Abstract: Various embodiments provide for techniques to facilitate online communication. In one embodiment, the communication is facilitated by providing a framework to enable the transmission of customized avatars across the messaging platform. The avatars may be recipe based, such that a receiving client device can receive the avatar recipe and render an avatar based on the recipe. In one embodiment the recipe includes set of components and a parameters associated with the set of components. An expression identifier associated with an expression to represent via the avatar can be received via the messaging platform and an animation of the avatar can be displayed to convey the intended expression.

Abstract: An avatar editing environment is disclosed that allows users to create custom avatars for use in online games and other applications. Starting with a blank face the user can add, rescale and position different elements (e.g., eyes, nose, mouth) on the blank face. The user can also change the shape of the avatar's face, the avatar's skin color and the color of all the elements. In some implementations, touch input and gestures can be used to manually edit the avatar. Various controls can be used to create the avatar, such as controls for resizing, rotating, positioning, etc. The user can choose between manual and automatic avatar creation. The avatar editing environment can be part of a framework that is available to applications. One or more elements of the avatar can be animated.

Abstract: Systems and processes for operating a digital assistant are provided. In accordance with one or more examples, a method includes, at a user device with one or more processors and memory, receiving unstructured natural language information from at least one user. The method also includes, in response to receiving the unstructured natural language information, determining whether event information is present in the unstructured natural language information. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that event information is present within the unstructured natural language information, determining whether an agreement on an event is present in the unstructured natural language information. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that an agreement on an event is present, determining an event type of the event and providing an event description based on the event type.

Abstract: A mapping application that intelligently places distance labels along a route in a map is disclosed. A distance label placed at a particular position of the route shows the distance to the particular location from the starting point of the route. Distance labels allow the user of the map to quickly appreciate the distances between the various points of interest (e.g., maneuvers) along the route. In some mapping applications that display the route as a list of driving directions, the distance labels are placed alongside the list of driving directions, and each distance label is associated with a maneuver in the list of directions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for proactively identifying and surfacing relevant content are disclosed herein. An example method includes: detecting, via the touch-sensitive display, a search activation gesture from a user of the electronic device. The method also includes: in response to detecting only the search activation gesture, displaying a search interface on substantially all of the touch-sensitive display, the search interface including: (i) a search entry portion; and (ii) a predictions portion with one or more user interface objects each associated with a respective locally-installed application. Each respective locally-installed application is selected from among a plurality of locally-installed applications for inclusion in the predictions portion based on an application usage history associated with the user of the electronic device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for proactively identifying and surfacing relevant content on an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display are disclosed herein. In one aspect, a method includes executing, on the device, an application in response to an instruction from a user of the electronic device. While executing the application, the method further includes collecting usage data. The usage data at least includes one or more actions performed by the user within the application. The method also includes: automatically, without human intervention, obtaining at least one trigger condition based on the collected usage data and associating the at least one trigger condition with a particular action of the one or more actions performed by the user within the application. Upon determining that the at least one trigger condition has been satisfied, the method includes providing an indication to the user that the particular action associated with the trigger condition is available.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of a device that suggests a tokenized query completion for an input query prefix is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives a query prefix from a client, wherein the query prefix includes a plurality of words. The device further generates a results set by searching a structured database using the query prefix for matches to the plurality of words in the query prefix. The device additionally determines a subset of query prefix that match specific fields of the results set by using the last N grams in the query prefix. In addition, the device ranks a tokenized query completion as a search suggestion using the query prefix, where the tokenized query completion includes a token that is a match between a matching word in the subset of query prefix and the corresponding specific field for the matching word.

Abstract: Systems and methods for proactively assisting users with accurately locating a parked vehicle are disclosed herein. An example method includes: automatically, and without instructions from a user: determining that a user of the electronic device is in a vehicle that has come to rest at a geographic location. Upon determining that the user has left the vehicle at the geographic location, the method includes automatically, and without instructions from a user: determining whether positioning information, retrieved from the location sensor to identify the geographic location, satisfies accuracy criteria. Upon determining that the positioning information does not satisfy the accuracy criteria, the method includes: providing a prompt to the user to input information about the geographic location. In response to providing the prompt, the method includes receiving information from the user about the geographic location and storing the information as vehicle location information.

Abstract: A device implementing a system for providing query completion suggestions includes at least one processor configured to receive a partial query, and derive one or more query completion suggestions for the partial query from content items that are locally stored on the device, each respective query completion suggestion being associated with metadata extracted from one of the content items from which the respective query completion suggestion was derived. The at least one processor is further configured to rank the one or more query completion suggestions based at least in part on the metadata associated with each of the one or more query completion suggestions. The at least one processor is further configured to provide, for display, at least one of the one or more ranked query completion suggestions.

Abstract: This application relates to techniques for dynamically displaying relevant files for selection by a user at a computing device. The technique can provide a file browser that, upon detection of a file selection, performs enumeration procedures on a file access service that provides the file. The results of the enumeration procedures are utilized by a file provider daemon to synchronize locally cached files that fall under the domain of at least one file access service. Using key property data identified by the file provider daemon, a file access service responsible for a locally cached file can communicate an updated version of the locally cached for receipt by the file browser. The file browser can then display the updated version of the locally cached file within a pre-defined category for quick access by the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods for proactively populating an application with information that was previously viewed by a user in a different application are disclosed herein. An example method includes: while displaying a first application, obtaining information identifying a first physical location viewed by a user in the first application. The method also includes exiting the first application and, after exiting the first application, receiving a request from the user to open a second application that is distinct from the first application. In response to receiving the request and in accordance with a determination that the second application is capable of accepting geographic location information, the method includes presenting the second application so that the second application is populated with information that is based at least in part on the information identifying the first physical location.

