Ahead of the start of developer verification next month, Google is now rolling out Android’s “advanced” flow for sideloading.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle ‘gradually’ rolling out Android’s ‘advanced’ sideloading ahead of developer verification
Author
Ben Schoon is a Senior Editor at 9to5Google, working for the publication as one of its primary news writers since 2016.
In 2013, Ben helped start an independent tech publication where he learned the skills used at 9to5Google including writing, product photography, and videography. He is located in the city of Winston-Salem in North Carolina where he lives with his wife Melissa. Ben is an avid disc golf player.
He primarily covers Android products, including Google Pixel devices, Samsung Galaxy smartphones, as well as devices from OnePlus, Oppo, Motorola, and more. Beyond just covering news about these products, Ben also spends time using these products himself, speaking from experience with the articles he writes. Some of Ben’s most recent hands-on reviews include; Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel Watch 2, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Motorola Razr+, HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, and more.
Ben is also a leading source for information about Google’s Android TV, diving deeply into important parts of the platform including its powerful Operator Tier, explaining future changes to the platform, and reviewing its products such as Chromecast with Google TV, Nvidia Shield TV, and more.
In 2019, Ben leaked one of the first in-person photos of the Pixel 4 before later revealing the Recorder and Pixel Themes apps months ahead of launch. In 2020, Ben also reported on multiple upcoming Pixel devices including Pixel 5a and the first report of Google working on a foldable Pixel smartphone. That same month, he was also the first to correctly report the $49 price point of what became the Chromecast with Google TV.
Ben Schoon is active on Twitter, @nexusben, but can also be found on Instagram and LinkedIn. For questions or tips, you can email him directly, and his portfolio is also available online.
Email: schoon@9to5mac.com | Encrypted Email: benschoon@protonmail.com
Claude can now send emails in Gmail, even without your approval
Anthropic’s Claude AI can now take a huge step in your email inbox, with the ability to not only interact with Gmail, but send emails on your behalf without asking you first.
Expand Expanding CloseSpotify rolling out ‘User Notes’ and ‘Running Mode’ features on Android – here’s what they do
Spotify is introducing two new features this week including a “Running Mode” that can automatically match songs and playlists to the pace of your workout, as well as “User Notes” which let you leave notes throughout your library to refer to later.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung makes warranty repairs easier with Android 17, advertises it with AI guinea pigs [Gallery]
Live on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series and presumably coming to more devices when Android 17 / One UI 9 rolls out more broadly, Samsung is showing off a new “Warranty and Care” menu that makes it a whole lot easier to deal with repairs and warranty claims on your Galaxy device.
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NBC raises Peacock’s price for the fourth year in a row
NBC Universal has announced that Peacock will get yet another price hike, the fourth time in the platform’s history, which also now makes for a price hike in each of the past four years.
Expand Expanding CloseFairphone officially starts selling its new repairable Android phone in the US for $649
Following the launch of audio products in the US earlier this year, Fairphone is officially bringing its repairable Android phone, the Fairphone Gen 6+, to the States for $649.
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It’s not just you, Google’s Nest Hubs were hit with an outage late last night
If your “goodnight” routine was met with silence last night, you’re not alone. Google’s Nest Hub devices were hit with a widespread outage that broke functionality entirely, but it’s all back in action this morning.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Pixel strategy is now ‘attack,’ 13 million phones in 2026, ending China production
A new report details Google’s plans to completely end production in China as soon as next year, while the company is aiming to sell around 13 million Pixel phones in 2026.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube now counts video views immediately, ‘from the very first frame’
Starting next week, YouTube will change how view counts on a video are measured, with a view now being registered immediately as a viewer starts watching a video.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle just bought a bunch of Spirit Airlines data for AI training
As the AI race continues to hunt for new data to use for AI training, Google has just purchased a huge dump of old data from the now-defunct Spirit Airlines to be “helpful” in training its AI models.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung Galaxy design might ditch its ‘core identity’ for a Pixel camera bar – it needs to
New evidence suggests that Samsung is possibly, maybe, potentially looking to move away from the vertical camera design on Galaxy phones that it recently called its “core identity” for something closer to a Pixel camera bar, and I seriously hope it happens.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle says Pixel 11’s new MediaTek modem is ‘faster and more power efficient’
The Pixel 11 series brings Google’s updated Tensor G6 chipset that, while not quite as big of an upgrade as we expected, still brings a big new change in a MediaTek-made modem that Google has some claims about.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung is reportedly building an even wider Galaxy Z Fold 9 for video viewing
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is an absolute smash hit and, with that in mind, Samsung is reportedly doubling down on the form factor with a second wide device now in the works for the Galaxy Z Fold 9 series, making for a total of five new foldables in 2027.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel 11 Pro’s ‘HiLight’ is another half-baked feature burdened by bad first impressions
There are a few trends that have shown up on Pixel phones over the years, but one of the most frustrating is that Google keeps launching half-baked features on its devices that take way too long to reach their potential, just to be taken away afterwards. “HiLight” is the worst example of that to date.
