The Pixel 8 series are the first Android phones to enable the Linux kernel's MGLRU feature by default!
MGLRU, which is short for multi-generational least recently used, improves Linux's page reclaim strategy. Google's benchmarks have shown that with MGLRU enabled, overall app launch times improve, there are fewer overall process kills, kswapd CPU use decreases, and more.
MGLRU is enabled by default for all Android 14 kernels (
You can check if your device's kernel is compiled with MGLRU support (and whether it's enabled) with this command:
(Thanks to never_released on Twitter for the tip!)
For more details on MGLRU, check out this earlier thread.
MGLRU, which is short for multi-generational least recently used, improves Linux's page reclaim strategy. Google's benchmarks have shown that with MGLRU enabled, overall app launch times improve, there are fewer overall process kills, kswapd CPU use decreases, and more.
MGLRU is enabled by default for all Android 14 kernels (
android14-5.15 and android14-6.1). The Pixel 8 series kernel is based on the android14-5.15 GKI. Upcoming flagships with next-gen Qualcomm and MediaTek chipsets should also have this feature enabled by default.You can check if your device's kernel is compiled with MGLRU support (and whether it's enabled) with this command:
adb shell "cat /proc/config.gz | gunzip | grep 'CONFIG_LRU_GEN'"
CONFIG_LRU_GEN=y means it's available but not enabledCONFIG_LRU_GEN_ENABLED=y means it's enabled(Thanks to never_released on Twitter for the tip!)
For more details on MGLRU, check out this earlier thread.
👍65❤13👏3🔥1🙏1🫡1
You can now add a digital driver's license to Google Wallet if you're in Arizona, Colorado, or Georgia, joining Maryland which added support for this back in June!
H/T xeno_x19 on Twitter
H/T xeno_x19 on Twitter
👍51😁4🥰2👏1
Google Play Protect is adding real-time scanning for app installs!
Starting today, Play Protect will prompt users to perform a real-time, code-level scan when users install an app that has never been analyzed before by Google.
This scanning will extract important signals from the app and send them to the Play Protect backend for a code-level evaluation. Once the real-time analysis is done, users will get a result letting them know if the app looks safe to install or is potentially harmful.
Real-time app scanning will help combat malicious polymorphic apps that change their identifiable features to avoid detection. According to Google, Play Protect currently conducts real-time checks to warn users when it identifies an app known to be malicious from previous scans or was identified as potentially harmful from Google's "on-device machine learning, similarity comparisons, and other techniques that [they] are always evolving."
This is starting to roll out to all Android devices with Google Play Services in India first but will expand to all regions "in the coming months." According to the Google System Updates changelog, this feature is available as part of Google Play Store version 37.5.
Starting today, Play Protect will prompt users to perform a real-time, code-level scan when users install an app that has never been analyzed before by Google.
This scanning will extract important signals from the app and send them to the Play Protect backend for a code-level evaluation. Once the real-time analysis is done, users will get a result letting them know if the app looks safe to install or is potentially harmful.
Real-time app scanning will help combat malicious polymorphic apps that change their identifiable features to avoid detection. According to Google, Play Protect currently conducts real-time checks to warn users when it identifies an app known to be malicious from previous scans or was identified as potentially harmful from Google's "on-device machine learning, similarity comparisons, and other techniques that [they] are always evolving."
This is starting to roll out to all Android devices with Google Play Services in India first but will expand to all regions "in the coming months." According to the Google System Updates changelog, this feature is available as part of Google Play Store version 37.5.
👍69👎27👀8❤🔥7❤5🔥5🤔3🤬2
Since the Pixel Watch 2's new charging puck with POGO pins supports USB data transfer, you can easily unlock the Watch 2's bootloader and use the Android Flash Tool to install updates!
Unlocking the bootloader/flashing OTA images onto the first-gen Pixel Watch is also possible, but you need to get your hands on a debug adapter that Google distributes by invitation only (or make your own).
Thanks to Anthony on Telegram for the images.
Unlocking the bootloader/flashing OTA images onto the first-gen Pixel Watch is also possible, but you need to get your hands on a debug adapter that Google distributes by invitation only (or make your own).
Thanks to Anthony on Telegram for the images.
👍50🔥13🤯8👾5❤1
Wear OS 4 makes it much easier to take screenshots!
Instead of opening the companion app, tapping the overflow menu, and then selecting "take screenshot on watch", you can now just press the crown and recent menu button on the watch simultaneously to trigger the "ready to send watch screenshot" notification on your phone.
