Android 16 introduces one new feature that will enable apps to turn off AI writing aids wherever they want. Extending this feature can help developers better control the user input of AI assistance.
Where some keyboard apps, such as Gboard, have already incorporated the self-adjustment of the features according to the context of the input, this new API brings order to the app, standardizing the feature to all keyboard apps for a more enhanced user experience.
Having enabled the apps not to accept AI writing assistance in certain areas, Android 16 attempts to avert some challenges that might result from the apps’ improper interference.
New EditorInfo cases in Android 16 are reported to enable apps and keyboards to exchange data on the text fields, like what you are typing, so the keyboard can adapt. This will let apps turn off such artificial composition solutions and provide better control to minimize this so that tasks don’t cease to require serious or even rudimentary thinking, particularly in security-center contexts.
Android 16 brings changes in the editor info class
While checking out the Android 16 Developer Preview 2, Mishaal Rahman at Android Authority found two new features in the EditorInfo class: isWritingToolsEnabled() and setWritingToolsEnabled(). This is similar to a postmaster who delivers messages between apps and keyboards to inform them about a text field’s content, such as whether it is expected to contain numbers, so the keyboard can adapt.
An app can decide that keyboards can’t insert AI-generated text into the app. The isWritingToolsEnabled() method identifies which AI writing tools are active for a certain text editor.
Fortunately, these are enabled by default for all the text fields but can be disabled in case it does not make sense to use them, for example, for password and number fields. The new setWritingToolsEnabled() method allows apps to decide whether to disable AI-supported text rewriting to provide more customization of the writing assistance feature.