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 launched Android 12L back in March, but it’s only just making its way to existing devices. Lenovo is now the first to announce an Android 12L tablet with the “Lenovo Tab P11 (2nd Gen)” coming next year.
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YouTube Music is significantly redesigning its Library tab on Android and iOS with a focus on making it faster to start playing content.
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The Google homepage has historically been known for providing a clean interface that primarily offers a Search field. Google Search is now testing a row of cards on desktop web for an experience that’s similar to Discover.
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At the start of this month, Google Meet introduced live sharing that “allows all meeting participants to interact with the content that’s being shared,” and you’re now able to test it on YouTube.
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On Monday, Google updated the Android Beta Program website ahead of the next preview and teased Android 14 in the process. Another change today officially drops the Pixel 4 and 4 XL from the Android 13 Beta Program.
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With the Pixel 6 last October, Assistant debuted “Quick phrases” to skip the hotword for two specific actions, and you might soon be able to “silence” incoming calls.
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Google Design today shared a video “collage of animated experiments inspired by #MaterialDesign,” specifically Material You.
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Last September, the Google app redesigned its “Collections” tab, and the system built in to Search for bookmarks is now becoming more prominent with a save button directly on mobile web results.
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Susan Wojcicki became the CEO of YouTube in 2014 but held talks about a job as Tesla’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Elon Musk’s second-in-command before that.
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Over the past day, Pixel owners are encountering a bug that sees Google Assistant always open keyboard input over voice entry, while those users are also seeing “TNG” at the bottom-left corner of their screen.
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At the start of this month, Logitech and Tencent teased the Logitech G Gaming Handheld, and images of that device have now leaked.
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Android 13 for the Pixel 6, 6 Pro, and 6a prevents you from returning to Android 12 due to a security vulnerability. That’s still not changing for end users, but Google is now providing a path for developers to return to Android 12 on the Pixel 6 for app testing.
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With Google Calendar set to lose Assistant Reminders, you’ll be forced to use the very basic and incredibly laggy UI that’s part of the Google app. It’s still bad, but Google recently rolled out some usability tweaks to Reminders and restored the dark mode.
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Earlier this year, Docs on the web introduced emoji reactions and Google is now making it very simple to insert emoji as you’re writing.
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We already know that the Android 13 QPR1 beta starts next month, with Google getting ready by updating the Android Beta Program and also sharing several Android 14 details, like when it could start for Pixel.
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In recent months, 9to5Google has detailed several key aspects of the Pixel Watch, and we’re now hearing how Google will price its first wearable at launch this fall.
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Just over a year ago, Google Assistant swapped out the “What’s on my screen?” button with a Lens-branded shortcut that could now be replaced by “Search this screen.”
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Over the past year especially, Google has encouraged Wear OS app developers to add tiles, and Google Keep is now the latest first-party application to do so.
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Google Meet is getting a rather nifty shortcut that lets you unmute yourself by holding down on the space bar.
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One way YouTube Music offers recommendations is by knowing your precise location, but that’s going to stop next month.
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Following the inaugural seasonal recap in June, YouTube Music today is beginning to roll out the Summer edition.
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At I/O 2022, Google detailed a way for Android apps to build cross-device experiences, similar to Nearby Share, and the SDK’s developer preview is now available.
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With Health Connect, Google is making fitness and other related data more interoperable on Android. Ahead of the expected fall launch, an update to Health Connect today curiously removes the app icon from the launcher.
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In an amusing turn of events today that’s most likely a bug, an update to Google Meet (which was previously the Duo app) on Android brings back the Google Duo icon. As such, you now have two ways to launch the same application.
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