In a slightly unorthodox move, Chrome 63 for Android is rolling out before the Mac, Windows, and Linux variants. This version introduces a number of changes on mobile, including a new site permissions dialog, redesigned chrome://flags page, and a new introductory prompt for Chrome Home.
Back in November, YouTube finally returned to the Echo Show as a basic web wrapper of the desktop site. Today, tensions between Google and Amazon have escalated, resulting in the removal of YouTube from the screened Echo device and more critically the Fire TV line of streaming devices
Google is gaining a number of new features today that center on surfacing related suggestions and content to your search. Featured Snippets, Knowledge Panels, and select topics are all getting updated to surface these similar queries that users might find interesting.
Back in August, Google rolled out a Knowledge Panel in Search that featured a clinically validated screening quiz for depression. Today, Google is adding a similar questionnaire for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
At I/O 2017, Google announced Android Go — a version of the operating system optimized on multiple fronts for low-end hardware. Replacing an increasingly upscaled Android One, Android Oreo (Go edition) is launching today with Android 8.1. The first devices from partners will arrive in the coming months.
For the past month, Google has been testing a smart storage manager with features like delete recommendations and wireless file transfer. Today, Files Go is out of beta with a tweaked design and global availability.
Google Drive has long featured a tab for Google Photos in its navigation drawer that provides users with another method to view their uploaded images and videos. Starting next month, this integration will get de-prioritized, but ultimately remain accessible.
Netflix is the latest app testing a bottom bar redesign for its Android client. Over the weekend, several users have spotted the new design as part of a server-side rollout that is testing several variants.
Back in 2012, Niantic Labs was a subsidiary of Google when it launched its first AR mobile game called Ingress. Since its inception, the game has gained a close-knit community, but its size pales in comparison to the company’s second AR experience, Pokémon GO. Going into 2018, Niantic Labs has decided to go back to the drawing boards and completely revamp the mobile application and call it Ingress Prime.
Android Auto has a great design which screams Material Design, but it hasn’t really changed much since its debut. That’s a bit unfortunate since there are some things that could be improved. Recently, though, Google seems to have quietly introduced some subtle changes to Android Auto’s interface, so let’s take a look at what’s new.
Google Assistant has added a number of useful features in recent weeks. The latest is now the ability to find and contact various local services from Android, iOS, or Google Home.
In time for the start of December, Google has updated its annual Santa Tracker app for 2017. The countdown to Christmas Eve begins today, but in the meantime there will be 24 days of activities and games on Android, iOS, and Chrome, as well as an Assistant integration.
With a month left till 2018, it’s time for the best of the year recaps. Google Play is kicking it off with its “Best of 2017” highlights that include the top apps, games, songs, movies, TV shows, and books.
To improve performance and reduce crashes on Windows, Google Chrome is going to block third-party software from injecting code into the browser. The Chromium team announced a multi-stage plan today to block code injection that will begin next year.
Although unlimited data plans are becoming more and more popular in the US, the rest of the world still actively relies on cellular plans with limited data caps. Google wants to help users control their data usage and plans do so with its latest app called Datally…
Google Lens rolled out to Assistant on Pixel and Pixel 2 devices earlier this week and just today gained a translation feature. Meanwhile, Lens in Google Photos was also updated today with a text selection feature, while the app also gained a light navigation bar.
Google has done a lot to make Chrome OS better suited for the arrival of Android apps, from the design of the app drawer to other things like notifications. Now, Google is changing how to take a screenshot on Chrome OS by pulling from Android.
Last year, YouTube launched a “Community” feature that allows creators to post text, images, GIFs, and other interactive content directly to the video network. It’s designed to allow fans to receive real-time updates in-between uploads. Today, the Google site is expanding creator access to it, as well as adding new features.
Following last week’s announcement, Google Lens began widely rolling on Monday to Assistant on Pixel and Pixel 2 phones. In a teardown of the Google app yesterday, we spotted that Lens was working on adding the previously announced translation feature, among several others. Today, that functionality is starting to rollout to Google Lens.
Android 8.1 brings a handful of nice tweaks to Oreo, but some of the best ones directly relate to issues with the Pixel 2 XL. One of those is the tweaked navigation bar which can now invert its colors and dim the buttons. Now, Google Maps has been updated to take advantage of that.
Android just keeps getting better and better on phones, but Android tablets are very much neglected. There haven’t been any meaningful improvements to Android on tablets in years, but Google hasn’t totally forgotten them. In the latest Android 8.1 preview, the Pixel C tablet has gotten just a bit of attention.
Android Oreo has had a slow rollout so far, but its arrival on popular devices is sure to help out with that. Lately, Samsung has been beta testing Oreo on the Galaxy S8, and today, the third update to that beta is available in the United States.
Hard to believe, but next year will be the 25th anniversary of The X-Files. To celebrate the event, and the premiere of season 11 of the TV show in January, a new mobile game will be launched the following month.
Instagram has not been shy about competing head-to-head with Snapchat, and a new update today continues that trend. In a blog post, Instagram announced a new feature that allows users to “remix” photos from friends…