YouTube Music now lets you quickly ‘Play all’ songs in a carousel
A small YouTube Music update today lets you conveniently “Play all” the songs in select carousels on your Home feed.
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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 Saved’ now exists (again) for all your Search bookmarks
Last year, Google stopped developing an “Assistant Memory” feature that would have presumably served as a new cross-service bookmarking system. The old approach is still around and is now called “Google Saved.”
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Assistant support on Wear OS 2 ending August 31 [U]
Google will soon stop supporting Assistant on Wear OS 2 watches and is encouraging people to upgrade to Wear OS 3 and newer.
Expand Expanding CloseNo, Google is not testing a new logo
Google last updated its logo in 2015 following the Alphabet reorganization. Some people now think they’ve spotted a new design in testing, but Google is not getting a new look.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle says 5-10% of web traffic still HTTP as Chrome gets more HTTPS measures
Google has been a big proponent of HTTPS over the years and today announced its latest efforts in Chrome for “HTTPS by default.”
Expand Expanding CloseDesktop Chrome adds Google Search side panel for sticky results
In development since March of 2022, desktop Chrome is now rolling out a side panel that gives you persistent access to Google Search results.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel 7a repair parts now available on iFixit
Launched in May, genuine repair parts for the Pixel 7a are now available at iFixit, along with step-by-step guides for key replacements.
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Some Pixel Watch owners seeing repeat August update
The last Pixel Watch update was a quiet release, but some owners in the past day are being prompted to install it again as part of a seemingly repeat OTA.
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X Pro (previously TweetDeck) starts requiring paid Blue subscription
Following the rebrand to X Pro at the start of this month, the service previously known as TweetDeck now requires a Blue subscription in order to access it.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid 14 tests Predictive Back for Quick Settings, System UI
With Predictive Back, users can see what page they will be returning to in apps, and Android 14 is testing bringing this preview to Quick Settings and other elements of the System UI.
Expand Expanding CloseChrome switching to native share sheet on Android 14
For several years now, Chrome has offered a custom share sheet, but the mobile browser is now adopting the system version on Android 14.
Expand Expanding Close‘Samples’ is a new way to discover YouTube Music’s deep library, not Shorts
While there have been modernizations, YouTube’s music streaming service has remained functionally and visually the same since its launch. YouTube Music is now getting its biggest shakeup in years with a “Samples” tab that is meant to be a new way to discover personalized video content.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle ‘SGE while browsing’ offers ‘AI-powered key points’ on long articles
The biggest update to Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) since its launch will let the AI appear outside Search results and be accessible when you’re just browsing the web.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Maps no longer lets you tap to hide the search bar and other UI
A curious change to Google Maps on Android and iOS means you can no longer tap to hide the search and bottom bar, as well as other UI elements, to focus entirely on the map.
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Google Voice Typing appearing with Android 14 and Gboard betas
The latest Gboard 13.3 beta reveals many upcoming features, but in the short-term it appears to be responsible for the old Google Voice Typing experience reappearing on Android 14.
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Yup, Google Messages flipped the ‘Reply’ and ‘Remind 1 hr’ buttons
While a very tiny change, the muscle memory impact of Google Messages switching the position of “Reply” and “Remind 1 hr” in notifications is comically big.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel Watch 2 arrives at FCC with new ‘metal slim’ and ‘mesh’ bands tested, LTE
Ahead of a fall launch alongside the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, three models of the Pixel Watch 2 have arrived for regulatory certification at the FCC.
Expand Expanding CloseWhat if Google Pixel moved away from yearly product cycles
One of my continued takeaways with the Pixel Fold is that you can feel how many iterations — three by our count — it underwent before launch. Additional development time leads to better products, and I wonder what would happen if that was applied to flagship phones (Pixel 6, 7, 8, etc).
Expand Expanding ClosePixel 8 Pro promo video leaks ‘Audio Magic Eraser’ and light blue color
Live shots of the Pixel 8 Pro last emerged in July, and we now have a marketing promo video leak the existence of “Audio Magic Eraser” and a blue color option.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Workspace details data privacy commitments for Duet AI
At a high level, Google says “generative AI does not change [its] foundational privacy protections for giving users choice and control over their data.” Google, in a blog post, detailed its “privacy commitments to all Workspace users” and commercial (enterprise) customers around Duet AI.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung officially launches One UI 6 beta with Android 14 for Galaxy S23
Following two false starts that saw announcement posts published and then removed, Samsung is now launching a beta program for the Android 14-based One UI 6 on the Galaxy S23 series. It comes as Google is winding down the Pixel equivalent ahead of the stable release in a few weeks.
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Google Slides will let you draw and annotate when presenting
At the moment, Google Slides offers a virtual laser pointer when presenting, but you’ll soon be able to draw too.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle rolling out Android 14 Beta 5 to Pixel
Ahead of the public launch, Android 14 is getting a Beta 5 for Pixel phones, the Tablet, and Fold. It comes a month after the last major release and is the final scheduled update.
Expand Expanding CloseBig Gboard 13.3 update preps stylus handwriting, mini voice typing UI, gen AI stickers, more
Recent updates to Gboard have focused on tablet and foldables optimizations, while everyone benefited from the toolbar redesign. Gboard 13.3 reveals work on new features like a stylus handwriting mode, compact voice typing UI, and generative AI stickers. This version is still in beta and none of the functionality we spotted is yet live.
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