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.
Following the announcement at the start of this month, Real-time Location Sharing in Google Messages for Android is more widely rolling out.
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The Gemini app on Android has redesigned voice input to take after social messaging apps.
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Google today rolled out Android Canary 2603 with a number of user-facing changes compared to the latest Android 17 Beta 2.
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Later this year, Google is introducing new Android developer verification. For power users, Android will offer an “advanced flow” to disable the verification requirement.
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After introducing last August, Google might make the Gemini app’s Temporary chat feature much more prominent.
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Google has made a pair of weather tweaks to Pixel Weather and the Clock app (version 8.6).
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Following availability on the Galaxy S26 last week, Gemini screen automation is now rolling out on the Pixel 10 series as part of the March 2026 Feature Drop.
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Google is back with a second big update to Gemini for Home this month that notably improves the voice assistant.
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Fitbit today announced a number of new features coming to the Public Preview, starting with improved sleep tracking.
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Following the announcement in January, Google is now bringing Personal Intelligence to free users in the Gemini app, Gemini in Chrome, and AI Mode.
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Google is updating Chrome on Android tablets and foldables to be more like the desktop version by adding the bookmarks bar.
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Following the last release in October, Google is rolling out a modem update for the original Pixel Watch released in 2022.
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Following the Gemini updates last year, Google Translate for Android is getting a set of new homescreen widgets.
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The Google app on Android is rolling out convenient, persistent access to AI Mode history for a more integrated experience.
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Google Duo is now fully gone, with the company completing its migration to Google Meet as its sole video calling service.
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Google has started rolling out Gemini screen automation on the Galaxy S26, and this capability has usage limits like other Gemini app features.
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Google is rolling out the first update to Pixel Camera of 2026, though version 10.3 is a minor release.
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The latest Gemini overlay redesign gives you access to more of the prompt box and Tools menu anywhere on Android.
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Following Mac and Windows versions, Google Chrome will soon support ARM64 Linux devices.
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As mentioned in the “What’s new in Google Home” changelog earlier this month, the Nest Wifi Pro is getting a March 2026 update.
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As Fitbit continues to preview its personal health coach, the redesigned app is getting interface tweaks that swap out a key Material 3 Expressive component.
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Google Maps today announced “Ask Maps” to answer your “complex, real-world questions a map could never answer before.”
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Google Maps is giving its driving experience the “biggest update in over a decade” with Immersive Navigation that redesigns visuals and offers “more intuitive guidance.”
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Back in September, Google previewed Play Games Sidekick. This experience is now beginning to roll out, with Google sharing a number of Android updates at the Game Developers Conference today.
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