Abstract: A mapping application that intelligently places distance labels along a route in a map is disclosed. A distance label placed at a particular position of the route shows the distance to the particular location from the starting point of the route. Distance labels allow the user of the map to quickly appreciate the distances between the various points of interest (e.g., maneuvers) along the route. In some mapping applications that display the route as a list of driving directions, the distance labels are placed alongside the list of driving directions, and each distance label is associated with a maneuver in the list of directions.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a mapping application that includes a novel dynamic scale that can be used to perform different zoom operations. In some embodiments, the scale also serves as a distance measurement indicator for a corresponding zoom level. The application continuously adjusts several different attributes of the scale, including the scale size, the number of segments on the scale and the representative distance of a segment on the scale. In some embodiments, the mapping application provides a smart zoom feature that guides a user during a zoom to a location. In particular, the smart zoom detects that a location of a zoom is near a pin on the map, and if so, zooms to the pin on the map. Otherwise, if the location is near a cloud of pins, the application zooms to the cloud of pins. Otherwise the zoom is directed towards the user's selected location.

Abstract: Various embodiments provide for techniques to facilitate online communication. In one embodiment, the communication is facilitated by providing a framework to enable the transmission of customized avatars across the messaging platform. The avatars may be recipe based, such that a receiving client device can receive the avatar recipe and render an avatar based on the recipe. In one embodiment the recipe includes set of components and a parameters associated with the set of components. An expression identifier associated with an expression to represent via the avatar can be received via the messaging platform and an animation of the avatar can be displayed to convey the intended expression.

Abstract: Systems and processes for operating a digital assistant are provided. In accordance with one or more examples, a method includes, at a user device with one or more processors and memory, receiving unstructured natural language information from at least one user. The method also includes, in response to receiving the unstructured natural language information, determining whether event information is present in the unstructured natural language information. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that event information is present within the unstructured natural language information, determining whether an agreement on an event is present in the unstructured natural language information. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that an agreement on an event is present, determining an event type of the event and providing an event description based on the event type.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a mapping application that includes a novel compass control that can be used to navigate a presentation of a map. The mapping application displays one of a two-dimensional (2D) presentation of the map and a three-dimensional (3D) presentation of the map at a given time. The compass control may be used to rotate a view of the map based on a first type of input to the compass control and transition between the 2D presentation and the 3D presentation based on a second type of input to the compass control. In addition to causing the application to perform the various operations, the compass control in some embodiments serves as (1) an indicator as to whether the mapping application is currently in a 2D mode or a 3D mode and (2) an indicator that continuously points to north.

Abstract: A sharing extension point receives a request from a host application for sharing content, the sharing extension point being one of the extension points of an extension framework of an operating system, each corresponding to a common interface to extend a predefined functionality of one application to another application. In response, a sharing extension capable of providing content sharing services is launched. Data representing a share sheet created by the sharing extension is injected into a content viewer within the host application as a share sheet done, where the share sheet done has a reduced resolution image of the content displayed therein. In response to receiving a commit command for sharing, the actual content is retrieved from the host application and the retrieved content is transmitted to the sharing extension to enable the sharing extension to post the share sheet on a sharing platform.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a mapping application that includes a novel compass control that can be used to navigate a presentation of a map. The mapping application displays one of a two-dimensional (2D) presentation of the map and a three-dimensional (3D) presentation of the map at a given time. The compass control may be used to rotate a view of the map based on a first type of input to the compass control and transition between the 2D presentation and the 3D presentation based on a second type of input to the compass control. In addition to causing the application to perform the various operations, the compass control in some embodiments serves as (1) an indicator as to whether the mapping application is currently in a 2D mode or a 3D mode and (2) an indicator that continuously points to north.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a mapping application that includes a novel dynamic scale that can be used to perform different zoom operations. In some embodiments, the scale also serves as a distance measurement indicator for a corresponding zoom level. The application continuously adjusts several different attributes of the scale, including the scale size, the number of segments on the scale and the representative distance of a segment on the scale. In some embodiments, the mapping application provides a smart zoom feature that guides a user during a zoom to a location. In particular, the smart zoom detects that a location of a zoom is near a pin on the map, and if so, zooms to the pin on the map. Otherwise, if the location is near a cloud of pins, the application zooms to the cloud of pins. Otherwise the zoom is directed towards the user's selected location.

Abstract: An avatar editing environment is disclosed that allows users to create custom avatars for use in online games and other applications. Starting with a blank face the user can add, rescale and position different elements (e.g., eyes, nose, mouth) on the blank face. The user can also change the shape of the avatar's face, the avatar's skin color and the color of all the elements. In some implementations, touch input and gestures can be used to manually edit the avatar. Various controls can be used to create the avatar, such as controls for resizing, rotating, positioning, etc. The user can choose between manual and automatic avatar creation. The avatar editing environment can be part of a framework that is available to applications. One or more elements of the avatar can be animated.