For the vast majority of modern Google apps, version number jumps don’t really signify anything meaningful. That said, YouTube Music just hit version 7.0 and is finally updating its app store screenshots. 

With the launch of the Android 15 Beta 2 update at I/O 2024, Google has given us what could be the biggest beta update in around two years. Some changes are small; some are pretty big. Here’s everything you need to know.

Despite reports that Sony’s smartphone business is shrinking, the company this week launched the Xperia 1 VI, a more powerful Android smartphone that won’t be coming to the US market.

Back in October, the Google Home app team said it was working on a homescreen widget. We might now have our first look at the design as Google at I/O 2024 worked to encourage widget adoption.

May 17, 2009 saw the release of “Cave Game,” the first iteration of what would soon become Minecraft. This year, the game celebrates its 15-year anniversary and, with that, Google has a fun new Easter egg too.

Earlier this week it was revealed that Google Pixel devices, thanks to changes in Android, technically had the capability to run ChromeOS. That won’t be coming anytime soon though, it seems, as Google has confirmed that work was only a proof-of-concept.

At I/O 2024, Google’s work on passkeys continues with an even easier sign-in process, as well as platform updates across Android 15 and Wear OS 5.

Google Wallet is getting a number of updates at I/O 2024 from expanded push notifications to a new “Everything else” pass creation option.

Back in March, Google’s announcement about the latest Maps travel features included a mention of how the app is getting a “cleaner home screen.” At I/O 2024, we get a glimpse at the new Google Maps bottom bar.

In an update provided this week, Google Sheets is now rolling out long-requested support for convert a block of cells into a table.

Google had added a clever new “Adaptive Vibration” setting in Android 15 Beta 2 which allows Pixel phones to use their microphones to adjust vibration strength.

Education customers can now purchase Gemini for Google Workspace. This gives educators access to the side panel, Help me write/organize/visualize, and more. 

Alongside the announcement that Android 14 is coming to TVs, I/O 2024 also brought the news that Google TV is preparing AI recommendations and descriptions for your living room.

YouTube Brandcast is a keynote aimed at advertisers, and the 2024 edition has some announcements that viewers will certainly notice, including branded QR codes.

Over the past few decades, our lives have moved increasingly online. Instead of locking paper documents into fireproof/waterproof safes and loading photos into album books, we now stash all of our memories and important documentation onto our devices and into the cloud.

This Family Day, our friends at pCloud are offering a chance to invest in discounted lifetime cloud storage – up to 10 TB! – to share among members of your family, securing their digital lives.

Private space is rolling out with Android 15 Beta 2, and — from our brief usage — the user-friendly experience could be quite versatile.