New Google-made wallpapers are part of December’s Pixel Feature Drop and the “Live Bloom” collection is rolling out via a Play Store update this evening.
Expand Expanding CloseNew Pixel ‘Live Bloom’ wallpapers rolling out via Google Play update
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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 switching to continuous scrolling for desktop Search results
Google is adopting continuous scrolling for desktop Search results as it did for the mobile website in October 2021.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid 13 QPR1 rolling out to Beta 3.1 users — opt out before next week to avoid data wipe
As of this afternoon, the stable Android 13 QPR1 release is rolling out to users enrolled in the Beta Program, and you can now opt out of the program without a data wipe occurring.
Expand Expanding CloseFirst Pixel Watch OTA update rolling out with fixes this December
In addition to a Feature Drop/security patch for phones today, Google is rolling out the first on-device OTA update for the Pixel Watch this December.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel 7 gets over 70 fixes with Android 13 QPR1 update
As expected, Android 13 QPR1 introduces a slew of fixes for both the Pixel 7 series and older supported Google phones.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid 13 QPR1 for Google Pixel phones rolling out with December security patch
Android 13 sees Google continue with the concept of Quarterly Platform Releases and QPR1 is now rolling out to Pixel phones with the December security patch and Feature Drop.
Expand Expanding CloseDecember Pixel Feature Drop: Pixel 7 gets free VPN, Recorder Speaker labels, Clear Calling
Google is rolling out the Pixel’s 12th Feature Drop this December with Android 13 QPR1. It’s available for the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro from today onwards.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle TV mobile app starts rolling out Material You redesign
In addition to the set of updates previewed last week, the Google TV app is getting a Material You redesign on Android.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle apps with animated Android splash screens [Gallery]
Every application open on Android 12 is accompanied by a launch animation to make “startup a more consistent and delightful experience,” and the experience can be further enhanced by an animated icon on the splash screen as seen with Google’s apps.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle focusing Duplex on voice calls, shuts down web version that changed passwords, more
“Duplex” is Google’s umbrella term for technologies that can handle tedious, multistep tasks on your behalf. The phone version was the most well-known application of this technology, and Google is now shutting down Duplex on the Web.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Password Manager replacing Chrome’s native credentials list on Android [U]
The increased prominence of Google Password Manager continues with the latest version of Chrome for Android replacing the browser’s built-in saved credentials list.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube Music rolls out 2022 Recap with personalized stories [U: More stats in email]
Following the first annual summary last year and subsequent seasonal ones, YouTube Music is starting to roll out the 2022 Recap today.
Expand Expanding CloseOnHub support now ending after the holidays, but you should remove from Google Wifi mesh now
Last year, Google announced that OnHub router support and Home app control would end in 2022, but that’s now being delayed to after the holidays.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle on the difficulty of designing a 24-hour time picker
The Material Design team has an interesting blog post into what it calls the “24-hour Clock Design Challenge” that chronicles Google’s work creating a time picker for those that use a 24-hour format clock on their Android devices.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Maps and Keep support Wear OS 2 again after temporary removal [U]
In recent months, Google has rolled out a Material You redesign and tile for Keep on Wear OS. Around that time, Google Keep looks to have dropped support for older Wear OS 2 devices.
Expand Expanding CloseHere’s how Google Messages will note end-to-end encryption status for group chats
In addition to a slew of other announcements in October, Google shared that group end-to-end encryption (E2EE) in Messages would start rolling out by year’s end. Ahead of that, some uses are seeing how Google Messages will note E2E encryption status in group chats.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle reports decline in Android memory safety vulnerabilities as Rust usage grows
Last year, Google announced Android Open Source Project (AOSP) support for Rust, and today the company provided an update, while highlighting the decline in memory safety vulnerabilities.
Expand Expanding CloseWear OS getting new Tiles for sunrise/sunset and contacts and updated Google Keep app
For the holidays, Wear OS is seeing a trio of new features, including two additional first-party Tiles and a more capable Google Keep app.
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube lists top trending videos, creators, and songs of 2022
Following the Music Recap earlier this week, YouTube is revealing the top trending videos of 2022 and other lists that more or less serve as a stand in for Rewind.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Keep dual-pane redesign for Android tablets rolling out
Back in September, Google announced that Keep was getting a dual-pane view and it’s now more widely rolled out on Android tablets.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle releases Glass Enterprise Companion app exclusive to Pixel on Play Store
Back in October, Google announced it was testing AR features with Glass Enterprise devices paired to Pixel phones. As part of this effort, a new Glass Enterprise Companion app is now available on Google Play.
Expand Expanding Close[Update: Fixed] YouTube for iPhone and iPad repeatedly crashing
Over the past hour or so, some YouTube for iPhone and iPad users have reported that the app is repeatedly crashing on open.
Expand Expanding CloseHumane will announce its ‘first offerings’ in spring 2023, criticizes smart glasses
After years of teasing, the secretive startup founded by ex-Apple employees in July released a more explicit preview of what it is building. Humane announced today that its “first offerings will be announced this spring” of 2023.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Store will issue Stadia Controller and hardware refunds within 2 weeks
Following content purchases, the Google Store today alerted customers that Stadia hardware, including Controller and Editions bundles, refunds “will be issued within 2 weeks.”
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