One of the lesser-known features in Android Oreo is the ability to customize the shape of icons on your launcher. This feature is something we’ve seen in some launchers and icon packs, but Oreo’s implementation uses officially supported APIs to do this a bit more reliably. Now, fan-favorite Nova Launcher is adding support.
Whether you like BlackBerry’s Android devices or not, you have to give the company credit where it is due and that’s certainly in the software. BlackBerry’s near-stock take on Android Nougat is solid, and the company has a good track record of keeping the phone up to date on monthly patches.
Now, we’ve gotten confirmation that Oreo is coming to the Keyone, which is great, even if that comes along with the news another BlackBerry device won’t get the same treatment…
Although everyone likes to think they’re a pro at responding to emails promptly, it’s far too easy to let messages slide through the cracks during the day. This can be particularly annoying if you’ve sent an important message to someone and need to hear back in a timely manner, and a new feature in Inbox by Gmail aims to help you get the fast responses that you’re after.
The Google Search Knowledge Graph is remarkably handy for getting a quick summary on media, a business, or a person, as well as other pertinent details. Cards for movies and books are now being revamped with a tab-heavy design that highlights more information.
With the Google Dashboard, users can see data and information about the various Google services they use. Featuring useful stats, it also provides quick shortcuts to individual product settings. The interface is being redesigned today with a more mobile and touch-friendly design.
In late July, WhatsApp started testing picture-in-picture support for video calls in its beta program for the application. We didn’t have any idea at that time as to when WhatsApp would be rolling out PiP for all users, but it looks like that day has officially come.
Update (2:18 PM PT) — Since originally publishing this article, Google has also started to push out HDR YouTube support for the Google Pixel, LG V30, and Sony Xperia XZ Premium. I’m personally not seeing the new addition on my Pixel, but if you have any of the above devices, be sure to head to the YouTube app try watching an HDR-compatible clip!
Last November, Google announced that it was officially supporting HDR video content on YouTube. HDR videos on YouTube have previously only been available to watch on Google’s Chromecast Ultra and select Android TV devices, but it appears that HDR YouTube videos are now available on the Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, and Note 8
Despite the criticism that Allo seems to face on a regular basis, credit has to be given to Google for updating the app regularly with new features, settings, and more. Google just pushed out version 18 of the app on the Google Play Store, and although it isn’t the biggest Allo update we’ve ever seen, there are a couple features here that are worth talking about.
It can sometimes be hard to keep track of all the services/apps that Google has to offer, but among them, three that can be the most helpful for planning and organizing a trip or vacation include Trips, Flights, and Destinations. Today, Google is releasing these three services in a host of new countries and languages.
After beginning its rollout a month ago, Google Play Protect in the Play Store is now widely showing up for many users. Play Protect is just a rebrand of existing security features long found in Play Services, but is now more prominent and visible within Android.
With many recent and upcoming phones now Daydream-ready, Google’s VR platform is beginning to gain traction, especially as standalone headsets are coming later this year. The company has now launched new developer tools for building and learning in VR.
Approximately two weeks after Hurricane Harvey, another major storm is expected to make landfall this weekend in Florida. Following relief efforts in Texas, Google Maps will be marking closed roads in real-time to help with evacuation efforts.
Google has become known for testing new features for its apps/services with users, and YouTube has been no exception. This morning, we spotted a new addition to the Home page on the YouTube Android app, and to be perfectly honest, it’s incredibly annoying.
On July 9, 2012, Google officially released Google Now with the launch of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Along with the introduction of the famous “Ok, Google” voice commands, this also saw the release of Google Now cards. Google rebranded these cards as Google Feed earlier this summer, and today, Google is launching Feed outside of the United States so that more people than ever can access and use it.
Early last month, we spotted Twitter testing its Android/iOS night mode on the web. The social network today announced that it is rolling out the feature to all users beginning today.
Launched in July, Backup and Sync is Google’s consumer sync client aimed mostly at regular consumers, replacing Google Drive for Mac/PC. At the same time, Google also developed a client that was especially suited for enterprise needs. After months of testing, the specialized Drive File Stream app is now launching.
One of the key parts of the Pixel experience last year was helping users switch from iPhones and other Android devices, with Google including a USB adaptor in the box to sync data during the initial set up process. That “Data Transfer Tool” hit the Play Store earlier this morning with a screenshot of a phone that very much looks like the Pixel 2.
If you’re a business-owner, chances are good your company is listed in Google Search results giving better visibility to existing and potential customers. Today, Google announced that it’s revamping the way that these business listings are edited — allowing users to make changes and updates directly within Google Search.
Following this afternoon’s rollout to Mac, Windows, and Linux, the latest version of Chrome for Android has hit the stable channel. Version 61 includes several new user-facing features, including an updated Google Translate toolbar and vastly improved contextual Share menu. The bottom bar redesign also appears to be rolling out.
Chrome 61 is rolling out today to desktops in the stable channel with a number of developer-focused features and the usual security fixes. For Mac, Windows, and Linux, it adds a new WebUSB API for peripherals, as well as some minor behavior changes.
After rolling out a Material redesign and slew of features for users last week, YouTube is adding new tools for its Creators. Centered around livestreams, there is now a “ultra-low latency” mode to stay engaged with fans, while live chat moderation has been improved. Meanwhile, the main YouTube iOS app adds screen sharing.
Google Voice made a triumphant return early this year with a fresh coat of paint, new features, and all of the functionality we knew and loved back in the day. In the time since, Google hasn’t given the service a ton of attention, and there are still a lot of features that need to be added to bring it up to par with Google’s other messaging options. Today, Google confirmed one of those is coming — “OK Google” support.
Between Samsung’s event in New York City a couple weeks back and all of the device announcements from IFA, there’s been a flood of new Android phones and other gadgets to keep track of. The Galaxy Note 8 and Sony Xperia XZ1 are two of the bigger phones to come out of these past two weeks, and both are officially supported for Netflix HDR streaming.
A host of new features were discovered in a recent teardown of version 9.60 of Google Maps — including picture-in-picture for navigation, the ability for local guides to publish videos, food reviews, and more. Picture-in-picture (PiP) functionality is currently only been available after first entering a key code, but it looks like the full public rollout is coming soon.