Today
Following the redesign in Android 12, calls from Pixel owners that want the option to remove At a Glance have only increased. It’s unlikely that will happen anytime soon as Google is very much in the middle of justifying At a Glance’s existence and making it a pillar of the helpful Pixel experience.
Yesterday
Google is rolling out a new Side Panel UI in desktop Chrome that provides fast access to your bookmarks and Reading List.
Chris McKillop, engineering director of Google’s Fuchsia project, leaves the company
The engineering lead of Google’s Fuchsia operating system, Chris McKillop, has announced his departure from Google.
Google is currently in the process of rolling out some major updates to Gmail’s web client on desktop devices, and it seems another feature is coming. We’ve observed Gmail offering an option to pause notifications on your smartphone if you’re actively using the desktop client.
How to use wireless Android Auto
Our phones have the ability to make a commute or road trip better with free navigation and access to music and more, and systems like Android Auto make all of that safer and less distracting. While Android Auto is convenient in any form, it’s best when wireless. Here’s how to use wireless Android Auto.
It looks like Sony is chomping at the bit to add a new subscription service to compete with Xbox’s Game Pass. To add, GeForce Now is offering up a lot this week with a few new games, Fortnite‘s newest season, and some pretty exclusive new in-game quests.
It was a quiet week for Stadia with just one new game released, but there’s some fun in the pipeline with April’s Stadia Pro lineup having been revealed and Far Cry 6 offering up a free-to-play weekend.
Nest Hub adding simple birthday countdowns, here’s how to control
Since the start of this year, Assistant Smart Displays haven’t seen too many new capabilities. A small feature addition today does add birthday countdowns to the Nest Hub.
Samsung is now rolling out the latest March 2022 Android security update, including One UI 4.1 for some devices, to its massive lineup of Galaxy devices.
Android app deals of the day: The Almost Gone, Package Inc, Peppa Pig Sports, more
It’s Friday afternoon and that means it’s time to head into the weekend with all of the best Google Play Android app deals. But first, go check out this deal on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 and rare price drops on official Google Pixel 6/Pro cases, then head back here for all of your software needs. Today’s collection has a number of notable standouts including The Almost Gone, Package Inc, Traffix, Codex of Victory, Peppa Pig: Sports Day, and more. Head below the fold for a closer look at today’s best Android app deals.
Google TV integrates with over 30 streaming services and apps, here’s the full list [U]
Perhaps the most useful thing about the new Google TV platform is the ability to aggregate and organize content from a variety of different sources. Which ones, though? Here’s a full list of streaming services and apps that Google TV supports.
In Samsung’s One UI 4.1, Smart Widgets for Galaxy phones were introduced to make things a little easier. These specialized widgets are stackable and can house several widgets at once. Here’s how you can add some of your own to your Galaxy device.
We’re all encouraged to keep our hands off of our phones while driving, but as our media shifts from the radio to streaming apps, that becomes just a bit harder. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been using Spotify Car Thing to control music on my drives, and while it’s a device full of great ideas, I can’t help but feel it’s somewhat redundant at this point.
Evidence within the Fitbit app suggests that Google’s acquisition has multiple fitness wearables on the horizon, none of which appear to run Wear OS.
With the small business-focused Workspace Individual tier last year, Google Calendar gained appointment scheduling. Google is now bringing Calendar booking pages to the other enterprise and education Workspace tiers.
Deals: Anker charging gear from $16, Motorola Edge+ launch discount, more
All of today’s pre-weekend deals kick off with popular Anker PowerExtend power strips from $16. That’s alongside a pair of Amazon’s 60W USB-C cables for $6 and this ongoing Motorola Edge+ discount. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.
With Android 12, Google introduced a “performance class” to let app developers “understand what a device is capable of, and tailor [their] user experience accordingly.” The Pixel 6 and several other modern flagships were the “first to optimize” and meet the standard, which apps like Snapchat are using, but Samsung is absent.
When Samsung launched the Galaxy S22 series, the trio of handsets came with One UI 4.1. This slightly updated Android 12 build for Galaxy phones includes some new features and functions that will slowly come to more devices over the coming months. Here are some of the best new features.
It seems that Google’s music service, YouTube Music, is currently experiencing issues with casting music to Chromecast, Google TV, and Android TV devices.
Samsung is by far the biggest player in the foldable smartphone market today, and as such it’s usually safe to assume that if someone is praising the innovative technology, they’re referring to one of Samsung’s devices. Somewhat hilariously, though, Samsung got caught praising the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s biggest competitor, the Oppo Find N, on Twitter.
Google Arts & Culture launches ‘Giga Manga’ web app that lets you create manga characters using AI
As part of the ongoing Google Arts & Culture experiments with machine learning, a new “Giga Manga” web app will now let you create your very own manga characters with a simple sketch.
The original Google Pixel and Pixel XL now have a new lease on life courtesy of Android 11 support via the third-party LineageOS 18.1 ROM.
March 24
There’s nothing worse than trying to find your way when suddenly you run out of signal and can’t view your map. Fortunately, Google Maps has a feature for downloading maps for offline use. Here’s how to use it.
Google recently updated the default “Shopping List” experience used by Assistant and Home devices. For many users, it’s a huge visual and functional regression that has taken away useful capabilities.
Steelseries has a rich history of making high-quality gaming accessories, and that continues with the Stratus+. Designed specifically for Android and Chromebook usage, just why is this a great gaming companion for services like NVIDIA GeForce NOW? Here are some of the key functions and features.
In releasing QPR3 Beta 1.1 for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro today, Google also announced that it will soon give testers the ability to opt out of the Android Beta Program at the end of every cycle without having to wipe their device.
