Android 15 QPR1 Beta 1.1 is out, and the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL are now eligible to install it!

(Neither device had a QPR1 Beta 1 build.)

Beta 1.1 includes a fix for an issue that could sometimes cause devices to restart unexpectedly.

A minor, but welcome change is rolling out to the Google Weather app's forecast tile on Wear OS:

You can now see weather information for the next four hours.

Screenshots can be seen in this article.

Android on the Google Pixel 9 will no longer call slow chargers 'fast.'

Google has updated the fast charging threshold so the Pixel 9 won't say "charging rapidly" when you're using a charger that only delivers 7.5W of power.

More details on this Android change can be found in this article.

UPDATE: Some users have figured out how to enable Call Notes, Pixel Screenshots, and other Gemini Nano-powered features on the Pixel 9!

It seems the culprit behind the model not downloading on bootloader unlocked devices is the Private Compute Services (PCS) app.

PCS last year implemented Key Attestation support to verify the authenticity of devices before allowing certain operations. AICore uses PCS' Protected Downloads API to securely download the Gemini Nano model.

(Interestingly, PCS last year added support for running the Protected Downloads operation in a virtual machine using AVF, though I'm not sure if this is actually used here.)

So by using TrickyStore to target PCS and modify the certificate chain generated for Android Key Attestation, voila, it works. Well, at least for now.

Scoop: OSOM, the company formed by former Essential employees, is being sued to turn over its financial records. Its former CPO alleges the founder has misused company funds to pay for Lamborghinis and his lavish lifestyle.

This is the Android 15 statue. It's the Bot holding a Vanilla Ice Cream cone. (Vanilla Ice Cream is the internal dessert name for Android 15.)

Source: Dave Burke on X

Told y'all: Google is releasing the Android 15 source code today, but the Pixel's Android 15 update isn't rolling out yet.

Here's all the details on today's Android 15 release.

While there isn't a Pixel Drop today, there is an Android drop!

Today's drop brings new features to Circle to Search, Chrome, TalkBack, and Google Maps for Wear OS, plus an expansion of Android Earthquake Alerts across the U.S.

More details on these new features can be found in this article on Android Faithful.

Since Google isn't rolling out the Android 15 update for Pixel devices today, they're instead pushing a new Android 14 QPR3-based update with the latest September 2024 security patches.

The update also removes a "third party APK to address [a] security vulnerability." Presumably, this refers to the vulnerability within the Showcase app that caused a stir recently (which was blown way out of proportion, to be honest.)

Google's TalkBack screen reader is getting a neat new feature that uses Gemini AI to generate denoscriptions of images that don't have alt. text.

Unfortunately, this feature won't be available on Samsung devices. Here's why.

If you're working on an Android 15 "custom ROM" or custom operating system project and find something interesting while digging through the AOSP source code, let me know!

My DMs are open.

Everything is not OSOM: The company born from Essential's ashes is shutting down

OSOM is effectively closing up shop later this week and laying off most of its employees. My condolences to the employees who will soon be out of a job 😔

If you update your work phone to Android 15 and find that Circle to Search suddenly doesn't work, it's because the update gives IT admins the ability to block the feature.

Here's how.

Gboard is rolling out a new UI for picking emojis, stickers, GIFs, and emoticons that's more optimized for tablets and foldables.

More details + screenshots can be found in this article.

You don't have to use Google Assistant or Gemini anymore to enjoy Circle to Search!

Circle to Search can finally be used even when the Google app isn’t set as the default assistant.

More details here.

Turns out I wasn't overthinking this :)

(Though I was wrong about this being the "only" change in the Easter egg in Android 15, as a later beta added the Landroid screen saver!)

Google is making your smart home setup even easier by backing up Thread credentials

Thread network credentials stored on your Android device are now synced to the cloud for quicker setup of new smart home devices.

Here's what this means for you.

Google is preparing a major overhaul to notifications and Quick Settings in Android 16

The good news? You might see more info in each panel.

The bad news? You'll need two fingers to pull down Quick Settings.

Full details + a demo can be found in my latest article for Android Authority.

Remember those revamped status bar icons that I posted about a few months back?

Yeah, they're in Android 15's source code, they're just not used/enabled by default yet. But you can build your own Android 15 ROM and enable them.

[Sb] New status bar wifi and mobile icons | [Sb] New unified battery icon