Android 7.1.1 is Here: GIFs, New Emoji, and More

A few months after Google launched Android 7.1, the company is bringing again a minor update with the coming of version 7.1.1. The updated version does not only bring improve performance and reliability, but is also adding some new features that users will find delightful. Some key features of the update are improvement on Google keyboard, emojis promoting gender equality, and a launch option for some applications.

Google recently announced that they are going to promote gender equality and the new update might exactly bring this promise to reality. Android 7.1.1 features emojis with women of diverse races and professions. Some women are in fact welders, a job that is considered to be predominantly for males. These emojis were first seen with Google Pixel series but with the new update, they will be available on all devices that run on Android 7.1.1.

The new update also created some changes with the keyboard, as it is now available with GIF supported keyboard. This new feature works well with Google Messenger, Hangouts, and Allo smart messaging.

Another update that the Android 7.1.1 brings is the launcher action for some apps. This is done by long pressing a particular app from the home screen, after which a secondary menu withapp-specificc features is shown. For Youtube users, this new feature will help bring up trending videos. For Messenger, it will help users go directly to their existing conversations. Twitter and Google Maps are said to receive the same launch feature anytime soon.

The new Android 7.1.1 is sized at 240MB. Google said that the update will be available anytime soon for Nexus and Pixel users. For those who cannot wait for the update, the Android Beta program is available. Fortunately, signing up for the beta program is easy. This will allow users to receive downloads of the pre-release Android versions.