Forwarded from Mishaal's Android News Feed
Google has announced a LOT of new fraud and scam protection features for Android 15 and Google Play. These include:
- OTP redaction in notifications. OTPs are now hidden from untrusted notification listeners. Wearable companion apps will still be able to read OTPs, though.
- Notification, OTP, and login redaction during screen sharing. During screen sharing, private notification content, apps that post OTPs, and pages where you enter credentials will be automatically protected from remote viewers.
- Partial screen sharing. This was technically introduced on Pixel with Android 14 QPR2, but Google’s mentioning it here because it’s coming to other devices in Android 15. Coming later: A more prominent screen indicator while screen sharing.
- Expanded Restricted Settings. Google is expanding restricted settings, a feature that requires additional user approval to enable permissions when installing an app from an Internet-sideloading source (like a web browser or file manager). (I previously reported on Enhanced Confirmation Mode in Android 15; I believe Google is referring to this.)
- Cellular cipher transparency. As I previously reported, Android 15 will notify you if your cellular network connection is unencrypted which could expose SMS and voice traffic to interception. Requires OEM integration and compatible hardware.
- Identifier disclosure transparency. Android 15 will alert you if a potential false cellular base station (stingray) is recording their location using a device identifier. Requires OEM integration and compatible hardware.
- Live threat detection through Google Play Protect. This uses on-device AI to analyze behavioral signals related to the use of sensitive permissions and interactions with other apps and services. Suspicious apps are sent to Google for additional review; Play Protect will then warn the user or disable the app if malicious behavior is confirmed. This feature is coming to Pixel, OPPO, Honor, Lenovo, OnePlus, Nothing, Transsion, Sharp, and other manufacturers.
- OTP redaction in notifications. OTPs are now hidden from untrusted notification listeners. Wearable companion apps will still be able to read OTPs, though.
- Notification, OTP, and login redaction during screen sharing. During screen sharing, private notification content, apps that post OTPs, and pages where you enter credentials will be automatically protected from remote viewers.
- Partial screen sharing. This was technically introduced on Pixel with Android 14 QPR2, but Google’s mentioning it here because it’s coming to other devices in Android 15. Coming later: A more prominent screen indicator while screen sharing.
- Expanded Restricted Settings. Google is expanding restricted settings, a feature that requires additional user approval to enable permissions when installing an app from an Internet-sideloading source (like a web browser or file manager). (I previously reported on Enhanced Confirmation Mode in Android 15; I believe Google is referring to this.)
- Cellular cipher transparency. As I previously reported, Android 15 will notify you if your cellular network connection is unencrypted which could expose SMS and voice traffic to interception. Requires OEM integration and compatible hardware.
- Identifier disclosure transparency. Android 15 will alert you if a potential false cellular base station (stingray) is recording their location using a device identifier. Requires OEM integration and compatible hardware.
- Live threat detection through Google Play Protect. This uses on-device AI to analyze behavioral signals related to the use of sensitive permissions and interactions with other apps and services. Suspicious apps are sent to Google for additional review; Play Protect will then warn the user or disable the app if malicious behavior is confirmed. This feature is coming to Pixel, OPPO, Honor, Lenovo, OnePlus, Nothing, Transsion, Sharp, and other manufacturers.
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Forwarded from Mishaal's Android News Feed
Android 15 Beta 2 brings the following features:
- Private Space.
- New volume panel design.
- Bluetooth auto-on toggle.
- Predictive back gesture by default.
- Saving app pairs.
- Color contrast settings. (One thing to note: It's no longer under Settings > Accessibility > Color and motion. Instead it's under Settings > Wallpaper & style.)
- Updated storage page. Under Settings > Storage, there's no longer a "System" option. Instead, there's a "System" header that splits into the "OS" and "temporary system files". This may somewhat reduce confusion with how much space system files takes up. Unrecognized files will still be seen as "temporary system files", though.
- New USB debugging/Android System icon. The upside down logo has been replaced with a V shape to reflect the internal dessert name of Vanilla Ice Cream.
- Changing the screen timeout to a higher value in Android 15 Beta 2 requires you to unlock the device.
(Screenshots: Skiman10)
- Private Space.
