Fitbit is abandoning its own authorization system in favor of Google accounts.

As early as this summer, new Fitbit users will be required to register with a Google Account. While existing users can postpone the migration until 2025.

The company emphasizes that Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google Ads, and it will still be kept separate from Google Ads data. The move to Google accounts allows the company to lay a great foundation for Fitbit's future.

🔗 Google Blog

Google News | En

The first beta of Android 14 has been released!

Google is launching a public beta test of Android 14 for owners of Pixel 4a (5G) and newer. You can install the update either through factory and OTA images, or by signing up for the beta and getting the update over the air.

Security Patch: April 2023
Build number: UPB1.230309.014

• OTAs
• Factory Images

🔗 Register for Android beta testing

Google News | En

Android 14 is introducing an important security feature that authenticator apps can use to block malware from stealing your 2FA codes, like how the “Cerberus” banking trojan and “Nexus” malware were caught snooping on Google Authenticator. Here’s what you should know 👇

The Accessibility API lets apps read the contents of the screen and perform inputs on behalf of the user. It’s intended for screen readers and alternative input systems, but it’s open to any app. Malware authors love abusing this API.

Well-known malware like Cerberus and Nexus have been reported to use Accessibility to read 2FA codes from Google Authenticator. Currently, if an app’s malicious Accessibility Service is enabled, there’s nothing stopping them from doing that.

In Android 14, though, apps can set an attribute to prevent non-accessibility tools from interacting with important Views. Google Authenticator eg. can ensure that only accessibility tools can read 2FA codes.

For more information on this new #Android14 security feature, including a video that shows how it can block malware from reading your 2FA codes, check out my latest article for Esper.

The "Wallpaper & style" app crashes on Android 14 Beta 1? There is a solution.

Many users have encountered the problem of not being able to open the "Wallpaper & Style" page when updating, the problem lies in the themed icons switch. To fix the problem, you will have to reset the Pixel Launcher data. To do this:

- Open Settings / Apps / Show all XX apps.
- Find Pixel Launcher in the list.
- On the "App info" page, click on "Storage & cache"
- Click "Clear storage."
- Don't enable themed icons any more. (Otherwise you'll have to do it all over again)

❗️This will reset your home screen.

Google News | En

Google Contacts will soon show the time and weather at a contact's home address.

In the future, if you add the contact's home address info, you'll see a new card with the city name, local time, and weather. Clicking on the card will open weather.com

In addition, the contact's photo display will be redesigned. Instead of a full-width screen image, it will now use a photo inscribed in a circle.

Finally, if a contact's number is registered behind their Google account, you'll be able to share your location with them in Google Maps directly from Google Contacts, using the new "Location sharing" button.

All of these changes are not yet enabled on the user side.

Google News | En

Google phone will slightly tweak its dial pad to make it more readable.

The numbers (and * c #) will now be left-aligned, while the T9 predictive typing letters will be placed to the right of them and given a larger font.

I was able to enable this in the latest v103 beta, but this change is not yet available to users.

Google News | En

Pixel Launcher experiments with hiding the default date on the home screen.

Android 14 Beta 1 added a new developer option, ENABLE_SMARTSPACE_DEFAULT_DATE_REMOVED, and it does what it says it does: removes default date on home screen.

No, this flag does NOT (❗️) completely removes the At a glance widget, since all other notifications (timer, connected devices, calendar events, etc.) will still show up in that space. This means that you still won't be able to place anything else in its place.

Google News | En

Pixel 7a may go on sale much earlier than the middle of June.

Previous rumors said the Pixel 7a would go on sale by mid-June, at the same time as the Pixel Fold. However, insider SnoopyTech reports that the Pixel 7a will arrive in retail-stores within the next 14 days.

That means Google could start selling the device immediately after the presentation at Google I/O 2023. Pixel 7a will be available in three colors: "Carbon" (dark gray), "Cotton" (white) and "Arctic Blue" (bluish). The rumored "Jade" color is missing.

Whether the Pixel Fold's release date will change has not yet been reported.

Google News | En

The exact release dates and prices of the Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold have been leaked.

A new leak from John Prosser reveals the announcement dates, pre-order info, and pricing of the devices.

Google Pixel 7a:
• Announcement May 10. Sales start the same day.
• Colors: Charcoal, Snow, Sea (Light Blue), and Coral (exclusive to the Google Store).
• Price: $499 (Source: 9to5Google). $50 more expensive than the 6a.
• Pixel 6a will not be discontinued.

Google Pixel Fold:
• Announced May 10.
• Google Store pre-orders will start May 10.
• Pre-orders from partners / carriers will open May 30.
• Available: June 27
• Price: $1,799.

Google News | En

Android 13 QPR3 Beta 3 is out.

Build number: T3B2.230316.005 → T3B3.230413.003(.A1)
Security patch: April 2023

Release Notes:
• Fixed issues that could cause Wi-Fi calling to stop working.
• Fixed an issue that could sometimes cause the system to get stuck on the home screen with no app icons and either the normal background or a blank, black background.
• Fixed an issue where the system UI crashed when trying to access the Wallpaper & style screen both in the system settings app or by long-pressing from the home screen.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the screen on some devices to flash green when toggled if the phone was in a high temperature environment.
• Fixed an issue where the camera displayed a black screen if the user tried to open the camera by pressing the power button twice.
• Fixed an issue where in some cases when a work profile is switched on or off, the device rebooted instead.

🔗 OTA images
🔗 Factory Images

Google News | En

Google Authenticator now supports Google Account synchronization

One of the main problems with Google Authenticator over the years has been that one-time codes were only stored on one device, and losing that device meant that users lost the ability to log in to any service where they had set up 2FA with Authenticator.

The new update solves this problem by making one-time codes more secure by storing them securely in a Google account. The company has also updated the service's icon.

To try the new Authenticator with Google Account sync, simply update the app to version 6.0 and follow the prompts.

🔗 Google Security Blog

Google News | En

Google app also updates the 'Lens' icon in the search bar.

Earlier in Chrome Canary we found an updated Lens icon, now this change has reached the Google app with the new update 14.17.16.29.

Most likely in the future we will also see an updated icon in Google Camera, Lens shortcut and Pixel Launcher.

Google News | En

Android 14 Beta 1.1 bugfix has been released.

Changelog:

• Fixed an issue where the system UI crashed when trying to access the Wallpaper & Style screen either through the Settings app, or by long-pressing from the home screen.
• Fixed some issues that prevented fingerprint unlock from being used.
• Fixed an issue where the status bar did not display the mobile network.
• Fixed an issue that prevented a SIM card or eSIM from being detected or activated in some cases.
• Fixed an issue where the lock screen displayed a message with an unresolved string placeholder when Smart Lock was enabled.

• OTAs
• Factory Images

🔗 Register for Android beta testing

Google News | En

The first image of Pixel 7a in coral color.

In early leaks, we've already seen 3 of the 4 colors of the Pixel 7a: Carbon Grey (dark gray), Cotton White (white) and Arctic Blue (light blue). And now, insider Evan Blass (Evleaks) shares a first look at the last color, Coral, which is rumored to be sold exclusively on the Google Store.

Google News | En