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.
As rumored, YouTube TV today announced its latest channel additions. It starts with the $64.99 subscription adding NFL Network, while Google is now offering a Sports Plus “add-on package” for an additional $10.99 per month.
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YouTube Music has seen a flurry of changes in recent weeks ahead of Play Music shutting down by year’s end. A smaller change sees YouTube Music for Android and iOS revamp its branding.
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Many habits have changed in response to COVID-19 lockdowns, and that is reflected in large services like Google Maps. The company saw an “up to a 50% decrease in worldwide traffic,” which has required road predictions to be retooled. Meanwhile, Google Maps has “significantly” improved ETAs by leveraging DeepMind AI.
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At IFA 2020, Qualcomm is making two announcements related to the Android space. The first is about bringing 5G to even more affordable devices, while Qualcomm today announced Adaptive ANC.
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With the upcoming version of Chrome, Google is introducing a “Quick Focus Highlight” feature that’s particularly useful for those that navigate the web using a keyboard or assistive tools.
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Following Android Automotive’s launch with the Polestar 2, Google released a support page for car owners. It specifically focuses on how to use Google Assistant, Maps, and the Play Store, starting with the set-up process.
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One long-running critique of Google Assistant is how it doesn’t play well with work accounts, specifically Calendar events. While there is an Assistant for G Suite beta, it requires users to actively switch accounts. Google might soon let Assistant access data from multiple accounts alongside your primary one.
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DNS over HTTPS (DoH) makes it so that malicious third-parties cannot see what you’re visiting or redirect you to phishng sites. After introducing to desktop browsers, Google is bringing Secure DNS to Chrome 85 for Android.
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Back in November, Google Assistant augmented user-curated “News briefings” with a personalized “mix of top headlines and stories based on your interests.” “Your News Update” is now coming to Google Podcasts, while more natural text-to-speech is also available.
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Google Maps now lets you pay directly for street parking inside the app on Android and iOS. Leveraging Google Pay, the company partnered with Passport on this integration, which is first coming to Austin, Texas.
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A bug with Google.com and/or Chrome today sees queries entered through the browser’s address bar return the mobile Search results page.
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After adding a dedicated tab for Google Meet, Gmail for Android is now picking up a nifty shortcut for quickly adding recipients directly from the body of an email.
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With the launch of the Pixel 4a, Google officially teased its upcoming 2020 phone lineup, and extensive leaks have filled in the rest. The Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 — with a handful of variants — have arrived at the FCC this morning.
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Back in May, Apple and Google rolled out a system to help trace who has COVID-19. The two companies today announced “Exposure Notifications Express” to hopefully boost adoption by doing most of the hard technical work. As such, local health agencies no longer have to create individual apps, but rather can rely on Apple and Google.
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After rolling out last Tuesday to Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android, Chrome OS 85 will soon be available over the coming weeks. There are a number of usability improvements in this release.
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Last December, Google added “Food & drink” settings so that Smart Displays could recommend recipes that abide by your dietary restrictions. In a revamp, Google Assistant’s new “Food preferences” menu has a more friendly interface and fine-grained options.
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September 2020 will see six high-profile games join Stadia Pro next Tuesday. This includes timed- exclusives Super Bomberman R Online and Gunsport, as well as early access title Embr.
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Google is working to improve braille support in Docs with a handful of new features today that cover navigation and output.
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Google is working on a redesigned image editing experience for Photos on Android. At the same time, the video editor in Google Photos for iOS now has access to a wider range of tools.
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The first wave of flip phone-style Android Foldables did not make too much of an impact. After the first-generation Motorola Razr launched, the company more or less confirmed it was working on a successor, and the design of that “Razr 5G” might have just leaked.
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Google Voice is the latest first-party app to adopt a dark theme today. Following Gmail last month, the VOIP client is getting a standard night-friendly look on Android.
Update 10/1/19: We’ve been tracking development of a dark theme in Google Voice since early August. Like other apps, it adopts a gray background. The bottom bar and “Search Google Voice” field uses a somewhat lighter shade that’s also leveraged by the dialer interface.
The dark-green FAB in the bottom-right corner has also been tweaked to be distinctly brighter and more neon with a dark interior. Other colors throughout the interface have also been shifted. Google Voice’s homescreen widget already abides by the dark mode.
Unlike Messages last night, there will be an option within Google Voice preferences to set the look manually. The app is otherwise set to follow Android 10’s dark theme by default:
To change the theme specifically for the Google Voice app, go to Menu > Settings > Display Options > Theme and select “Dark.”
This dark theme will be available for all G Suite editions, and it begins gradually rolling out today with version 2019.40. It will be fully launched over the next 15 days to users. Following Messages and this update, Hangouts Chat is Google’s only remaining messaging service to not feature a night-friendly appearance.
Update 8/30: Nearly 11 months after launching on Android, Google Voice for iOS is picking up a dark theme. It is widely rolling out now with version 20.36, and it respects system settings. The release notes also highlight the ability to “see and access an on-going call while navigating the Voice app.”
Google Images is rolling out two features today aimed at “image creators, stock image providers, and digital content associations.” Eligible results in the visual search engine will feature a “licensable” badge, while you can now filter by “Usage Rights.”
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Earlier this month, week-long voting to select five finalists from 54 Doodle for Google submissions opened. The company today announced the winner in each grade group.
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By October, YouTube Music’s predecessor will stop working around the world. Ahead of that, the latest version of Google Play Music for Android introduces an “Export local playlists” capability.
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