9to5Google

Sold as a useful option to help you quickly find things you’re viewing on your device, Circle to Search has only just rolled out to more devices over the past week. Here’s what you had to say about your daily use.

After doing bi-monthly recaps of new features for the past several years, YouTube Music will now detail launches on a quarterly basis.

The YouTube family of apps have their own design language compared to first-party Google applications. That trend is not changing anytime soon and continues today with a redesign of the custom share sheet in YouTube Music for Android.

I feel like a broken record at this point, but amid new leaks of the Pixel 9 this week, there are many still asking Google for a “Mini” device, forgetting that small phones are dead.

Google.com has historically been used to advertise new first-party hardware and features. We’re now seeing a “Try the new Google Pixel 8” message on the Search homepage that wants you to “Upgrade now.”

I wish Gmail and Google Calendar were built for consumers instead of businesses. That shift could make the suite of apps infinitely more useful. They are already vital in day-to-day use, but the target audience feels more like employees of a company than anybody else. 

Scrolling issues have been reported by some Google Pixel users for years now, with the issue resurfacing recently on Pixel 8. Now, though, Google claims that Pixel scrolling issues should be gone for good in Android 15.

Samsung is raising the price of its Galaxy protection plans, “Care+,” but also allowing customers to get unlimited replacements of their battery while they are subscribers.

The YouTube Music website now supports offline downloads of songs and podcasts to match the mobile apps. This first emerged in February.

The Nest Wifi Pro received its last update in October and Google is currently rolling out a new March 2024 software release.

Samsung has some of the most expensive, but also some of the most affordable Android tablets in the game today. But with the launch of Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2024), the company has really lost its mind, asking for a crazy price that’s just a terrible value for customers.

Circle to Search has rolled out to all Tensor-powered Pixel phones. It launched on the Galaxy S24 series and, until recently, was limited to the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro.

Google Play is running a new “Super Weekly Prize” giveaway for those on the Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Play Points tiers. 

The Google Home app has improved quite a bit in the past couple of years, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement. In an AMA on Reddit today, Google answered some questions about the Home app and confirmed ongoing work to improve local control and support for more cameras and sensors.

Apple-owned Shazam is out with a significant update that revamps the Wear OS app.

The Android website has added a new landing page for Google Messages that talks about the first-party messaging experience, while also noting that RCS on the iPhone is coming in fall 2024.

Android Auto is already a safer and more convenient way to use navigation and music apps in your car, but it’s even better when its wireless. Now, there’s a new compatibility test to see not only if your car works with Android Auto, but with wireless Android Auto adapters.

In addition to announcing that Pixel 8 is getting Gemini Nano, Google today talked about how its 7-year update promise will work.