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.
After first appearing last month, the Google Messages “Send photos faster” option is more widely rolling out, and we’ve done some quick tests on how it impacts file size, resolution, and quality.
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In late March, Google started letting the public test generative AI in Gmail and Docs. It’s now expanding the Trusted Tester program by a significant degree.
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Google Design has redone its website, and it is quite fun to explore. To mark the occasion, there is a series of short design films about “The Making of Material You.”
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Google is rolling out Android 13 QPR3 Beta 3.1 to Pixel phones today as a sizable bug fixer. It arrives two weeks after the last release.
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Ahead of I/O 2023 next Wednesday, Google has provided an official look at the Pixel Fold with a “May The Fold Be With You” tease.
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The Google Home app this week started rolling out version 3.0 and changes to navigation by introducing an “Inbox,” while also redesigning lighting controls.
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Uber and Lyft competitor Waymo One is expanding its service area in Phoenix and testing in San Francisco ahead of getting a paid permit.
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While Android 14 Beta 1.1 from last week should alleviate some issues, a different bug with the latest beta version of Google Messages has emerged today that makes the RCS client unusable.
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Last year, Area 120 announced “Checks” to help Android and iOS app developers with privacy compliance. Following the incubator’s demise, Checks is “now a fully integrated Google product” that leverages AI and large language models (LLMs).
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After adding support for verified brand logos in 2021, Gmail is now going further by adding a blue checkmark to emails.
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Google has spent the past several years working to replace passwords because of frequent reuse, vulnerability to data breaches, and phishing. Passkeys are the industry solution, and the ability to log in to your Google Account with them is starting to roll out.
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Last month, the Pixel Tablet finally appeared in real images that suggested a coral hue, but a new official image/render reveals that it’s more pink in color.
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After being US-only for many years, Google is bringing the Pixel Superfans program to the UK with a sign-up form now live.
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After a big redesign last year, YouTube might be embarking on its next visual revamp with changes to the video page, which has mostly stayed the same in recent years.
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In addition to a possible At a Glance complication powered by Assistant, Google Keep is working on a Wear OS tile that can be used to show a single note.
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Google has long wanted to replace the lock icon in Chrome’s address bar, and it’s finally proceeding with those plans in September as part of a broader browser redesign.
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Pixel phones already offer cough and snore detection when you sleep, as well as always-on Now Playing song detection, and Google is now planning to add loud sound alerts in At a Glance.
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Search is one of Google Photos’ most underrated features, bringing the ability to look up objects without any prior tagging on your part. Google Photos is now “experimenting” with “more powerful search.”
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The Pixel Watch and Wear OS could stand to be a bit more contextual, and Google may be addressing that with an Assistant-powered “At a Glance” complication.
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The Pixel Watch’s May 2023 update is rolling out starting today as a quiet patch, just like last month. A bigger release should be coming next month.
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The Android 13 May security patch for the Pixel 4a, 4a 5G, 5, 5a, 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7 and 7 Pro is rolling out today on time after delays the past two months.
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Following the Pixel 7a in February and Pixel Tablet in early April, the Google Pixel Fold has just passed through the FCC for certification.
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For the past few releases, Ringtone and Notification volume has been controlled by one slider, but Google today signaled how that might be changing in Android 13 QPR3 or 14.
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