Android 15 is supposed to force apps to go edge-to-edge, but Google quietly added an API to opt out.
This API isn't mentioned in the developer docs, blog posts, codelabs, etc., though, and it's set to be deprecated in the future.
More details can be found in this article on Android Authority.
This API isn't mentioned in the developer docs, blog posts, codelabs, etc., though, and it's set to be deprecated in the future.
More details can be found in this article on Android Authority.
Android Authority
Android 15 is supposed to force apps to go edge-to-edge, but Google quietly added a way to opt out
Apps that target Android 15 are forced to go edge-to-edge by default, but Google quietly added an API that apps can use to opt out.
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Google Fast Pair may soon add support for keyboards, making it easier to pair them with your Chromebook or Android device
A new flag suggests that Google is prototyping support for Fast Pair for keyboards.
More details on what this means can be found in this article on Android Authority.
A new flag suggests that Google is prototyping support for Fast Pair for keyboards.
More details on what this means can be found in this article on Android Authority.
Android Authority
Fast Pair will make it easier to connect Bluetooth keyboards to your Chromebook or Android tablet
Fast Pair may soon support keyboards, which will greatly simplify connecting Bluetooth keyboards to Android tablets and Chromebooks.
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Finally, Android 15 could minimize heads-up notifications when you're watching videos!
Google is working on a new compact layout for heads-up notifications that makes them less obtrusive.
More details + screenshots can be found in this article on Android Authority.
Google is working on a new compact layout for heads-up notifications that makes them less obtrusive.
More details + screenshots can be found in this article on Android Authority.
Android Authority
Android 15 could minimize heads-up notifications when you're watching videos
Google is working on a new layout for heads-up notifications in Android 15 that makes them much more compact.
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First look: Android's tablet taskbar could be coming to phones!
I spotted and enabled a new "tiny taskbar" feature in the latest Android 15 beta that makes the taskbar work on small screen devices.
More details + a video can be found in my latest article for Android Authority.
I spotted and enabled a new "tiny taskbar" feature in the latest Android 15 beta that makes the taskbar work on small screen devices.
More details + a video can be found in my latest article for Android Authority.
Android Authority
Android 15 could bring the tablet taskbar to phones: Here's your first look at the 'tiny' taskbar
Google is experimenting with bringing the tablet taskbar to phones running Android 15. This new version could be called the "tiny" taskbar.
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A Gemini button is starting to appear inside the Gmail Android app for non-Workspace users.
This feature lets you ask Google's AI chatbot to summarize an email or suggest the next steps/a reply to an email. You can also separately ask Gemini to summarize all your emails.
This feature lets you ask Google's AI chatbot to summarize an email or suggest the next steps/a reply to an email. You can also separately ask Gemini to summarize all your emails.
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The Google TV Streamer is a 4K streaming box that doubles as a smart home hub. It's got beefier hardware, new connectivity options, a revamped remote, and the latest version of Google TV.
Here's EVERYTHING you need to know about it!
Here's EVERYTHING you need to know about it!
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Mishaal's Android News Feed
The Google TV Streamer is a 4K streaming box that doubles as a smart home hub. It's got beefier hardware, new connectivity options, a revamped remote, and the latest version of Google TV. Here's EVERYTHING you need to know about it!
Exclusive: This is the chipset used in the new Google TV Streamer: MT8696.
Google is surprisingly using a chipset from MediaTek instead of Amlogic.
More details on this processor can be found in my latest article for Android Authority.
Google is surprisingly using a chipset from MediaTek instead of Amlogic.
More details on this processor can be found in my latest article for Android Authority.
Android Authority
Exclusive: This is the chipset used in the new Google TV Streamer
Android Authority has evidence that the Google TV Streamer is using a chip from MediaTek, not Amlogic as previously believed.
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Samsung DeX can run directly on Galaxy tablets... so why wouldn't Android 15's revamped desktop mode be able to run directly on the Pixel Tablet?
It turns out, it can. Here's a first look at Android 15's desktop mode running on-device.
It turns out, it can. Here's a first look at Android 15's desktop mode running on-device.
