Send tips/talk to abner@9to5mac.com or @technacity (open DMs).
Abner Li has worked at 9to5Google since 2015 and in late 2020 took on the role of editor-in-chief. He is keenly focused on tracking what happens at Google, and is often the first to spot new features in Google’s ever-growing family of applications that are updated on a daily basis, including Search, Assistant, Maps, Workspace, Android, Chrome/OS, Wear OS, and YouTube Music.
To him, what Google does greatly impacts the technology space and modern life. Inside the company, he is particularly interested in the key products mentioned above, as well as services like Google Podcasts and Google Lens. Each are massive platforms that can be unwieldy to grasp, with Abner keenly bent on understanding their philosophy and future direction. He is most excited about Google’s plans for augmented reality glasses.
Abner spearheads the APK Insight program at 9to5Google to chronicle all changes in the company’s Android apps, often finding new features before they are officially announced. This includes redesigns and revamps, launches, and new products.
A big area of interest is Google’s hardware division, including Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest. He detailed all of the Pixel 3’s camera features before launch and scooped the 2nd-generation Nest Hub’s Soli-powered Sleep Sensing capability, including how it would integrate with Google Fit.
Recently, Abner detailed the Pixel Watch’s specs in full before launch, including bands and pricing. He also got wind of the Pixel Tablet’s ultimate form factor.
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.
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Google Photos has rolled out a “classic search” toggle for Ask Photos that delivers a big quality-of-life improvement.
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Another update for the Snapseed Camera on Android this month introduces location metadata and support for saving the original image.
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With the start of the Android 17 QPR2 Beta today, Google confirmed that the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro will reach End of Life before that December release.
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With the QPR1 preview winding down, Google today is rolling out Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1 for Pixel devices.
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YouTube is aware of an issue on Android and iPhone where picture-in-picture (PiP) mode does not activate when closing the app.
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Google is making a policy change to Android backups that adjusts what counts toward your Google Account storage.
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While we wait for the Pixel 11 launch, rumors about the Pixel 11a and even 12a are already emerging.
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To mark World Emoji Day, Google has delved into the design of its new 3D emoji. As previewed at The Android Show in May, all 3,977 emoji characters have been redesigned to be three-dimensional.
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Google Photos is finally rolling out a floating bottom bar redesign on Android that updates how you navigate the app.
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Apple TV and Apple Music for Android are rolling out sizable updates today, with homescreen widgets as the shared theme.
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Google Health 5.04 is rolling out today with a focus on nutrition updates — a big complaint of the initial redesign — and other bug fixes.
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In mid-May, Google announced Gemini 3.5 Flash at I/O 2026 and said the Pro version would arrive in June. On stage, Google said it was “showing great improvements.” That deadline has passed with no update on when to expect it.
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After releasing two new options after I/O, Google might soon let you customize Gemini voice across four parameters.
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Following Now Playing’s split-view redesign earlier this year, YouTube Music is testing fullscreen cover art.
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Google announced today that NotebookLM is now called “Gemini Notebook” and previewed upcoming features that users can soon expect.
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Google is updating AI Mode with support for more first and third-party apps, just like the Gemini app.
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Following the last release two weeks ago, Android 17 QPR1 Beta 7 is rolling out today for Pixel devices.
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Following the last update two weeks ago, Google is rolling out a series of new features for Gemini Spark.
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Following the event announcement last week, Google today released the first Pixel 11 teaser.
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Google today announced a limited-time Pixel Care+ open enrollment period for existing Pixel 9 and 10 owners.
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Google is rolling out version 5.03 of the Health app with more quality-of-life updates on Android and iOS.
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Google today announced Gemma 4 E2B for TPU that’s designed to run natively on the Pixel 10’s TPU. Gemma is Google’s series of open models that can run on-device.
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Google Images is celebrating its 25th birthday this week, and marking the occasion with a new homepage experience.
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