- New volume panel design.
- Bluetooth auto-on toggle.
- Predictive back gesture by default.
- Saving app pairs.
- Color contrast settings. (One thing to note: It's no longer under Settings > Accessibility > Color and motion. Instead it's under Settings > Wallpaper & style.)
- Updated storage page. Under Settings > Storage, there's no longer a "System" option. Instead, there's a "System" header that splits into the "OS" and "temporary system files". This may somewhat reduce confusion with how much space system files takes up. Unrecognized files will still be seen as "temporary system files", though.
- New USB debugging/Android System icon. The upside down logo has been replaced with a V shape to reflect the internal dessert name of Vanilla Ice Cream.
- Changing the screen timeout to a higher value in Android 15 Beta 2 requires you to unlock the device.
(Screenshots: Skiman10)
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Forwarded from Mishaal's Android News Feed
Wear OS 5 is coming later this year, so today, Google’s launching a Developer Preview so you can prepare.
Wear OS 5 is based on Android 14 and brings some notable battery life improvements. Workout tracking is more power efficient, with Google saying marathon runs consume up to 20% less power than on Wear OS 4.
The Watch Face Format (WFF), introduced in Wear OS 4, is seeing some improvements in Wear OS 5. Flavors are now supported; these are preset configurations for watch faces available in the companion app. “Goal progress” and “weighted elements” complication types are now supported. Lastly, weather and forecast data can now be used as data sources.
To encourage adoption of the WFF, Wear OS 5 will apply restrictions to some data sources used by complications on watch faces built with the legacy AndroidX or Wearable Support Library APIs. Also, in early 2025, all new watch faces published on Google Play must use the WFF.
Health Services in Wear OS 5 is introducing new data types for running (ground contact time, stride length, vertical oscillation, vertical ratio) and support debounced goals for instantaneous metrics (like heart rate, distance, and speed). Debounced goals mean that events are only emitted if the threshold has been continuously exceeded for a number of seconds.
Version 1.3 of Jetpack Compose for Wear OS graduates a number of visual improvements and fixes from beta to stable.
Version 1.4 of the Jetpack Tiles library (in alpha) will introduce preview support for Android Studio so you can quickly iterate on your Tile development.
Apps can now determine whether their tiles are in use through the getActiveTilesAsync() method.
Android Studio Koala Feature Drop (Canary) adds a new sensor panel that makes it easier to test Health Services. You can mock the capabilities of the device or sensor values.
Wear OS 5 is based on Android 14 and brings some notable battery life improvements. Workout tracking is more power efficient, with Google saying marathon runs consume up to 20% less power than on Wear OS 4.
The Watch Face Format (WFF), introduced in Wear OS 4, is seeing some improvements in Wear OS 5. Flavors are now supported; these are preset configurations for watch faces available in the companion app. “Goal progress” and “weighted elements” complication types are now supported. Lastly, weather and forecast data can now be used as data sources.
To encourage adoption of the WFF, Wear OS 5 will apply restrictions to some data sources used by complications on watch faces built with the legacy AndroidX or Wearable Support Library APIs. Also, in early 2025, all new watch faces published on Google Play must use the WFF.
Health Services in Wear OS 5 is introducing new data types for running (ground contact time, stride length, vertical oscillation, vertical ratio) and support debounced goals for instantaneous metrics (like heart rate, distance, and speed). Debounced goals mean that events are only emitted if the threshold has been continuously exceeded for a number of seconds.
Version 1.3 of Jetpack Compose for Wear OS graduates a number of visual improvements and fixes from beta to stable.
Version 1.4 of the Jetpack Tiles library (in alpha) will introduce preview support for Android Studio so you can quickly iterate on your Tile development.
Apps can now determine whether their tiles are in use through the getActiveTilesAsync() method.
Android Studio Koala Feature Drop (Canary) adds a new sensor panel that makes it easier to test Health Services. You can mock the capabilities of the device or sensor values.
👍8
Forwarded from Mishaal's Android News Feed
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Google has announced BIG changes for Android Auto and Android Automotive OS, including:
- Google Cast support is coming to cars running AAOS, starting with Rivian! This’ll let you cast videos from your phone directly to the car while it’s parked.
