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.
At this point, Google’s biggest Android apps have been updated with Material You. Redesigns are widely rolled out, but widget availability varies depending on whether you have a Pixel or Samsung device running Android 12. The following is our running tally of which Google app Material You widgets are available where.
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As previewed in February, Google Docs on the web is getting a rather nifty template for drafting emails that features Gmail integration. This is part of Google’s @-menu and Smart Canvas push.
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Google’s domain registration service entered public beta in January of 2015. It’s now exiting beta into general availability in 26 countries, and Google Domains is marking the occasion with a discount.
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The long-awaited availability of Steam on Chromebooks was just more or less announced (in alpha) at the 2022 Google for Games Developer Summit. That said, Google is light on availability details for the moment.
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As the 2022 Google for Games Developer Summit kicks off this morning, the company detailed its latest efforts and tools for Android developers.
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After installing the Android 12L March Feature Drop and security patch, some Pixel devices have become uncertified and can no longer make contactless (NFC) transactions with Google Pay.
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While Google hasn’t released a new Pixelbook since 2019, OEM partners have continued to release flagship Chrome OS devices and different form factors. In a rather peculiar Instagram post today, Google talks about a “new Chromebook” from HP as if it were its own.
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The March Feature Drop introduced the ability for Snapchat to take advantage of Night Sight on the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Behind the scenes, this requires an update to “Pixel Camera Services” that is rolling out today.
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I want to use a tablet. In that fantasy, I’d use a large screen to quickly go through tweets, email, news, and other torrents of information during more laid back periods of the day (breakfast, lunch, etc). With the launch of Android 12L and the impending launch of updates and/or new devices, I tried to live that dream. The entire time I was conscious of Google’s track record, but I was not ready for its first-party apps to disappoint me as much as it did.
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The majority of Google’s apps today feature a bottom bar and Contacts for Android is now the latest to add it as part of a redesign that retains a modified navigation drawer.
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Google today issued an update on its response to the war in Ukraine. Among other ongoing efforts, Android users in Ukraine will soon have rapid Air Raid Alerts natively built into their phones.
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YouTube Premium is how you’re officially supposed to watch videos without ads so that Creators continue to earn revenue from their work. An effort has long existed to get around paying for the ad-free subscription, but “YouTube Vanced” is now shutting down.
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Following new widgets for YouTube Music and Google Photos in December, Digital Wellbeing will soon get a screen time widget that shows how much you’ve been on your phone and the top Android apps being used.
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Noting how more people are buying cars online, Google is introducing a vehicle ads format in Search that shows what’s available for purchase nearby.
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Star Trek serves as the inspiration for various technologies that are only now coming into existence. For example, Google Now was codenamed “Majel” after Majel Barrett, the voice of computers throughout the franchise. The opposite is now happening as Star Trek: Picard sure looks like it’s using Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold as a prop.
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Google has informed Android developers that Play Store users in Russia have lost the ability to purchase apps, games, IAPs, and subscriptions.
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Jetpack Compose is how Google wants Android developers to create app user interfaces going forward. Google today detailed how the Play Store leveraged Jetpack Compose for its UI rewrite.
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Following Gmail at the start of this year, Google Drive is the latest iOS app to get new work-focused widgets, while there are also updates for Translate and Chat on iOS in the coming weeks.
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The Chromium underpinnings of Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge have seen more in-the-wild “zero day” bugs as of late. Google today explained what’s behind that browser trend, as well as what security features Chrome has in place to counter it.
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Google TV was a big redesign that replaced the Play Movies & TV app on Android, and it’s now adding a “Highlights” tab that serves as “personalized feed of entertainment news” and getting some Material You flourishes.
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In recent weeks, Google has been testing and slowly rolling out a number of new features for Messages on Android. The company announced today that iMessage reactions, Google Photos integration, and several other capabilities will soon widely launch.
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Google surprisingly rolled out Android 12 QPR3 Beta 1 today, and it should be a straightforward upgrade for most users. However, those who want to opt out of the Beta Program will have to wipe their phones, and a bug is affecting Android 13 Developer Preview 1 devices.
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Google today announced “new investments and continued collaboration with industry partners” for the Data Transfer Project (DTP) that it launched in 2018 to make switching to competing services easier.
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The latest subscription service in recent months to provide a free extended trial of YouTube Premium is HBO Max. What’s interesting is how both offerings are more similar than not and somewhat compete for the same audience.
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