I was excited for Gemini on Android Auto, until I tried it — it could be much better
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Today’s Android app deals and freebies: NARUTO Ninja STORM, Raiders of the North Sea, more
The countdown has begun on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, Galaxy S25+, and Galaxy S25 pre-order deals – you have until Friday to take advantage, but for now we are on to the day’s best Android app deals. While we are also tracking a new low on Samsung’s 1TB 180MB/s PRO Plus Sonic the Hedgehog microSD as well as even deeper deals on the Galaxy SmartTag 2 item tracker and price drops across the Google Pixel Watch 3 lineup, let’s dive into the apps. Highlights include titles like NARUTO: Ultimate Ninja STORM, Raiders of the North Sea, Munchkin, Everdell, and more. Scope them all out down below.
Read MoreGoogle Search widget now lets you set a custom shortcut on Android
After testing last year, the Google app on Android will now let you set a custom Shortcut in the Search widget.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung’s tri-fold device might be called ‘Galaxy G Fold,’ offer 10-inch display
Samsung is reportedly calling its upcoming tri-fold smartphone the “Galaxy G Fold,” a confusing decision considering its existing branding.
Expand Expanding CloseGalaxy S25’s new camera rings are basically glued onto last year’s design [Video]
One of the few hardware changes I personally liked about Samsung’s new Galaxy S25 series is the addition of a color-matched ring around each camera, but as it turns out, those are basically just glued onto last year’s design.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Photos tones down Gemini’s ‘Ask Photos’ search UI
Google Photos started testing Ask Photos in September. An update to Google Photos for Android today tones down the UI of this Gemini-powered search capability.
Expand Expanding CloseGoogle Maps reverts irksome Android Auto change following complaints
After rolling out an annoying change last month, Google Maps is already going back on centering its UI on Android Auto.
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Deals: Google Pixel Watch 3 up to $130 off, Sonos Ace ANC headphones $100 off, Galaxy SmartTag 2, and more
Your daily roundup of the best ways to save some cash on Android gear and accessories for it all is now ready to go. First up, we have solid $50 price drops across the Google Pixel Watch 3 lineup alongside some open-box offers at up to $130 off. We also spotted a straight up $100 discount on the Sonos Ace ANC headphones with deals starting as low as $262 alongside even lower prices on the Galaxy SmartTag 2 item tracker and Amazon’s eero mesh routers with a FREE $100 Amazon gift card thrown in. All of that joins a host of charging gear and more down below.
Expand Expanding CloseGalaxy S24 was Samsung’s biggest release since 2019, iPhone still dominates top 10 list
According to new reports, Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series was a hit for the company and its best-selling flagship since 2019, but it only just barely cracked the top 10 list for smartphone sales in 2024.
Expand Expanding CloseGemini Extensions can be accessed when your Android phone is locked
It took a year from launch, but Gemini on Android is now a much better phone assistant. The latest update lets you access Gemini Extensions from the Android lockscreen.
Expand Expanding CloseAsus Zenfone 12 Ultra leak shows what a tranquilized ROG Phone looks like
Asus is gearing up to introduce the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra, which takes on a lot of what its flagship ROG Phone series has to offer in a package that doesn’t scream “I game!”
Expand Expanding CloseYouTube removing ‘Guest’ profile from TV apps, but the mode is still there
YouTube appears to be removing the “Guest” profile from its TV apps, starting on Apple TV and Roku.
Expand Expanding CloseFirst Galaxy S25 firmware surfaces, and it’s literally huge [U]
The very first update to One UI 7 on the Galaxy S25 series is now available, and it sits at a significant 25GB file size.
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Google Sheets now loads and works faster
Last year, Google updated Sheets on the web to perform calculations twice as fast, and a new round of performance improvements are now available.
Expand Expanding CloseOne UI 7 on Samsung Galaxy will let you turn low-power auto dim off
Samsung’s Galaxy devices follow a strict set of events when the battery drops too low. That process includes dimming the screen to around 5%, which makes the phone a little hard to use. In the latest version of One UI 7, Galaxy phones can now disable that auto dim feature altogether.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel 9 smokes iPhone 16 and Galaxy S25 in one-off battery drain test [Video]
Despite some criticism of the lifespan of most Google devices, the Pixel 9 has outlasted the brand-new Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16 in one of the most realistic battery tests of late.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung Messages supports RCS on Galaxy S25, despite switch to Google Messages
In a confusing change, Samsung Messages once again supports RCS messaging on the Galaxy S25 series, despite Samsung having gone all-in on Google Messages a while back.
Expand Expanding CloseGood Android tablets are being ruined by cheap and pointless face unlock
Android tablets are finally, kind of, getting a little exciting again. But I’m tired of the same stupid asterisk on all of them. Android tablets need to stop “cheaping” out on biometrics and using insecure, effectively pointless face unlock.
Expand Expanding Close9to5Rewards: Enter to win Google Pixel 9 and a Yaber T2 Projector [Giveaway]
There’s still time to enter our giveaway of Google’s Pixel 9 and Yaber’s T2 Projector. This month we’ve teamed up with our friends at Yaber to celebrate the launch of its newest smart projector models, including the K300s, L2 Plus, and T2 Series. You can head below now to enter the giveaway and check out Yaber’s new projectors the K300s, L2 Plus.
Expand Expanding ClosePixelated 039: The Pixel in our 9 Pro XL
Welcome to episode 39 of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, we talk about our long-term Pixel 9 Pro XL review.
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Most Google Workspace admins can’t disable Gemini without talking to support
As Gemini is now readily available to Google Workspace subscribers, admins have found that the ability to disable the new AI features is hidden behind a conversation with Google support.
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Today’s Android app deals and freebies: Majesty Kingdom, Tokaido, Homo Machina, Nerd Survivors, more
Friday’s best deals on Android games and apps are now ready to go down below. Alongside the Google Play offers we are also tracking Galaxy Watch Ultra at $200 off for today only (or much less with an S25 preorder), as well rare deals on Samsung Galaxy Arc Pulse Bumper cases at up to 50% off, this 3-in-1 charging station at $37, and today’s deals on the Nest indoor smart cams starting from $65. As for the apps, highlights include titles like Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom, Tokaido, Homo Machina, Nerd Survivors, Charterstone, and more. Head below for a closer look.
Read MoreGoogle Prompt 2FA requiring fingerprint, PIN authentication on Android
Google Prompt is a pretty good 2-factor authentication (2FA) option for the vast majority of users, with Google now adding fingerprint or PIN authentication to the process.
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Samsung rolling out first monthly update of 2025 to these Galaxy devices
Samsung is in the process of rolling out the first monthly update of 2025 with the January 2025 security patch, and it’s available to quite a few Galaxy devices. Here’s the list and what you should know.
Expand Expanding CloseLenovo doesn’t sell a white Legion Tab in the US, but the case still looks great [Gallery]
The Lenovo Legion Tab is finally available in the US, but we missed out on a white variant that’s sold in China. At the very least, though, you can still import the case.
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