This screenshot combination was first reported by 9to5Google, but Nail Sadykov brought up that this also works on the first-gen Pixel Watch after updating to Wear OS 4.
Instead of opening the companion app, tapping the overflow menu, and then selecting "take screenshot on watch", you can now just press the crown and recent menu button on the watch simultaneously to trigger the "ready to send watch screenshot" notification on your phone.
This screenshot combination was first reported by 9to5Google, but Nail Sadykov brought up that this also works on the first-gen Pixel Watch after updating to Wear OS 4.
👍34❤7🎉5👏1
This media is not supported in your browser
VIEW IN TELEGRAM
Gboard is making it easier to change your emoji's skin tone and gender. This is rolling out in the Gboard app for Android today.
👍89🔥25💩12🥱7🥰6🤮6🤔2👎1
Mishaal's Android News Feed
The Pixel 8 series are the first Android phones to enable the Linux kernel's MGLRU feature by default! MGLRU, which is short for multi-generational least recently used, improves Linux's page reclaim strategy. Google's benchmarks have shown that with MGLRU…
CORRECTION: As @Freak07 points out, MGLRU is not yet enabled on the Pixel 8 series. It's...a bit odd/complicated, but if you're interested in the full explanation, see this post.
X (formerly Twitter)
Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) on X
CORRECTION: As @mile_freak07 points out, MGLRU is not yet enabled on the Pixel 8 series. It's...a bit odd/complicated, but I'll try to explain.
Since early 2022, Google has been experimenting with enabling MGLRU. In order to A/B test this feature, they set…
Since early 2022, Google has been experimenting with enabling MGLRU. In order to A/B test this feature, they set…
👍29
The At A Glance widget's new "At a Store" features surfaces "shopping lists and Google Pay rewards cards when you're in supported stores."
This new "At a Store" suggestion is part of the latest update to the Android System Intelligence app, version
(Above screenshot by 9to5Google.)
Separately, we're still waiting on the Quick Access Wallet page to roll out support for showing location-based suggestions for loyalty cards. This relies on a new API in Android 14. The SystemUI flag
This new "At a Store" suggestion is part of the latest update to the Android System Intelligence app, version
U.11.playstore.pixel8.570642812 (which is rolling out right now to the Pixel 8 series, hence the "pixel8" in the version name).(Above screenshot by 9to5Google.)
Separately, we're still waiting on the Quick Access Wallet page to roll out support for showing location-based suggestions for loyalty cards. This relies on a new API in Android 14. The SystemUI flag
ENABLE_WALLET_CONTEXTUAL_LOYALTY_CARDS controlling the feature is enabled by default in the Android 14 QPR1 beta, but the PackageManager flag declaring support for it (android.software.wallet_location_based_suggestions) is currently false on the Pixel 8 series running the QPR beta (though it's true on the stable release of Android 14.)👍40❤3
A new Google Assistant tile that lets you add commands as shortcuts is rolling out on Wear OS!
This is part of the Google Assistant app on Wear OS and is rolling out to Galaxy Watch and Pixel Watch users. You may need version 1.8.22.561 480068.release of the Google Assistant app.
Thanks to Lance Adams and winner00 for the tip/screenshots!
This is part of the Google Assistant app on Wear OS and is rolling out to Galaxy Watch and Pixel Watch users. You may need version 1.8.22.561 480068.release of the Google Assistant app.
Thanks to Lance Adams and winner00 for the tip/screenshots!
👍46🔥4❤2👏1🆒1
The FCC has permitted "very low power device operations in [the] 6GHz band", which the Google Pixel account on Twitter praised as "a win for Pixel users and American consumers, as this band will now be available for high-speed peer-to-peer WiFi communication."
6GHz P2P WiFi should allow for things like even faster device-to-device transfers (those of you who set up the Pixel 8 will have noticed they really discourage wired D2D transfers) and screen mirroring (though The Wi-Fi Alliance doesn't certify Miracast operation in 6GHz it seems, plus Pixel doesn't even support Miracast).
6GHz P2P WiFi should allow for things like even faster device-to-device transfers (those of you who set up the Pixel 8 will have noticed they really discourage wired D2D transfers) and screen mirroring (though The Wi-Fi Alliance doesn't certify Miracast operation in 6GHz it seems, plus Pixel doesn't even support Miracast).
The Verge
FCC greenlights superfast Wi-Fi tethering for AR and VR headsets
The decision opens up new possibilities for wireless devices.
