Google is now rolling out Android 17 Beta 1 for Pixel [U]
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What’s new in Android’s February 2026 Google System Updates [U]
The monthly “Google System Release Notes” primarily detail what’s new in Play services, Play Store, and Play system update across Android phones/tablets, Wear OS, Google/Android TV, Auto, and PC. Some features apply to end users, while others are aimed at developers.
Expand Expanding CloseHere’s how you’ll control and navigate Android XR glasses
Android XR glasses are coming in 2026. Here’s what you can expect from the user interface and experience.
Expand Expanding CloseThe Sideload 022: Name! That! Phone!
Welcome to The Sideload episode 22, a 9to5Google podcast. This week, Will welcomes Joe Maring back to the show to discuss his recent anti-buyer’s guide, a list of Android devices he currently recommends you stay away from. After discussions around the Pixel 9a and Motorola’s Moto G-series, Joe plays the first-ever round of a new game invented by Will, where he’ll have to figure out what smartphone is being described just from a handful of clues. Play along at home!
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Apple starts testing end-to-end RCS encryption on iPhone, but without Android support
Apple’s latest iOS 26.4 beta is now available for iPhone owners, with an added perk for RCS messaging – end-to-end encryption. But, unfortunately, that doesn’t work with Android yet.
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Android Auto 16.3 update lands with traces of video apps, light theme
Google has started rolling out Android Auto 16.3 through the beta track and while there are no major changes, there are a couple of hints at what’s to come, including the arrival of video apps.
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Today’s Android app deals and freebies: DREDGE, Paign, Tiny Terraces, Botanicula, more
Your afternoon lineup of the best Android game and app deals is here, including titles like DREDGE, Paign, Tiny Terraces, Botanicula, Bright Memory: Infinite, and more. On your way down be sure to dive into the now live Presidents Day sales at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Samsung, as well as our Presidents Day deal hub. We are also tracking up to $400 off a range of Samsung Galaxy gear as well as a return low on Lenovo’s compact yet powerful Legion Tab Gen 3 Android tablet, but for now we are focused on the Google Play Android app deals and they are all waiting below.
Read MoreGboard might finally add a cursor – the only good thing about the iPhone’s keyboard
I’m not the first to sing the praises of Gboard. Google has done an excellent job evolving the once-basic AOSP keyboard into the most obvious choice on Android, to the point where I’m not sure why I’d recommend using anything else besides it. Now, Google might be working on fixing the one shortcoming I’ve found while typing on Gboard daily since its initial branding, and in a strange twist, it’s an idea taken directly from iOS.
Expand Expanding CloseMore leaked Galaxy Buds 4 images show Samsung is going back to basics
It’s a tale as old as time. Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Buds 4 have leaked, almost a full week before the company’s launch event.
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Presidents Day deals: Lenovo Legion Tab Gen 3 $180 off, Galaxy gear up to $400 off, much more
Presidents Day 2026 is now in full swing with sale events at Samsung, Amazon, and elsewhere. The Samsung sale is delivering up to $400 off Galaxy Z Fold/Flip 7, Tabs from $210, as much as $1,500 off Bespoke appliances, and much more detailed for you right here. We also locked down some notable discounts on Lenovo gear including Legion Tab Gen 3 Android tablet back to its lowest price at $180 off and even more starting from $90, as well as a chance to score some Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 from $142 and a host of Anker charging gear at up to 55% off. Scope it all out down below.
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Xiaomi 17 series reportedly skips rear-display model in Europe, launching February 28
A new leak reveals Xiaomi’s plans for the launch of the Xiaomi 17 series in Europe, but with one of the most interesting versions missing.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube ad blocker war continues as comments and video descriptions go missing
A number of YouTube users are reporting missing comments and video descriptions, and it appears to be yet another result of the continued war on ad blockers.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung knows exactly how you’ll use Galaxy S26 Ultra’s ‘Privacy Display’ in teaser [Video]
One of the few actual upgrades coming to the Galaxy S26 series is the “Privacy Display” expected to launch on the Galaxy S26 Ultra, and in continued teasers, Samsung seems to know exactly how you’ll be using it.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel 10a carrier leak confirms some core specs ahead of this week’s launch
Google’s Pixel 10a is set to launch on February 18 – just a couple of days from now – and now a carrier leak is reaffirming a few core specs for the upcoming mid-range smartphone.
Expand Expanding CloseGemini app makes sharing more prominent in chats, boosts icon
Gemini for Android has rolled out tweaks to the chat page that make sharing and the overflow menu more prominent actions.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid Find Hub trackers continue to ignore UWB – here’s why
One of the key marketing points of the Apple AirTag is “Precision Finding,” which shows you the precise location of your tracker beyond what Bluetooth is capable of. That’s accomplished using UWB, but that feature is also missing from the vast majority of Android Find Hub trackers, and there are a few key reasons why.
Expand Expanding CloseGboard rolls out ‘auto-switch after apostrophes’ & M3 Expressive Settings redesign [U]
As we wait for the broader redesign, Gboard for Android is getting a nice quality-of-life improvement with the “auto-switch after apostrophes” shortcut.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle sets accelerated Android 17 release schedule
Besides replacing Developer Previews, the Android 17 Beta cycle is operating on a faster release schedule.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Pixel getting ‘dedicated’ Now Playing app, coming to Play Store
Now Playing is one of the Pixel’s oldest features and Google is getting ready to give it a big app “upgrade.”
Expand Expanding CloseApp ‘Handoff’ coming to Android 17 for cross-device continuity
Besides what was detailed in Google’s blog post, another new “cross-device continuity” feature coming to Android 17 is “Handoff.”
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How to install the Android 17 Beta on Google Pixel
Google has released Android 17 in beta for Pixel devices, skipping the usual Developer Preview given the arrival of new Canary builds, and you can install it now. Here’s how.
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Pixel Launcher search bar gets a ‘redesign’ in Android 17 Beta 1
Up is down and down is up in Android 17 Beta 1. The first iteration of Google’s Android 17 update brings back a familiar design in place of the Pixel Launcher’s immovable search bar.
Expand Expanding ClosePixelated 088: The beta that (almost) wasn’t
Welcome to episode 88 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Ben Schoon joins Damien and Will to talk through the announcement — and subsequent unannouncement — of Android 17. The group talks through how and why this launch fell apart before discussing exactly what expectations we all should have for Android updates in 2026. Then they turn to Samsung, which just confirmed an Unpacked announcement for late February for a series of phones that has us scratching our heads when it comes to big year-over-year improvements.
This episode was recorded prior to Android 17’s eventual release on Friday afternoon.
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Expand Expanding CloseGalaxy A17 trades performance for Android updates, and I don’t think it’s worth it
One of the first things cut on budget phones is often long-term software support –I’m looking at you Motorola –, but that’s not the case with Samsung’s Galaxy A17, which is promised six years of Android OS updates. But, can anyone actually use this $199 phone for that long?
Expand Expanding CloseHere’s everything new in Android 17 Beta 1 [Gallery]
Google today officially announced Android 17 Beta 1 for Pixel devices. This joins the stable Android 16 QPR2 release and 16 QPR3 Beta that’s winding down.
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