Latest Articles
Google has been pumping out significant updates pretty fast recently, likely as the finishing touches are put down on new features that will be cut loose in a couple of weeks during I/O. The latest update brings with it the 'At a glance' widget that debuted in the Pixel Launcher, making it available to many more devices and in different launchers. We've also got a few small topics to cover in a teardown.
While we await the imminent rollout of the screen sharing feature we've been watching for a few months, a new version of Duo is rolling out with even more clues about upcoming changes. There haven't been any immediately obvious changes going live in this update, but a teardown points to a couple of enhancements. The first will be read receipts for video and audio messages sent through Duo. The second set of clues points to three different levels for the upcoming bokeh effect.
Gmail v8.4 adds 'mark unread from here' and prepares fully customizable swipe actions [APK Teardown]
As if Gmail didn't make enough news today thanks to the launch of a new web interface and beginning to roll out the long-long-awaited snooze feature, there's also a new version of the app floating out into the world. It only appears to add one feature to mark a thread as partially unread, but a teardown also reveals that the Gmail team is going to add fully customizable swipe actions.
It wasn't that long ago that Google Pay (and its previous names) was solely focused on making purchases in a store or paying on the spot to get onto subways...and sometimes sending money to friends. Google recently added support for one-time transit tickets on the Las Vegas Monorail and prepaid commuter cards with the TriMet in Portland, Oregon, but things are about to get a lot more interesting thanks to the latest update. We can expect to see support added for airport boarding passes and event tickets. There are several other big additions coming, too, so let's get straight into it.
The Google app just leapt up to version 8.0 late last night, but despite the shiny new version number, most things are looking about the same. A new screen has been added for "Your People," while a teardown tells us that it will be possible to set regular schedules to run custom routines (when they launch), the Google Lens will be able to switch to the front-facing selfie camera, and more.
Last year, Google Photos treated iPhone and iPad users to a new, vastly improved video editor. Heavily based on the Clips app originally developed by Fly Labs and acquired by Google in 2015, the basic controls for working with multiple source videos in a timeline were much easier to see and use than other editors of the time, including Apple's own iMovie app. It has been a little more than a year since it launched on iOS, and now the new movie editor is rolling out to Android users.
YouTube has been under fire for many months over the way it handles programming and treatment of children. The main issue comes from an assortment of horrendously bad videos that were crafted to game the system and target children. The company committed to crack down on these types of videos, but there's no denying that it would still be a cat and mouse game as the bad creators would surely find new ways to wiggle through any new filters. BuzzFeed reported an entirely new app was in development and that it abandoned the algorithmic suggestions in favor of Google-curated videos. However, based on additions in the latest YouTube Kids update, it looks like a new app is probably not going to be necessary because that feature is already in the works and will actually extend beyond just Google's eyes.
Google Maps recently made news as a few people started getting audible instructions with the names of visible landmarks in place of hard-to-see and sometimes indiscernible street names. In very nearly the same breath, v9.76 began rolling out through the beta channel late last night. Unlike most updates, this one doesn't seem to bring a lot in the way of new features outside of a couple small tweaks, but it does strongly hint at events added by the community, possibly opening up a whole new avenue to get people together.
It has been nearly two weeks since the first beta of v7.26 began rolling out with several hints about what we can look forward to, but a minor update just started rolling out that appears to contain something else of some interest. It seems like something called "Collections" is coming to Google that looks mighty similar to the Saved pages feature, but with a few improvements already emerging.
Duo is getting an update to v32 today, following shortly after the launch of the long-awaited ability to link a Google account. There aren't any immediately obvious changes in the UI for this version, and a look through the teardown seems to support that it contains mostly changes to phrasing and other tweaks to improve the sign-up process. However, a few things were discovered during a teardown, including a tool for exporting call history, which is already live.
It's another busy Wednesday as Google rolls out an update to the Android Messages app. Version 3.1 doesn't appear to have any functional or visual changes, but there are some interesting details about things to come. The upcoming web chat interface is still in progress, but it's sporting a slightly different name than when we last discussed it. There's a GIF browser in the works for those that don't have one in their keyboard. And there may be some new features destined for Android Messages that will be able to benefit from connecting a Google account. We're still watching for any live changes, so let us know if you stumble across anything interesting!
Google Photos has a new version rolling out to users today. Like so many other updates from Google, this one appears to be holding back new features, likely in preparation for I/O in just about one month. But for as much as Google may be holding back, there are also a few things that are being packed into the app now in preparation for those big announcements.
Google recently launched a new feature that suggests various streaming services when you're looking at TV shows and movies to watch. The latest update doesn't appear to do any more than ensure that feature is available, assuming it hadn't already rolled out to you. However, it looks like there's still a little more to come. It looks like we'll also get the option to configure those streaming services and cable subscriptions to get better suggestions.
Read update
Yesterday, Google opened the doors to a new beta channel for its Phone app. For those joining the beta releases, there's already a fresh update to v19 waiting for them to play with. There are a lot of changes coming through in this round, including some updates to the UI, an option to filter spam calls, and much more. If you want to get your hands on the latest version, but aren't quite ready to join the beta, grab the apk from the APK Mirror link below.
Last month's update to the Google Camera app included several new features, but there's a chance one of those changes may not have agreed with every user. While users were given a new option to remap the double-tap gesture to switch cameras instead of zooming in, it technically cost users the ability to disable the double-tap gesture altogether. A minor update just rolled out that restores this simple alternative.
Google has been pushing out new updates to its self-named app with unusual vigor over the last few weeks. Despite an aggressive release schedule, there are still quite a few additions and clues about future changes. The latest update actually brings some visible changes if you look into Actions on Assistant; but more importantly, there are a handful of clues about future enhancements to Actions, the home screen widget, and more.
Late last night, the latest version of Google Maps began rolling out through the beta channel. For many people, this will likely bring new notifications with convenient shortcuts to local area transit maps. There are also signs that Google is adding integration with bicycle sharing services, a vague hint of new activity around speed limits, and possibly some new perks for Local Guides.
Personal privacy is and probably always will be a difficult topic now that a digital lifestyle has become indelibly linked to our culture. It's not enough to stop using a service, we should be able to have data deleted from the servers just in case a hacker manages to gain access. Google Play Games has long offered the ability to erase entire profiles, which includes the Gamer ID, XP, scores, and any other data saved to its servers. Now there's text suggesting we'll get the ability to be picky and wipe individual games from the record while leaving everything else intact.
After an unusually busy week of updates, Google capped it off with a late-Friday rollout of its central app. As we should expect, there aren't any immediately obvious changes to the interface from installing this update – those will appear in the coming weeks as Google switches them on remotely. However, we've got a teardown of the APK that covers some of what we'll be seeing in the future.
The Android Pay name has been dead for weeks, replaced by Google Pay for the foreseeable future. With the rebranding out of the way and the adjustment period starting to fade, it's time to get back to business as usual. The latest update looks a bit like a bug fixer since there don't appear to be any immediately visible changes after installing. However, a teardown gives a view of a new feature coming for prepaid accounts that will ensure they never run low on funds. Also, work continues on the effort to merge in Google Pay Send, formerly Google Wallet.