🔥37👍13🤔3❤1
Google is disabling Nearby Share in work profiles, according to the "what's new in Google System Updates" changelog for October 2023. This is rolling out through Google Play Services version 23.41.
Nearby Share is part of Play Services, which is installed onto work profile, so presumably the Nearby Share component simply gets disabled so it doesn't appear as an option when invoking the share sheet from a work profile app.
H/T @AssembleDebug
Nearby Share is part of Play Services, which is installed onto work profile, so presumably the Nearby Share component simply gets disabled so it doesn't appear as an option when invoking the share sheet from a work profile app.
H/T @AssembleDebug
👍42👎5❤2😁2
Android's platform QR scanner, available on Android 13+ devices with GMS, is getting support for adding passes & IDs with QR codes to Google Wallet. These include things like boarding passes, driver's license, COVID cards, etc.
The platform QR scanner currently supports the following QR code types:
* App links
* Call phone number
* Connect to Wifi
* Contact cards
* Events
* Geo location
* Nearby Share
* Opening a PDF
* Passkeys
* Payments
* Sending an email
* Setting up Matter devices
* View text
* Web links
Other new additions coming to the QR scanner, according to a source, include QR filtering in the photo picker, more QR actions, automatic torch enabling in low-light conditions, and a history for scanned QR codes!
(Image credits: @AssembleDebug)
The platform QR scanner currently supports the following QR code types:
* App links
* Call phone number
* Connect to Wifi
* Contact cards
* Events
* Geo location
* Nearby Share
* Opening a PDF
* Passkeys
* Payments
* Sending an email
* Setting up Matter devices
* View text
* Web links
Other new additions coming to the QR scanner, according to a source, include QR filtering in the photo picker, more QR actions, automatic torch enabling in low-light conditions, and a history for scanned QR codes!
(Image credits: @AssembleDebug)
👍50❤4
Here's how Google (actually) addressed the spike in false 911 calls placed by Android phones.
Earlier this year, law enforcement and emergency service operators around the world saw a spike in false emergency calls being placed by Android phones.
This was blamed on Android's Emergency SOS feature, which provides a fast way to call emergency services by quickly tapping the power button 5 times.
Since Android 12, Google made it a requirement for (phone) builds to include the emergency SOS feature. It's up to OEMs whether it's on by default, though. (It's enabled by default in AOSP.)
Since Android 13, OEMs can ship either Google's Personal Safety app or their own emergency info app. Some OEMs like Nothing and Sony use Google's app, others like ASUS and Samsung do not. Emergency SOS is required either way.
The benefit of preloading Google's Personal Safety app is that it provides additional actions on top of dialing emergency services when the Emergency SOS gesture is performed. Eg. it can share info with select contacts and even record a video.
To reduce accidental activations of emergency SOS, Google pushed an update to its Personal Safety app sometime in late June that added an extra "touch & hold" confirmation step after you press the power button 5+ times. The "touch & hold" screen asks users to tap and hold the button for three seconds to initiate emergency SOS, as shown in the above image.
This "touch & hold" confirmation step is now the default experience for users setting up emergency SOS. Users who previously set up emergency SOS can switch to this mode if they want.
Remember that not every OEM uses Google's Personal Safety app, so the steps taken to address this problem will differ by device.
Earlier this year, law enforcement and emergency service operators around the world saw a spike in false emergency calls being placed by Android phones.
This was blamed on Android's Emergency SOS feature, which provides a fast way to call emergency services by quickly tapping the power button 5 times.
Since Android 12, Google made it a requirement for (phone) builds to include the emergency SOS feature. It's up to OEMs whether it's on by default, though. (It's enabled by default in AOSP.)
Since Android 13, OEMs can ship either Google's Personal Safety app or their own emergency info app. Some OEMs like Nothing and Sony use Google's app, others like ASUS and Samsung do not. Emergency SOS is required either way.
The benefit of preloading Google's Personal Safety app is that it provides additional actions on top of dialing emergency services when the Emergency SOS gesture is performed. Eg. it can share info with select contacts and even record a video.
To reduce accidental activations of emergency SOS, Google pushed an update to its Personal Safety app sometime in late June that added an extra "touch & hold" confirmation step after you press the power button 5+ times. The "touch & hold" screen asks users to tap and hold the button for three seconds to initiate emergency SOS, as shown in the above image.
This "touch & hold" confirmation step is now the default experience for users setting up emergency SOS. Users who previously set up emergency SOS can switch to this mode if they want.
Remember that not every OEM uses Google's Personal Safety app, so the steps taken to address this problem will differ by device.
👍51👏3❤2