Google announced a boatload of new Android features yesterday. Gboard is getting new Emoji Kitchen stickers and a grammar correction tool; Messages is receiving Nudges and automatic SMS sorting features while Google Photos is getting a neat Portrait Mode. Alongside Google's flagship apps and services, the Live Trascribe app is also getting better.

In its announcement on Thursday, Google revealed that the Live Transcribe app now has an offline mode and can continue to provide real-time text-to-speech transcriptions when you're not connected to a Wi-Fi or mobile network. Up until now, an active internet connection was required if you wanted to use the service. Users will be able to turn on the Offline mode from within the app settings. You'll need to download or update the primary language packs you wish to access offline.

"Preinstalled on Pixel and Samsung devices and available as a free download to all, the app now offers an offline mode for when Wi-Fi and data aren't available, like on an airplane, in the subway, or in other areas without consistent internet access," wrote Google Product Manager Phil Ou in a blog post.

We knew Google was working on offline support for Live Transcribe for some time now. We first learned about the feature in October last year via an APK teardown of the app

Launched in 2019, Live Transcribe is an accessibility app that helps people with hearing disabilities. The app uses Google's speech recognition and sound detection technology to provide real-time transcriptions of conversations. It can also notify you about important sound events in your surroundings, such as doorbell ringing and fire alarm. The app comes preinstalled on Pixel and Samsung phones and can be downloaded on other Android phones from the Play Store.

The offline mode is rolling out with the latest update of Live Transcribe. If you want to give it a shot, grab the latest app update from the Play Store.

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Source: Google blog