Android Authority
Android 15's revamped desktop mode could run directly on tablets: Here's a first look
We discovered that Android 15’s hidden desktop mode can actually run on-device on tablets. Here's a first look at this on-device experience.
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I'm back with another look at Android 15's hidden lock screen widgets feature!
This time, it isn't nearly as buggy as when I last enabled it in April👀
You can find my video embedded in this article.
This time, it isn't nearly as buggy as when I last enabled it in April👀
You can find my video embedded in this article.
Android Authority
Android 15 lock screen widgets: Here's a better look at this upcoming feature!
Here’s another look at Android’s upcoming lock screen widgets feature, which could come in a future Android 15 update for the Pixel Tablet.
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Lock screen widget support will only be available on tablets running Android 15, but what would happen if you enabled the feature anyway on a phone?
Surprisingly, it actually looks and works pretty well!
A video of this feature on phones can be found in this article I wrote for Android Authority.
Surprisingly, it actually looks and works pretty well!
A video of this feature on phones can be found in this article I wrote for Android Authority.
Android Authority
Phones won't support lock screen widgets in Android 15, but here's what it'd look like anyways
Android 15 adds support for lock screen widgets, but only on tablets. Here's what it'd look like if phones supported this feature.
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The Google TV Streamer is the first device to run Android 14 for TVs.
Android 14 for TV, ie. Android TV 14, brings improvements to power efficiency, accessibility, performance, multitasking, remote control, and networking.
More details can be found in my latest article for Android Authority.
Android 14 for TV, ie. Android TV 14, brings improvements to power efficiency, accessibility, performance, multitasking, remote control, and networking.
More details can be found in my latest article for Android Authority.
Android Authority
The Google TV Streamer is the first device to run Android 14 for TVs
The Google TV Streamer is the first device to ship with the latest version of Android built for TVs: Android 14 for TVs, ie. Android TV 14.
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 support Google's Gemini Nano LLM, but what is it actually used for? It turns out, it's only used for a single feature right now, and it's not any of the Galaxy AI ones.
Samsung still presumably uses Gemini for some of the cloud-based Galaxy AI features, but I was surprised to find out that none of the on-device Galaxy AI features rely on Gemini Nano. I don't know exactly what model they use, but it's possibly Gauss Language.
Of course, Google is likely working on more features that rely on Gemini Nano, and those could come to Samsung devices. Then there are third-party apps like Adobe Acrobat, Patreon, and Grammarly, too, that will integrate Gemini Nano.
More details can be found in this article on Android Authority.
Samsung still presumably uses Gemini for some of the cloud-based Galaxy AI features, but I was surprised to find out that none of the on-device Galaxy AI features rely on Gemini Nano. I don't know exactly what model they use, but it's possibly Gauss Language.
Of course, Google is likely working on more features that rely on Gemini Nano, and those could come to Samsung devices. Then there are third-party apps like Adobe Acrobat, Patreon, and Grammarly, too, that will integrate Gemini Nano.
More details can be found in this article on Android Authority.
Android Authority
Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 support Gemini Nano: Here's what they use it for
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 both support Gemini Nano, the lightweight version of Google's Gemini LLM that runs on-device.
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So...this is interesting. Google is testing new Wear OS 5.1 builds out on the Pixel Watch 2, and they're surprisingly based on Android 15 rather than Android 14.
More details on what this could mean can be found in this article on Android Authority.
More details on what this could mean can be found in this article on Android Authority.
Android Authority
Google is already testing Wear OS 5.1, could be based on Android 15
Android Authority has learned of test builds of Wear OS 5.1 for the Pixel Watch 2, and they're apparently based on Android 15.
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Microsoft did it: They fixed Link to Windows on Android!
You no longer have to tap the "start now" button every time you want to stream an app from your phone to your PC.
In One UI 6.1.1, Link to Windows now uses Android's native app streaming APIs.
You no longer have to tap the "start now" button every time you want to stream an app from your phone to your PC.
In One UI 6.1.1, Link to Windows now uses Android's native app streaming APIs.
