I'm putting these 3 new Android features immediately to use to make my summer trips less stressful

When the weather starts getting nicer, all I can think about is spending more time outside. From city markets and festivals to summer vacation, I’m ready to fill my schedule with things to do.

Although the thought of vacations and events doesn’t exactly make me excited for new phone features, I came across three brand-new Android features that might make your summer plans more enjoyable and less stressful.

Even if you’re not the going-out kind of person, I bet you’ll still find some great use out of at least one of the features below.

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Posts By  Rajesh Pandey

Search and find an exact match for something real in seconds

So fast and accurate, I was really taken aback

The first feature is the Circle to Search.

Let me paint a picture for you. You’re out in the city and see something cool that someone is wearing. Cool shoes, hat, purse. Just a really fresh fit (am I dating myself by using that term?).

You don’t want to bother them, but you really want to know where they got those shoes from and where to buy them.

You definitely aren’t going to take a photo of them without their knowing; that would be bad.

So you unlock your phone, open the camera app (don’t take a photo), then press and hold the menu button at the bottom of your device's screen. Then you circle the shoes with your finger.

In seconds, it brings up all the information on that item, plus links showing the price. It also shows you any relevant info it might’ve found, including similar-looking products.

This is crazy cool. And it doesn’t just stop at outfits either. Circle to Search can search for anything you tell it to. Brands, dog breeds, landmarks, you name it.

It’s a great stand-in for searching by only knowing how something looks, without typing something crazy like: Logo that looks like a screaming face, but also kind of like an alien.

I’m looking forward to using it next time I’m on vacation in a foreign country and want to know what delicious-looking food is being shown in a restaurant window.

Translate anything with a tap and slide of your finger

I wish I had this the last time I traveled abroad

This next one you’ll love if you are ever traveling in a country (or in an international part of your city) and you need a super quick text translation.

I remember traveling in Asia about 10 years ago, using my Samsung Galaxy Note to translate menus in restaurants.

I’d download the Google Translate app, take a photo of the menu, upload the photo to the app, then carefully highlight the text I wanted translated.

Don’t get me wrong; this worked, it was just suboptimal. I ended up filling my phone with photos of menus and signs I’d need to go back and delete later.

Easy Translate is the new way to simplify this process. Just like with Circle to Search, you begin by pressing and holding the menu button at the bottom of your device’s screen.

Next, you tap the logo in the lower-right corner that looks like an Asian character next to the letter A.

You can now use your finger to glide along any text on your screen to auto-translate.

If you want to translate something you’re looking at live, open your camera so that the text is visible on your screen first.

I love how fast this is and that it doesn’t take up room in your phone with a ton of useless screenshots.

On the off chance that something was handwritten and the Easy Translate doesn’t pick up the text, you’ll have to brush up on the phrase “I’ll have this, please” and hope it’s good.

Your wardrobe digitized without any effort

Is this an episode of The Jetsons?

This next one is coming soon this summer, so you may not get a chance to use it for your next vacation, but keep an eye out.

Google’s new Closet Try-on feature is exactly what it sounds like.

Maybe you have a date coming up, or you’re just not very fashion-forward.

Based on the previous photos that you have saved in your Google Photos app, this feature will put together a digital wardrobe of the clothing you own. It will be able to sort and filter them into a visual list for you to choose from.

Next, using a photo of yourself that meets the prerequisite criteria for lighting and sizing, you’ll see a button to try it on. Google then generates an image of you wearing the clothing you suggested.

I am wildly curious to see how well this actually works. Google itself disclaims that results might be unexpected.

With any generated image, there’s bound to be a few goofy AI mistakes here and there, I’m sure.

As I mentioned, this is coming out this summer, so it would be great to plan my next vacation wardrobe when this is available.

Don’t rely on it 24/7

Don’t miss out on the real-life experience

Maybe you don’t like being glued to your phone while traveling. I absolutely understand. You have to experience life as it’s happening, not just by recording it (people at concerts with their phones out the whole time, right?).

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I feel like these features will make for a nice complement to your trip, as long as you aren’t glued to them.

Circle to Search is great for everyday curiosities, which you’re bound to come across while out and about. It might mean you pick up a little more knowledge while you’re out that you might’ve missed.

As for the Easy Translate, that one’s a no-brainer.

I’d love to tell you I’m so bold as to go to a restaurant and order at complete random. I’m just not, though. I’m picky and hate the thought of wasting a precious vacation meal eating something I don’t like.

Maybe choose an item at a coffee shop at random just for fun, or ask a local to learn something new, and then use these cool features when it makes more sense.

I love when things are simple, practical, and a little fun

I love seeing this kind of stuff come out because it has such practical use. It isn’t a vague new feature that I needed to research to understand.

These are the kinds of features that always stick around for me, and I inevitably end up talking to my friends about them in person.

Maybe I’ll write a follow-up next time I’m on vacation to let everyone know just how useful these features were! Could that count as a company expense, I wonder?