Android 4.4 KitKat didn’t introduce a ton of changes when it comes to the user experience, but a future update to the mobile OS could bring a total overhaul by putting Google’s voice controls front and center. Android Police reports that the future software update could actually replace the current Home button with a Google button that lets you launch voice commands from inside any app, though this feature would likely be restricted to Nexus and Google Play Edition stock Android devices.
Tapping the Google button or saying “Ok Google” would launch voice controls along with the small red circle icon we’re already familiar with. Google would also offer up suggestions based on context. For example, if you’ve just snapped a photo it would walk you through sharing options. This feature could eventually pull up relevant information from inside an SMS conversation, automatically looking up restaurant hours or movie times based on the discussion.
Android Police likes to give every new rumor a rating based on confidence level, and this one gets an eight out of 10. Google is definitely working on this new version of Android, though a lot could change between now and the final product release. Either way, the site is confident that the “Ok Google” command will only become more important with future updates.