Android Authority
One UI 6.1.1 makes streaming apps to your Windows PC less annoying
One UI 6.1.1 removes the need to tap “start now” every time you want to stream an app from your Galaxy device to your Windows PC.
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Google says the Neural Networks API (NNAPI) will be deprecated in Android 15.
NNAPI was introduced in Android 8.1 to "provide a unified interface for hardware accelerated inference for on-device machine learning." Google cites the rapid pace of on-device machine learning breakthroughs as the reason for deprecating NNAPI, which was updated along with new Android version releases.
Google is recommending developers migrate from NNAPI to either TensorFlow Lite in Google Play Services, which provides an updatable TF runtime for custom on-device ML models, or to the new AICore service in Android 14+, which provides updatable GenAI foundation models like Gemini Nano.
NNAPI was introduced in Android 8.1 to "provide a unified interface for hardware accelerated inference for on-device machine learning." Google cites the rapid pace of on-device machine learning breakthroughs as the reason for deprecating NNAPI, which was updated along with new Android version releases.
Google is recommending developers migrate from NNAPI to either TensorFlow Lite in Google Play Services, which provides an updatable TF runtime for custom on-device ML models, or to the new AICore service in Android 14+, which provides updatable GenAI foundation models like Gemini Nano.
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The Google Play Store is starting to give users the option of whether they want to update an app installed from another source (ie. apps they sideloaded).
User Ayan on Telegram noticed this new "update from Play" button while they were on a listing for an app they sideloaded outside the Play Store.
"The app installed on your device didn't come from Google Play. You can update the app from the original source or from Google Play," the message below reads.
Android 14 introduced an update ownership API that lets app stores claim ownership over future updates for an app. This could be a way for the Play Store to reclaim update ownership, with the user's consent of course.
Let me know if you also see this in the Play Store!
Edit: To clarify, this seemingly gives you the choice of whether you want to update a sideloaded app from the Play Store.
Before, it would just do it, especially if said app's updates weren't claimed ownership over by another app store.
User Ayan on Telegram noticed this new "update from Play" button while they were on a listing for an app they sideloaded outside the Play Store.
"The app installed on your device didn't come from Google Play. You can update the app from the original source or from Google Play," the message below reads.
Android 14 introduced an update ownership API that lets app stores claim ownership over future updates for an app. This could be a way for the Play Store to reclaim update ownership, with the user's consent of course.
Let me know if you also see this in the Play Store!
Edit: To clarify, this seemingly gives you the choice of whether you want to update a sideloaded app from the Play Store.
Before, it would just do it, especially if said app's updates weren't claimed ownership over by another app store.
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The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is here, and it fixes the biggest issues with the OG Pixel Fold!
🟥 Inner screen is closer to a square
⏩ Tensor G4 instead of G2
🔄 7 years of OS updates instead of 3 years
✂️Even thinner
Check out my coverage on Android Faithful for every single detail on the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold!
🟥 Inner screen is closer to a square
⏩ Tensor G4 instead of G2
🔄 7 years of OS updates instead of 3 years
✂️Even thinner
Check out my coverage on Android Faithful for every single detail on the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold!
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The Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL are finally OFFICIAL!
💡3000 nits peak brightness on Pro
📷 8K30 video via Video Boost on Pro
📱 7 years of updates
🤙 Tensor G4 w/ Satellite SOS
✨ New Magic Editor features
For more details than you could possibly want on these Pixel 9 phones, check out my coverage on Android Faithful!
💡3000 nits peak brightness on Pro
📷 8K30 video via Video Boost on Pro
📱 7 years of updates
🤙 Tensor G4 w/ Satellite SOS
✨ New Magic Editor features
For more details than you could possibly want on these Pixel 9 phones, check out my coverage on Android Faithful!
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Gemini Live is ... live! That super cool, more conversational version of Gemini that Google teased us with at I/O is now here, along with new extensions and updates to the Android app.
I've got some videos of these Gemini updates in this article over on Android Faithful!
I've got some videos of these Gemini updates in this article over on Android Faithful!
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