- New car app quality tiers.
“Tier 1: Car differentiated” represents apps built specifically for cars and can adapt across driving and parked modes. These provide the best possible user experience on all different screens.
“Tier 2: Car optimized” represents apps that offer a great experience on the car’s center stack display and may have car-specific engineering.
“Tier 3: Car ready” represents apps that are large screen compatible and enabled while the car is parked. These are basically just tablet apps with no car-specific features.
Now here’s the big news: Google’s launching the Car ready mobile apps program. Google will proactively review mobile apps that are considered Tier 3 and will automatically opt it in for distribution on Android Auto and Android Automotive! This will greatly accelerate the rate of new apps launching on Android for cars, as developers of many existing apps won’t need to make any changes for their app to be available on cars. The Car ready mobile apps program will start with parked app categories like video, gaming, and browsers with plans to expand to other app categories in the future.
Lastly, some new apps:
- Uber Driver app is now available for Android Auto.
- Apps for Max, Peacock, and Angry Birds are coming to select cars with Google built-in.
For developers, there’s a new emulator for distant and panoramic displays, an emulator that lets you change the emulator screen to match OEM screen designs, and an AAOS system image for the Pixel Tablet.
- Google Cast support is coming to cars running AAOS, starting with Rivian! This’ll let you cast videos from your phone directly to the car while it’s parked.
- New car app quality tiers.
“Tier 1: Car differentiated” represents apps built specifically for cars and can adapt across driving and parked modes. These provide the best possible user experience on all different screens.
“Tier 2: Car optimized” represents apps that offer a great experience on the car’s center stack display and may have car-specific engineering.
“Tier 3: Car ready” represents apps that are large screen compatible and enabled while the car is parked. These are basically just tablet apps with no car-specific features.
Now here’s the big news: Google’s launching the Car ready mobile apps program. Google will proactively review mobile apps that are considered Tier 3 and will automatically opt it in for distribution on Android Auto and Android Automotive! This will greatly accelerate the rate of new apps launching on Android for cars, as developers of many existing apps won’t need to make any changes for their app to be available on cars. The Car ready mobile apps program will start with parked app categories like video, gaming, and browsers with plans to expand to other app categories in the future.
Lastly, some new apps:
- Uber Driver app is now available for Android Auto.
- Apps for Max, Peacock, and Angry Birds are coming to select cars with Google built-in.
For developers, there’s a new emulator for distant and panoramic displays, an emulator that lets you change the emulator screen to match OEM screen designs, and an AAOS system image for the Pixel Tablet.
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Forwarded from Mishaal's Android News Feed
Android 14 for TV is official!
The latest version of Android TV adds new energy modes to reduce a TV’s standby power consumption. It also brings new accessibility features like color correction, enhanced text options, and improved navigation for users, all of which can be toggled using remote shortcuts. Android TV 14 also brings picture-in-picture mode support on some models. Lastly, it also brings Thread network support for some models.
For developers, Compose for TV is now available in 1.0.0-beta01, graduating several components from experimental and removing the ImmersiveList composable from the androidx-tv-material package.
As for Google TV, there’s new, AI-based recommendations powered by Gemini. Gemini will add AI-generated denoscriptions on the home screen that are personalized for you based on your genre and actor preferences. AI-generated denoscriptions will also fill in untranslated or missing denoscriptions for movies and shows.
The latest version of Android TV adds new energy modes to reduce a TV’s standby power consumption. It also brings new accessibility features like color correction, enhanced text options, and improved navigation for users, all of which can be toggled using remote shortcuts. Android TV 14 also brings picture-in-picture mode support on some models. Lastly, it also brings Thread network support for some models.
For developers, Compose for TV is now available in 1.0.0-beta01, graduating several components from experimental and removing the ImmersiveList composable from the androidx-tv-material package.
As for Google TV, there’s new, AI-based recommendations powered by Gemini. Gemini will add AI-generated denoscriptions on the home screen that are personalized for you based on your genre and actor preferences. AI-generated denoscriptions will also fill in untranslated or missing denoscriptions for movies and shows.
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Forwarded from Mishaal's Android News Feed
Android phones are getting a theft protection feature that automatically locks them when they’re stolen!