9to5Google Weekender by Ben Schoon is a part of our free newsletter that also includes ‘Inbox,’ a twice-weekly roundup of key stories from around the web by Daniel Bader. Sign up here to get Weekender delivered to your inbox every Sunday along with ‘Inbox’ on Tuesday and Thursday. You can find past issues here.
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Pixel 11 ads show a mysterious screen-equipped tracker that’s not Pixel Watch 5 or Fitbit Air [Gallery]
Google might have another fitness tracker in the works, as a pair of new ads online show off a mysterious little pebble that’s neither a Fitbit Air nor a Pixel Watch 5 – but is it anything at all?
Expand Expanding ClosePixel 11 Pro Fold is stuck as the fourth-best foldable, and that’s a good thing for you [Gallery]
Google came back onto the foldable scene with splash in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but a couple of years later, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is launching in a totally different market. There are several welcome improvements on this device that make it a foldable I actually want to carry, but I think it’s going to be relegated to being the fourth-best foldable mass markets can buy – but that’s really a good thing for the customer.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle’s best Pixel case in years still isn’t good enough to forget the fabric ones [Gallery]
One of my favorite things about the first few generations of Pixel were Google’s official cases, but that’s not been true in recent years. This year brings Google’s best official Pixel case in years (and it’s worst), but I just can’t stop yearning for what was lost.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel 11 tidbits: The key details you should know about Google’s latest phones
While not as major of a release as most years, Google’s Pixel 11 devices bring a lot of new things to the table, including some little details you might have missed during the event or on the store page. Here are some key details we think you should know about.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle will make rival Android app stores easier to find after judge says process is ‘not acceptable’ yet
Following the arrival of third-party Android app stores on Google Play earlier this week, a judge in Google’s ongoing court battle has said that the current state is “not acceptable,” and Google will make changes as a result.
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Samsung is working on over-ear headphones to complement its Galaxy Buds lineup
New findings suggest that Samsung is working on a pair of over-ear headphones that might serve as a complement to the Galaxy Buds lineup, while also letting Samsung compete with the likes of Apple’s AirPods Max.
Expand Expanding CloseThe ‘FlipPad’ is a compact game controller for Android, now available for $29.99
Initially announced earlier this year at CES 2026, 8BitDo has finally opened up sales of its clever little FlipPad game controller that works with Android and iOS, and it’s just $30.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle has another Pixel 11 discount for up to $175 off, here’s where to find it
Following a collection of discount codes that were sent out ahead of the Pixel 11 launch this week, Google has another discount code worth up to $175 hidden just beneath the surface.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung reportedly abandons plans to give the Galaxy S27 a variable-aperture camera
Another one bites the dust: Early rumors of the Galaxy S27 reviving Samsung’s variable-aperture camera seem to falling short, as the company is already seemingly repeating last year’s cycle.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle’s Pixel Tag picks a bold strategy in a sea of AirTag clones [Gallery]
Google’s first first-party Find Hub tracker is finally here. The Pixel Tag drops in November and, while there’s a lot of promise here, Google has opted for a pretty bold strategy in a world where the AirTag dominates – let’s see if it pays off for ’em.
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