Google is rolling out a new "Android Safe Browsing" page to users that lets you see which apps support the feature as well as a toggle "live threat protection" which enables "more accurate threat detection."
Android Safe Browsing "alerts you to security threats, like harmful links and webpages, when you browse within supported apps. For example, you might get an alert if you tap a link in your news app that would take you to a known phishing site."
This Safe Browsing page likely lists which apps utilize the SafetyNet Safe Browsing API, a library that's part of Google Play Services that lets apps determine whether a particular URL has been marked as a known threat by Google.
This page can be found under Settings > Security & privacy > More security & privacy on Pixel devices and Settings > Security & Privacy on Samsung Galaxy devices.
(Thanks to AlessandroDiCristina on Telegram for the screenshot and to multiple others for the tip!)
Android Safe Browsing "alerts you to security threats, like harmful links and webpages, when you browse within supported apps. For example, you might get an alert if you tap a link in your news app that would take you to a known phishing site."
This Safe Browsing page likely lists which apps utilize the SafetyNet Safe Browsing API, a library that's part of Google Play Services that lets apps determine whether a particular URL has been marked as a known threat by Google.
This page can be found under Settings > Security & privacy > More security & privacy on Pixel devices and Settings > Security & Privacy on Samsung Galaxy devices.
(Thanks to AlessandroDiCristina on Telegram for the screenshot and to multiple others for the tip!)
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Android 15 DP1 is coming on Thursday, according to a Googler (H/T 9to5Google).
If you want to know what's coming in Android 15, check out the posts I've done for Android Authority and Android Police or my threads on what's new in the Android 14 QPR betas.
One of the features I'm most excited for is Private Space, which will basically be Android's native version of Samsung's Secure Folder feature. I fully enabled this feature to show it off in this article.
If you want to know what's coming in Android 15, check out the posts I've done for Android Authority and Android Police or my threads on what's new in the Android 14 QPR betas.
One of the features I'm most excited for is Private Space, which will basically be Android's native version of Samsung's Secure Folder feature. I fully enabled this feature to show it off in this article.
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Android 15 should be adding a "Security State" API (
I'd imagine this will be useful for enterprise/device management use cases.
android.os.SecurityStateManager) that will provide an easy way to query the security patch level of the Android OS, the vendor components, the Linux kernel version, the WebView version, and potentially more.I'd imagine this will be useful for enterprise/device management use cases.
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The latest beta update for Nova Launcher adds support for launching Google's new Gemini assistant from the search bar.
If you're a launcher/app developer curious about the best way to do this, it seems that invoking the
However, one caveat is that other assistants might not handle
Credits to Rob (Nova Launcher developer) for digging into the right intent to use.
If you're a launcher/app developer curious about the best way to do this, it seems that invoking the
ACTION_VOICE_COMMAND is the way to go. This intent invokes Google Assistant or Gemini depending on which one is enabled. Other intents like ACTION_ASSIST or ACTION_VOICE_ASSIST launch the Google App or Google's voice search when invoked.However, one caveat is that other assistants might not handle
ACTION_VOICE_COMMAND. The Google App would then complain that it's not set as the default assistant service. In that case, it might be good to query the default assistant (Settings.Secure.getString(contentResolver, "assistant")) before invoking ACTION_VOICE_COMMAND to ensure the Google App is set as the default.Credits to Rob (Nova Launcher developer) for digging into the right intent to use.
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LineageOS 21 is here! It's based on Android 14 QPR1 and brings major improvements to several Lineage apps. The Aperture camera app is getting new video features added in newer CameraX API releases, while apps like Jelly, Dialer, Contacts, Messaging, LatinIME, and Calculator are getting full Material You redesigns. There's also a brand new gallery app!
Here's a highlight of some of the new features:
* Glimpse: Replaces Gallery2 starting from LineageOS 21.