Theft Detection Lock uses a ML model to detect when someone snatches your phone from your hand and tries to run, bike, or drive away. It uses data from your phone’s accelerometer and gyroscope and checks if common motions associated with theft are detected. If so, your phone will quietly lock itself.
The Theft Detection Lock feature will roll out through Google Play Services later this year on Android 10+ devices.
Other new theft protection features include:
- Upgraded factory reset protection in Android 15. If a thief tries to force a reset of a stolen device, they won’t be able to set it up again without knowing your device or Google account credentials.
- Disabling Find My Device or extending screen timeout now requires your screen credential.
- Enhanced authentication, when enabled, will require biometrics for accessing and changing critical Google account and device settings (like changing your PIN), disabling theft protection, or accessing passkeys from an untrusted location. This will roll out to select devices later this year.
- Offline Device Lock automatically locks the screen to protect your data even when your device is off the grid.
- Remote Lock lets you lock your phone with just your phone number (and a quick security challenge) in case you forgot your Google account password and can’t access Find My Device. This will be available on Android 10+.
- Private Space in Android 15. You can hide particularly sensitive apps in Private Space using a separate credential.
Theft Detection Lock uses a ML model to detect when someone snatches your phone from your hand and tries to run, bike, or drive away. It uses data from your phone’s accelerometer and gyroscope and checks if common motions associated with theft are detected. If so, your phone will quietly lock itself.
The Theft Detection Lock feature will roll out through Google Play Services later this year on Android 10+ devices.
Other new theft protection features include:
- Upgraded factory reset protection in Android 15. If a thief tries to force a reset of a stolen device, they won’t be able to set it up again without knowing your device or Google account credentials.
- Disabling Find My Device or extending screen timeout now requires your screen credential.
- Enhanced authentication, when enabled, will require biometrics for accessing and changing critical Google account and device settings (like changing your PIN), disabling theft protection, or accessing passkeys from an untrusted location. This will roll out to select devices later this year.
- Offline Device Lock automatically locks the screen to protect your data even when your device is off the grid.
- Remote Lock lets you lock your phone with just your phone number (and a quick security challenge) in case you forgot your Google account password and can’t access Find My Device. This will be available on Android 10+.
- Private Space in Android 15. You can hide particularly sensitive apps in Private Space using a separate credential.
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Forwarded from Mishaal's Android News Feed
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Neat! Google Wallet will soon let you create a digital version of passes that just contain text!
If you’re in the U.S., you’ll be able to tap the “scan to add” button then scan things like event tickets, library cards, auto insurance cards, gym membership cards, etc. to create a digital version in Google Wallet!
If you’re in the U.S., you’ll be able to tap the “scan to add” button then scan things like event tickets, library cards, auto insurance cards, gym membership cards, etc. to create a digital version in Google Wallet!
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Forwarded from Mishaal's Android News Feed
Android's Photo Picker will finally get the ability to search through your local and cloud galleries!
This basic feature has been missing since launch, but it's good to see Google will add it soon.
This basic feature has been missing since launch, but it's good to see Google will add it soon.
Android Authority
Android's Photo Picker will finally let you search your gallery
Android’s Photo Picker will soon support local and cloud search. Currently, it shows your photos in albums in reverse chronological order.
👍8💩1
Forwarded from Mishaal's Android News Feed
Android's Photo Picker will finally get the ability to search through your local and cloud galleries!
This basic feature has been missing since launch, but it's good to see Google will add it soon.
This basic feature has been missing since launch, but it's good to see Google will add it soon.
Android Authority
Android's Photo Picker will finally let you search your gallery
Android’s Photo Picker will soon support local and cloud search. Currently, it shows your photos in albums in reverse chronological order.
🐳7👍3❤2💩1
Forwarded from Mishaal's Android News Feed
Health Connect on Android will soon add some much-needed features: the ability for apps to sync more than 30 days worth of data (and do so in the background)!
More details can be found here.
More details can be found here.
Android Authority
Health Connect will finally let apps sync more than 1 month of data
Health Connect is adding support for history reads, which lets users give apps access to all stored data, as well as background reads.
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