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 today reached out to Pixel Superfans in the UK about a “pre-launch event” this June for the Pixel 10 series and other “upcoming devices.” It does not suggest that Made by Google 2025 is happening any earlier this year.
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This month, Google Wallet on Android phones began requiring that you authenticate to even open the app. At the same time, some Wear OS users were prompted for their PIN before every Google Wallet transaction. This was a bug and has now been resolved.
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The Phone by Google app is moving closer to a redesign of the incoming call screen that lets you pick between “Single tap” or “Horizontal swipe.”
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Last year, Gmail for Android and iOS introduced a summarize feature, and Gemini can now surface summary cards automatically.
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With Wear OS 6, Google is finally addressing how most parts of the interface, like media controls, lack an always-on display (AOD).
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Following the announcement at I/O 2025 last week, Google is more widely rolling out Gemini Live camera and screen sharing to the iPhone and iPad app.
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Recently, Google has changed the legacy “Find your phone” method that some Android owners have used to ring their lost or misplaced phone. In short, people should now use the new Find Hub experience.
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Google Messages is rolling out a tweaked “New chat” page to let you immediately check which contacts have RCS enabled.
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Search Live feels like the spiritual, if not technological, successor to Google Lens. In fact, I think it should replace Google Lens entirely.
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The latest feature for the Gemini side panel in Google Drive (on the web) is the ability to “get summaries and ask questions about the content of videos.”
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Even with both products eventually offering a “Live” feature, I think the difference between the Gemini app and AI in Google Search is now pretty clear. However, having two products that do similar things is inelegant, and might pose some confusion for most users.
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Google Photos was announced at I/O 2015 and the company is now celebrating the app’s 10th birthday with a redesign of the photo editor.
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In a rather curious announcement on Wednesday morning, Google told users to update Instagram to “fix a battery drain issue on Android devices.”
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After previously partnering with a third-party retailer, the Google Store is now directly selling Pixel products in India.
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After beta testing earlier this month, the Google app on Android is rolling out a redesign of the Search bar homescreen widget to all users.
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Following the launch last week, Google has updated the NotebookLM app for Android and iOS with a number of bug fixes.
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The Google Duo brand went away in 2022, but some legacy features from the company’s previous calling service have persisted in Google Meet. All aspects of Duo are now set to disappear in September 2025.
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In an email to Pixel owners today, Google is teasing what updates from I/O 2025, like Gemini Live, that they can look forward to in the near future.
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If your Pixel 7 or newer can’t connect to the internet this evening (PT), “VPN by Google” is most likely responsible, with the security and privacy service “temporarily unavailable.”
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The monthly “Google System Release Notes” primarily detail what’s new in Play services, Play Store, and Play system update across Android phones/tablets, Wear OS, Google/Android TV, Auto, and PC. Some features apply to end users, while others are aimed at developers.
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My decade-long personal and professional interest in Google comes down to how I think the company will invent the future. I’ve always seen it as a laboratory with — let’s say — unconventional scientists pushing the boundaries of what’s feasible.
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We didn’t get a real update about Gemini on smart speakers and display at I/O 2025 last week, but Google Home recently added a new “Voice assistant experiments” setting for it.
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With the Pixel 10 series expected to be nearly identical to the current generation, color is how Google can physically distinguish the phones. A new leak today reveals the possible colors for the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL.
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Following the last sale a month ago, the US Google Store is discounting Pixel phones for Memorial Day 2025.
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