Android 13 users now receive the Game Dashboard integrated into Google Play Services.

In Android 13, Google has removed the Game Dashboard from the Pixel SystemUI and started working on moving it to Google Play Services, as Mishaal Rahman noted earlier. This change was then noted to the changelog for the July Google Play system update.

As stated, the Game Dashboard becomes available in Google Play Services v.22.30 and newer.

You can find its settings by going to Settings/Google/Game Dashboard. Or open them directly from the game Dashboard.

Google News | En

The Pixel 6a display supports a refresh rate of 90 Hz. Well, almost...

Developer The Lunarixus found a display identifier in the Pixel 6a firmware code that matches the Pixel 6 - S6E3FC3. Based on this, he concluded that the panels of the devices are the same, and that Google limits the refresh rate with an upper threshold of 60 Hz. After that, the developer build a mod and demonstrated the works of the display with 90 Hz refresh rate.

But as Kuba Wojciechowski pointed out, it more like display controller and driver, not the panel itself. Therefore, this mod looks more like an overclock. In addition, it does not work on all models of the Pixel 6a. For example, on Mishaal Rahman's device when switching to 90 Hz, it shows only a blank screen.

I wouldn't recommend this sort of mods because who knows what will happen to your display after a while.

Google News | En

Google Home app getting ‘next generation design’ and looking for testers.

The Google Nest Trusted Tester program is currently recruiting a group of highly engaged testers. The test will focus on the development of the Google Home app "with a next-generation design.

To participate, you must be the owner of "any Google Nest products, including: Thermostats, Wifi, Speakers, Displays, Cameras, Doorbells, Locks, Nest Protect (smoke alarms), Chromecasts.."

Unfortunately, no other denoscription other than "next-generation design" was provided by the company. But, at Google I/O 2022, the company slipped in a new design on tablets.

🔗 Recruiting testers on the Centercode platform

🔗 9to5Google

Android version distribution info for August 2022. Android 12 is installed on 13.3% of all devices.

The August pie chart presumably includes 99.8% of all devices (versus 93.3% in May). As you can see, Android 12 (S) with an API level of 31 takes up 13.5% of the market. This percentage does not include Android 12L (12.1), as it has an API level of 32. So information about newer versions of the OS may lie in the remaining 0.2%.

Meanwhile, Android 11 takes up 27% versus 28.3% in May. The 11th version of the OS remains the most used version of Android to date, and Android 10 takes 22.3% vs. 23.9%. Android 9 Pie has given up its position from 16.2% to 14.5%, but that doesn't stop it from being ahead of Android 12, and meanwhile, it's been four years since the "pie" was released.

🔗 9to5Google