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 Phone by Google (as it’s officially named) app is losing a “Nearby Places” feature that “allowed business name search queries entered into the Phone app to provide local business phone number results beyond just your personal contacts.”
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Google will once again have a Pixel commercial during the Super Bowl. The Pixel 8 and 8 Pro Super Bowl ad focuses on using the camera with Guided Frame.
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In response to the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple announced last week that it would allow “alternative” browser engines on the iPhone in Europe. Google’s head of Chrome today shared their thoughts on the upcoming iPhone browser engine change.
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Since the start of this year, there have been more YouTube Music notifications on Android and iOS alerting users about new releases and playlists.
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Google Play Services is responsible for many features on modern Android, and its primary settings menu is now getting a redesign.
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Google Translate has rolled out a redesign of the Conversation experience that can “automatically detect and translate languages as you converse.”
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Earlier this month, Google announced it was deprecating a slew of Assistant features. One of those removals was the “App Launcher” in Assistant Driving Mode, which most people assumed was the entire experience. Google tells us that is not the case, and here’s what will be left of Assistant Driving Mode after February 7.
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Following AT&T and T-Mobile in 2023, Verizon is switching to Google’s Jibe platform for RCS on its Android phones.
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The Pixel Camera app on Wear OS that acts as a controller was recently updated with the ability to switch to the various photo and video modes on your Pixel Watch.
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YouTube announced today that Music and Premium has 100 million subscribers. It follows Sundar Pichai revealing that Google One was about to reach the same milestone.
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Generative AI is coming to Google Maps and will let you find places in a conversational manner.
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The year in Bard updates is starting today with Gemini Pro now available in “all supported languages and places.” Google is also adding an image generator to Bard and announcing “ImageFX.”
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As we previously spotted and Google later confirmed in a series of deprecations, the Assistant Driving Mode for Google Maps is going away later this month.
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Following the big update late last year, Google Messages for web is facing an outage this evening.
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After installing the January 2024 Google Play system update, some Pixel owners reported an issue accessing data stored in internal storage, and Google is now out with a detailed fix that end users can apply to their phones.
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After releasing Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3.1 last week, Google is rolling out Beta 3.2 to address issues on the Pixel 5a.
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Following the CES announcement at the start of this month, Google is now rolling out Quick Share on Pixel and other non-Samsung devices.
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Announced earlier this month and then made part of the January Feature Drop, Circle to Search is beginning to roll out to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. It’s very much the latest version of “Now on Tap,” “What’s on my screen?” in Assistant, and later “Search screen.”
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Back in 2022, Google Docs introduced a Pageless mode on the web, and switching to it is now easier than ever.
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As we previously enabled, Google Messages is rolling out a redesign of the compose text field that features a dedicated shortcuts bar.
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During Alphabet’s Q4 2023 earnings call, Sundar Pichai announced that Google One is about to cross 100 million subscribers.
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Alphabet today announced Q4 2023 earnings with $86.3 billion in revenue. These numbers range from October to December and summarize the fiscal year.
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Google ended 2023 with a pretty sizable Pixel Feature Drop where the camera took center stage. There was Video Boost + Night Sight Video for the 8 Pro, as well as Night Sight timelapse for the 8/Pro. All users benefited from being able to turn their Pixel into a laptop/desktop webcam, while the Pixel Fold picked up Dual Screen Preview and customizable app aspect ratios (Tablet too).
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As part of the December Feature Drop, the Google Password Manager on Pixel devices introduced the ability to upgrade supported online accounts to passkeys. Google is partnering and highlighting several services that offer passkey upgrades today.
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