* Aperture: HDR video recording, configurable volume button gestures, UI rotation support, improved QR scanner, support for Assistant voice actions, and lots more
* Jelly: Added Brave as a search engine and suggestions provider, added per-website location permissions
* Material You: Aperture, Calculator, Contacts, Dialer, Eleven, Jelly, LatinIME, and Messaging have received varying degrees of design changes.
* The side pop-out expanding volume panel has been improved.
* The Lineage Updater app now installs A/B updates much faster thanks to improvements Google made.
* A global Quick Settings light mode has been added.
(Read the full blog post on the LineageOS website for all the details!)
The Lineage team has made several improvements to streamline updates, including overhauling their merge noscripts to simplify merging monthly Android security patches, updating their extract utilities to extract files from OTA/factory images directly when possible, creating SoC-specific common kernels for several Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, and commonizing shims/compatibility layers.
LineageOS 21 builds are available for >100 models from several brands, like Google, LG, Motorola, OnePlus, Samsung, and Xiaomi. While 19.1 builds are being retired, 18.1 builds will still be made, as otherwise support for many legacy devices would have to be dropped. Meanwhile, >70 new models were added to the LOS 20 build roster. If you want to try LineageOS for your device, head over to the project's website and THOROUGHLY read the wiki page for your specific model before installing anything!
Here's a highlight of some of the new features:
* Glimpse: Replaces Gallery2 starting from LineageOS 21.
* Aperture: HDR video recording, configurable volume button gestures, UI rotation support, improved QR scanner, support for Assistant voice actions, and lots more
* Jelly: Added Brave as a search engine and suggestions provider, added per-website location permissions
* Material You: Aperture, Calculator, Contacts, Dialer, Eleven, Jelly, LatinIME, and Messaging have received varying degrees of design changes.
* The side pop-out expanding volume panel has been improved.
* The Lineage Updater app now installs A/B updates much faster thanks to improvements Google made.
* A global Quick Settings light mode has been added.
(Read the full blog post on the LineageOS website for all the details!)
The Lineage team has made several improvements to streamline updates, including overhauling their merge noscripts to simplify merging monthly Android security patches, updating their extract utilities to extract files from OTA/factory images directly when possible, creating SoC-specific common kernels for several Qualcomm Snapdragon chips, and commonizing shims/compatibility layers.
LineageOS 21 builds are available for >100 models from several brands, like Google, LG, Motorola, OnePlus, Samsung, and Xiaomi. While 19.1 builds are being retired, 18.1 builds will still be made, as otherwise support for many legacy devices would have to be dropped. Meanwhile, >70 new models were added to the LOS 20 build roster. If you want to try LineageOS for your device, head over to the project's website and THOROUGHLY read the wiki page for your specific model before installing anything!
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Google is testing a "Talk to a Live Representative" feature that calls a company's customer service line on your behalf and waits on hold until a representative picks up. This sounds like the Pixel's Hold for Me feature but available on non-Pixel devices.
You can enable this in the Google App by tapping on the "Search Labs" button in the top left. Then a "request a call" button will appear for specific customer service search results. Not all businesses are supported, but several airlines, carriers, retailers, and other companies are.
H/T GreenShades9 on Twitter
You can enable this in the Google App by tapping on the "Search Labs" button in the top left. Then a "request a call" button will appear for specific customer service search results. Not all businesses are supported, but several airlines, carriers, retailers, and other companies are.
H/T GreenShades9 on Twitter
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TIL that the screenshots you get from Wear OS 4's new screenshot gesture (holding down the power button and action button) are lower resolution than the ones you get through the companion app.
A screenshot through the gesture on my Pixel Watch 2 is 271x271. A screenshot through the "take screen shot on watch" button in the Watch app is 384x384. There is a slight difference in quality, but it's not that noticeable. However, the screenshots you get through the gesture are cropped to a circle, whereas the ones you get through the app are square (so you have to manually crop them).
I wonder why screenshots are resized when you take them via the gesture. They still look great when put in a frame, though!
A screenshot through the gesture on my Pixel Watch 2 is 271x271. A screenshot through the "take screen shot on watch" button in the Watch app is 384x384. There is a slight difference in quality, but it's not that noticeable. However, the screenshots you get through the gesture are cropped to a circle, whereas the ones you get through the app are square (so you have to manually crop them).
