start getting your apps ready."
"Later this month we'll be bringing you the Android 7.1 platform as an open Developer Preview, similar to what we did for Android 7.0. You'll be able to test and build on the new platform and try the latest features," he added.