Cellular plans come in all shapes and sizes, and not all are created equally. No matter what kind of plan you’re on, you might be able to benefit from an easy way to manage your data right in your device’s settings. This guide will take you through setting and managing cellular data limits on your Pixel, so you can save mobile data on Android.
Android app deals of the day: Baldur’s Gate II, Everybody’s RPG, Mars Power Industries, more
Thursday’s most notable price drops on Android apps are now organized down below. Just be sure to scope out the first price drop on the brand new Motorola Edge+ smartphone as well ongoing deals on Samsung’s new Galaxy S22 while you’re at it. This afternoon’s collection includes titles like Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced, Everybody’s RPG, Mars Power Industries, Twilight Pro Unlock, Speed View GPS Pro, and more. Hit the jump for a complete look at today’s best Android game and app deals.
Following the launch two weeks ago, Google is now rolling out Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1.1 for the Pixel 6 series. This is a preview for the upcoming June Feature Drop.
To date, Google has released three Assistant Smart Displays. 9to5Google can now report that the company is working on a new Nest Hub for 2022 with a dockable tablet form factor where the screen detaches from a base/speaker.
Some Pixel 6 owners say haptic vibrations are weaker following the Android 12L update
The March 2022 update for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro was delayed for weeks, after just rolling out a few days ago. However, it seems that some bugs have stuck around despite the delay, as some Pixel 6 owners are reporting that haptic vibrations feel weaker following the Android 12L update.
Android 12 is one of the platform’s most meaningful updates for the big screen in a while, but despite its early start, it hasn’t shown up on any devices. In a new blog post published this week, Google has confirmed that Android TV 12 will be available on devices this year.
Update: Google has updated the blog post to say that Android TV 12 won’t debut until “later” this year, retracting the earlier mention of “early.”
Google has a new series of ads that are aimed at getting iPhone users to switch to its browser by pointing out how they’re likely using desktop Chrome and could get those features on mobile.
Chromebooks get a new $40 wireless keyboard and mouse combo from CTL w/ ‘Everything’ button
If a Chromebook or Chromebox is your daily machine, you’ve got a new official keyboard and mouse combo option available for pre-order now with a native layout, certification from Google, and more. Here’s what you need to know about CTL’s new wireless keyboard combo for Chrome OS.
Deals: Motorola Edge+ $100 launch discount, TP-Link Assistant gear from $24, more
All of today’s best deals are headlined by the Motorola Edge+ seeing a launch discount at $100 off. That’s alongside TP-Link Kasa smart power strips from $26 and these ongoing Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 price cuts from $210. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.
As of last year, Google Health is a “company-wide effort to help billions of people be healthier” that’s distributed across several product teams. At its second annual “The Check Up” event, Google showed off its latest health research and features to accomplish that goal.
Earlier this year Google added a neat and fun addition to Gboard in its Emoji Kitchen. The feature lets Android users create wacky combinations of different emoji directly on their keyboard, before sending those creations in their favorite apps. Here’s the full list of what’s supported in the Emoji Kitchen, as well as how you can use it on Android, answers about how it works on iOS, and the latest updates to the feature.
Samsung has doubled down on foldables over the past couple of years, and it seems the next generation will take a step even past Samsung’s current Galaxy S22 series. The latest rumors claim that Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 will use a new “Plus” variant of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, and they’ll also be joined by a brand-new form factor.
Four months after being “retired,” Spotify is letting customers test out a completely overhauled automotive interface called Car Mode.
Developer brings Android 12L to Raspberry Pi 4 w/ custom ROM
As if bringing Android 12L to the nine-year-old Nexus 7 was not enough, a developer has ported the latest mobile OS build to the Raspberry Pi 4.
Under Oppo’s roof, the OnePlus launched its 2022 flagship in China all the way back in January without any mention of when it would come to other markets. Soon, that’s changing. The OnePlus 10 Pro will be officially announced for other regions, including the US and Europe, on March 31.
March 23
With the war in Ukraine ongoing, Google today detailed its company-wide response to the conflict with a focus on the “safety and security of our employees, users, and customers.”
Google Photos has a built-in editor, giving you the ability to really dig in and adjust your images. So what editing tools are available in Google Photos editor?
Back in 2020, Google announced that it would require all apps in the Play Store to use its billing system but later delayed that to this month. Google will soon allow Android apps to use their own payment system as long as Play Store billing is an option alongside it, with Spotify notably the first “User Choice Billing” partner.
Android app deals of the day: YoWindow Weather, Pocket Harvest, Glidey, more
All of Wednesday’s best deals on Android apps are now up for the taking and sitting alongside offers on Samsung’s new Galaxy S22 as well as its Galaxy Watch 4 smartwatches. Our Google Play app deal collection is headlined by titles including YoWindow Weather – Unlimited, World Cruise Story, Pocket Harvest, Glidey, Minesweeper Pro, and much more. Hit the jump for a complete look at today’s best game and app deals.
Many an Android phone have hidden features that don’t get the limelight all too often. One of these features, in my opinion, is Rules. What are they? Well, let’s dig in and find out how to use Rules on the Pixel.
[Update: Full restock] Bellroy says Pixel 6 cases are its ‘most popular product release ever’
Reports earlier this year said Google was making an aggressive manufacturing push for the Pixel 6. The company has historically never revealed numbers, but one possible indicator today comes from Pixel 6 case maker Bellroy.
This week, Google announced another step towards the end of Play Movies & TV as it continues to push towards Google TV instead. It’s the right call, but with a headache attached for many customers.