I wonder why screenshots are resized when you take them via the gesture. They still look great when put in a frame, though!
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Android 15 Developer Preview 1 is HERE! Google is giving us an early look at the next major Android version set to release this fall. Here’s what Google says is new in Android 15 DP1:
- Android 15 ships with the latest version of the AdServices module, which houses the Privacy Sandbox on Android APIs. Specifically, it incorporates SDK Extension version 10.
- Android 15 also ships the latest version of the Android Health module, which houses the Health Connect by Android feature. SDK Extension version 10 adds support for new data types across fitness, nutrition, and more.
- The FileIntegrityManager class is adding new APIs that are backed by the Linux kernel’s fs-verity feature. The new setupFsVerity(java.io.File) method lets apps protect files with custom cryptographic signatures which can be checked via the new getFsVerityDigest(java.io.File) method to ensure they haven’t been tampered with or corrupted. This improves security by protecting against unauthorized file modifications that could compromise app functionality or data.
- Partial screen sharing lets users share or record just an app window rather than the entire device screen. This feature is already live as of Android 14 QPR2 on Pixel but will be more broadly available on other devices with Android 15. Developers can customize the partial screen sharing experience through media projection callback methods.
- Android 15 adds a new Camera2 API that lets apps boost the brightness of the camera preview (CameraCharacteristics#CONTROL_LOW_LIGHT_BOOST_INFO_LUMINANCE_RANGE). It also enables precise control of flash intensity in both SINGLE (CameraCharacteristics#FLASH_SINGLE_STRENGTH_DEFAULT_LEVEL) and TORCH (CameraCharacteristics#FLASH_TORCH_STRENGTH_DEFAULT_LEVEL) modes when capturing images
- Android 15 extends Universal Midi Packages (UMP) support to virtual MIDI apps, enabling composition apps to control synthesizer apps as a virtual MIDI 2.0 device.
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- Android 15 ships with the latest version of the AdServices module, which houses the Privacy Sandbox on Android APIs. Specifically, it incorporates SDK Extension version 10.
- Android 15 also ships the latest version of the Android Health module, which houses the Health Connect by Android feature. SDK Extension version 10 adds support for new data types across fitness, nutrition, and more.
- The FileIntegrityManager class is adding new APIs that are backed by the Linux kernel’s fs-verity feature. The new setupFsVerity(java.io.File) method lets apps protect files with custom cryptographic signatures which can be checked via the new getFsVerityDigest(java.io.File) method to ensure they haven’t been tampered with or corrupted. This improves security by protecting against unauthorized file modifications that could compromise app functionality or data.
- Partial screen sharing lets users share or record just an app window rather than the entire device screen. This feature is already live as of Android 14 QPR2 on Pixel but will be more broadly available on other devices with Android 15. Developers can customize the partial screen sharing experience through media projection callback methods.
- Android 15 adds a new Camera2 API that lets apps boost the brightness of the camera preview (CameraCharacteristics#CONTROL_LOW_LIGHT_BOOST_INFO_LUMINANCE_RANGE). It also enables precise control of flash intensity in both SINGLE (CameraCharacteristics#FLASH_SINGLE_STRENGTH_DEFAULT_LEVEL) and TORCH (CameraCharacteristics#FLASH_TORCH_STRENGTH_DEFAULT_LEVEL) modes when capturing images
- Android 15 extends Universal Midi Packages (UMP) support to virtual MIDI apps, enabling composition apps to control synthesizer apps as a virtual MIDI 2.0 device.
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Mishaal's Android News Feed
Android 15 Developer Preview 1 is HERE! Google is giving us an early look at the next major Android version set to release this fall. Here’s what Google says is new in Android 15 DP1: - Android 15 ships with the latest version of the AdServices module, which…
- Android 15 improves the Android Dynamic Performance Framework (APDF) by adding a new power-efficiency mode that lets apps hint that their associated threads should prefer power saving over performance, reporting GPU and CPU work durations to allow the system to adjust frequencies together, and thermal headroom thresholds to interpret possible thermal throttling status based on headroom prediction.
