APK Insight

Back in September, Google confirmed our Insight that Google Tasks would replace Assistant Reminders in the “coming months.” We’re still waiting for this to launch five months later, but work is ongoing.

Google Photos first rolled out the Locked Folder to Pixel phones before bringing it to other Android devices at the end of 2021, and is now working on adding cloud backup.

New code in Android 14 shows that Google is preparing for an upcoming version of Wear OS with the fun dynamic color customization made popular by Pixel and Material You.

Hidden in the first preview of Android 14, Google is preparing “Cloned Apps” as a more official option for having duplicate copies of an app on your phone or tablet.

In recent months, Android’s Messages app quietly lost its Google Assistant integration. However, Google Messages might be replacing that functionality with something called “Spotlights.”

Google Maps for Android will soon make it easier to plan longer road trips in your electric vehicle, offering planned charging stops along your route.

Since we already have a good idea of the hardware, the remaining unknowns about Google’s upcoming fordable are focused on the software experience. The latest tidbit is how the Pixel Fold will offer the same Flip to Shhh gesture as on phones for enabling Do Not Disturb.

Google has prepared a new way to get started with setting up your next Android phone via Fast Pair, potentially arriving with the Galaxy S23 series.

We’re still waiting for the ability to use Wear OS to unlock Android devices and Chromebooks. Watch Unlock was demoed earlier this year, and ongoing work reveals how Smart Lock will be sticking around as “Extend Unlock.”

On Pixel phones, enabling the Camera app’s RAW+JPEG capture results in an on-device “Raw” folder. Google Photos might soon offer a more integrated experience for RAW images in the app.

The latest beta version (1.5) of Digital Wellbeing is rolling out with one upcoming addition and the removal of an in-development feature.

Since its launch, Fast Pair has grown beyond Bluetooth headphones to smartwatches and Matter smart home devices. Fast Pair’s next device category looks to be the stylus ahead of the Pixel Tablet.

As first promised in 2021, the Google Home app is making tangible progress toward fully supporting previous generations of Nest Cam hardware, including setup.

Since August, Gboard has been working on a redesign of the Shortcuts toolbar. Development on that continues with the latest beta this week, while Google has decided to tweak the tablet UI.

The other change Google is making to Nearby Share are UI tweaks that infuse Material You to the main sheet you interact with.

The beta version of the second quarterly Android 13 update includes work toward desktop mode, a new Back gesture animation, separate ringtone and notification volume controls, and much more.

Here’s an early look at new features coming to the Play Store including the ability to archive unused Android apps to save space and includes preparations for a floating bubble for download progress.

While Search results and the Discover feed are visually tweaked from time to time, other parts of the Google app are often slow to change. Fortunately, Google is now working on a Material You redesign of the Search app.

Back in April of 2016, Google updated Calendar for Android and iOS with a tool to help you find time for personal goals. Amid another upcoming removal, Google Calendar is planning to get rid of “Goals.”

Google is preparing to shut down the dedicated Street View app on Android, keeping the feature in Google Maps.

With recent updates to the Google Search app, Google has been steadily preparing redesigns of Discover and the Assistant for the Pixel Tablet.