Last May, Google released an app for creating one-tap Assistant shortcuts on Android homescreens. An update today adds Action Blocks backup and restore when moving to new devices, as well as other small tweaks.
Version 1.3 of Action Blocks is rolling out this morning and the release notes highlight one big change:
Action Blocks now supports backup and restore, so you won’t lose your blocks after upgrading devices.
There is no mention of this capability in the app, and it looks tied to the usual Android backup process rather than relying on Google Account cloud sync. For those that extensively use Action Blocks, this will be a great time saver that does not require them to re-create all their custom macros when getting a new phone. It’s not clear if this will preserve widget placement.
Besides bug fixes, a handful of visual tweaks have been made. New on/off toggles are somewhat reminiscent of the Android 12 style in that they have a confirmatory checkmark and dash to reflect its state. It’s also longer than before to aid accessibility by providing a larger touch target. Meanwhile, you can use voice dictation in more places to fill out text. The app’s design is otherwise unchanged.
Google Action Blocks is rolling out now via the Play Store.
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More about Action Blocks:
- Google integrates Assistant with dedicated assistive devices, makes Action Blocks more friendly
- Google updates Action Blocks with dark theme widgets, Assistant vibration, and more
- Hands-on with Google’s accessibility-focused Action Blocks for Android [Video]
Author: Abner Li
Source: 9TO5Google