- Finally, Android 15 adds new OpenJDK APIs related to NIO buffers, streams, security, and more. These APIs will be available on Android 12+ devices through a Google Play System Update to the ART Mainline module.
That’s everything Google mentioned in their press release! There’s of course a lot more that’s new, so keep an eye out for my upcoming posts - I work hard to be your best source for Android OS news and won’t let you down this year as well!
(In case you’re curious: The internal dessert name for Android 15 is Vanilla Ice Cream!)
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- Finally, Android 15 adds new OpenJDK APIs related to NIO buffers, streams, security, and more. These APIs will be available on Android 12+ devices through a Google Play System Update to the ART Mainline module.
That’s everything Google mentioned in their press release! There’s of course a lot more that’s new, so keep an eye out for my upcoming posts - I work hard to be your best source for Android OS news and won’t let you down this year as well!
(In case you’re curious: The internal dessert name for Android 15 is Vanilla Ice Cream!)
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Want to download Android 15 Developer Preview 1? Here’s what you should know:
- Builds are available only for the Pixel 6, 7, or 8 series device as well as for the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet.
- You have to manually install these builds, and they’re intended for DEVELOPERS ONLY.
- Once you’ve manually installed a build, you’ll automatically get future Android 15 updates over-the-air.
- If you’re on the Android 14 QPR beta and want to try the Android 15 DP without wiping your device, you should migrate now. Otherwise, there may come a time where an Android 14 QPR beta has a newer build date than the most recent Android 15 DP, forcing you to wipe data before you can migrate.
- If you don’t have a supported Pixel, you can also try Android 15 DP1 with the Android Emulator in Android Studio.
Google recommends using the latest preview of Android Studio Jellyfish for the best development experience. Also, if you discover any issues testing the new features and APIs, leave some feedback on the Issue Tracker.
- Builds are available only for the Pixel 6, 7, or 8 series device as well as for the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet.
- You have to manually install these builds, and they’re intended for DEVELOPERS ONLY.
- Once you’ve manually installed a build, you’ll automatically get future Android 15 updates over-the-air.
- If you’re on the Android 14 QPR beta and want to try the Android 15 DP without wiping your device, you should migrate now. Otherwise, there may come a time where an Android 14 QPR beta has a newer build date than the most recent Android 15 DP, forcing you to wipe data before you can migrate.
- If you don’t have a supported Pixel, you can also try Android 15 DP1 with the Android Emulator in Android Studio.
Google recommends using the latest preview of Android Studio Jellyfish for the best development experience. Also, if you discover any issues testing the new features and APIs, leave some feedback on the Issue Tracker.
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Here’s the current release schedule for Android 15:
- Developer Preview 1 (today)
- Developer Preview 2 (March)
- Beta 1 (April)
- Beta 2 (May)
- Beta 3 (June)
- Beta 4 (July)
- Final Release (TBD)
Android 15 will reach Platform Stability with Beta 3 in June 2024. Platform Stability is when SDK/NDK APIs, internal APIs, and app-facing system behaviors are finalized.
The Android 14 QPR program is still running but will conclude with QPR3’s stable release in June.
- Developer Preview 1 (today)
- Developer Preview 2 (March)
- Beta 1 (April)
- Beta 2 (May)
- Beta 3 (June)
- Beta 4 (July)
- Final Release (TBD)
Android 15 will reach Platform Stability with Beta 3 in June 2024. Platform Stability is when SDK/NDK APIs, internal APIs, and app-facing system behaviors are finalized.
The Android 14 QPR program is still running but will conclude with QPR3’s stable release in June.
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Android 15 DP1 has added the "notification cooldown" feature I first revealed in the Android 14 QPR2 beta for Android Police. This feature "gradually lower[s] the notification volume when you get many successive notifications from the same app."
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