After coming to Android in late July, the Google Maps bottom bar redesign, which aims to make the app a bit cleaner, is now on the iPhone.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Maps rolling out simplified bottom bar redesign to iPhone
Author
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.
‘Google Essentials’ is a new Windows app, coming first to HP
Google Essentials is a “new app that makes it easier for you to discover and install” Google’s first-party services on Windows.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel 9 adds ‘Express’ setup, ‘carbon copy’ Google Messages migration, Wi-Fi + cable transfer
Besides the ability to copy over data at any time, the Pixel 9 has thoroughly updated the Setup and Data Transfer experience.
Expand Expanding CloseHow to officially demo Satellite SOS on the Pixel 9
Like 911, you’re not supposed to use Satellite SOS unless it’s an actual emergency. Fortunately, Google added a Satellite SOS demo to the Pixel 9 that lets you preview the experience.
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Chrome now lets you color-code Tab Groups on Android
Ahead of a bigger update to let you access saved Tab Groups, Chrome for Android is adding the ability to color-code them.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Lens rolling out to Chrome address bar [U]
Following Android (and even iOS with a shortcut), Circle to Search — officially “Drag to search” — is coming to desktop Chrome/Chromebooks with a very prominent Google Lens icon.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel 9 Pro review: Smartphone gone smarter
The best applications of AI on the Pixel 9 Pro let people benefit from what large language models (LLMs) are good at — summarization, natural language/multimodal understanding, classification, etc. — without having to enter a prompt. The fact that Google identified this best practice is promising as the underlying hardware admirably provides premium hardware in a compact form factor.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Pixel adds Arsenal and Liverpool FC wallpapers
Last August, Pixel became the official phone of Arsenal and Liverpool Football Club, with Google now marking the sponsorship with some new wallpapers.
Expand Expanding CloseGmail can turn ‘rough notes’ into a full draft with Gemini ‘Polish’
Google is updating Help me write in Gmail with a “Polish” draft feature on Android, iOS, and the web.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel 9 ‘tokay,’ Pixel 9 Pro ‘caiman,’ and Pixel 9 Pro XL ‘komodo’ factory images posted
Ahead of the launch on Thursday, Google has published the Android 14 factory images for the first three phones in the Pixel 9 series.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube TV adding custom multiview to NFL Sunday Ticket
Ahead of the upcoming season, YouTube TV is getting a handful of NFL Sunday Ticket updates, like custom multiview, to improve the subscriber experience.
Expand Expanding CloseChrome for Android and desktop simplifying sign in with Google Account
After introducing on iOS last year, Chrome for Android and desktop will soon replace the “Chrome Sync” system with a more standard Google Account sign in approach.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle explains new packaging design, unboxes Pixel Watch 3 [Gallery]
With this year’s hardware devices, Google has an entirely new uniform packaging. In detailing the design, Google gives us a Pixel Watch 3 unboxing today.
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Yes, Google Messages has a new send button
If something about Google Messages for Android looks different, it’s the tweaked design for the send button.
Expand Expanding CloseZoom Enhance rolling out to Pixel 8 Pro with Google Photos update
As announced last week, Zoom Enhance in Google Photos is now available on the Pixel 8 Pro.
Expand Expanding CloseWaymo’s 6th-generation hardware has a ‘significantly reduced cost’
The next Waymo vehicle you’ll see on city streets will leverage more custom robotaxi hardware than what came before (Jaguar I-Pace and Chrysler Pacifica). Waymo today detailed its 6th-generation hardware and sensor suite.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle rolling out new Pixel ‘Sound Matters’ ringtones and alarms
With the Pixel 9 series, Google introduced a new collection of ringtones and alarm sounds called “Sound Matters” that’s now rolling out to previous devices.
Expand Expanding CloseThis is Google’s Pixel 9 Pro ‘premium, limited edition collectible’ poster [Gallery]
Back in July, the Google Store already teased a pre-order gift for Australia, Japan, and Singapore. We now know it’s an “exclusive design sketch poster” for the Pixel 9 Pro series.
Expand Expanding CloseHere’s Pixel Zoom Enhance, which works on-device, in action [Gallery]
On Tuesday, Google announced that Zoom Enhance will be available on the Pixel 9 Pro series and is rolling out to the Pixel 8 Pro. Ahead of that, here’s a lot more examples and details on how Pixel Zoom Enhance works.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Messages adding support for dual SIM RCS [U]
Since launch, Google Messages has not allowed RCS on more than one phone number, but the app is now adding support for dual (multi) SIM.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube Music tests multi-song radio creator in Quick picks
YouTube Music introduced the Quick picks in 2020 and a big update to the shelf will let you quickly create a multi-song radio.
Expand Expanding CloseYou can now download the Gemini app on Android and Pixel Tablets [U]
Gemini is now available on the Pixel Tablet if you have the “app” installed. Notably, some of the Google Assistant experience is preserved.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle releases final Android 15 Beta 4.2 feedback survey
Android 15 Beta 4.2 is the final patch before the stable launch and Google has posted the last feedback survey.
Expand Expanding CloseGemini Q&A in Gmail app enters wider testing, can Summarize single emails
As previewed at I/O 2024 in May, the Gemini Q&A panel is now more broadly available in Gmail for Android and iOS if you’re part of Workspace Labs. In essence, this is a more complete version of Gemini for your emails on mobile.
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