Latest Articles
Searching for an app in the Play Store can be a bit of crap shoot, which is odd when it's run by a search company. Google just added a new filter to the web Play Store that lets you restrict results to only those apps with 4 or more stars. That should clear out a lot of the junk.
Priority notifications are going to be a thing in Android 5.0, but how the heck are you supposed to set something as a priority? There's actually a whole new menu for that, as well as a shortcut in the notification shade. By messing with these settings you can control what apps can bug you and when. Priority mode itself can be activated from the volume slider, so only your most important apps can get through.
Google introduced the power saving mode in the last developer preview, and it seems to work the same this time with one notable exception—orange. Lots of orange. When you activate power saver mode, your status bar and nav bar will turn orange and stay that way until you shut off power saver.
The most fitness oriented of Android Wear devices so far is now listed in the Play Store. None other than the Sony SmartWatch 3, from the company that previously said it was sticking with its non-Android watch platform. Yeah, that went well.
The Nexus 9 went up for pre-order in the Play Store earlier today, but right next to it in the device list is the Nexus 6. Oh, but clicking through presents you with the dreaded "coming soon" message. At least you know where to find it when the time comes.
You're probably familiar with the redesigned recent apps list in Android 5.0—it's a very pretty stack of cards with fluid animations. Now you won't have to worry about losing your place after a reboot. As of Lollipop, the app list will not be cleared when you turn the device off.
Previously, long-pressing a notification would offer a link to the app info page of any app that produced it. With Android 5.0 Lollipop Google is improving this functionality. Simply long-press and you get the app name and icon, as well as a link to the app notification settings. Look at how wonderfully hypnotic the animation is.
Android 5.0 brings with it a big redesign of the notification and Quick Settings area, but there was a seemingly odd quirk in the first developer preview. You could see the notifications when Quick Settings was open, but you couldn't interact. Now you can.
After going live for pre-order on Amazon last night, the Nexus 9 is now available on the Play Store. Google has the black and white versions in 16 and 32GB capacities ready for you to claim. The sand/flesh tone/beige thing and the LTE version are still just "coming soon."
The new developer preview of Android 5.0 includes one tweak I'm sure everyone will be happy about—the dismiss all button has returned to the notification shade. I don't think anyone seriously considered the possibility that it would be gone forever, but it's good to see it back.
The time has come for developers (and the more curious users out there) to get a better look at Android 5.0 Lollipop. The update comes not via an OTA of any sort, but as a new flashable system image that can be applied to the 2013 WiFi Nexus 7 or the Nexus 5. Start your downloading.
Google Play Games has supported online multiplayer for a while, but now it's even easier to play against your friends who happen to be within gloating distance. Play Games now includes support for multiplayer with people who are physically near you.
You're probably wondering if you somehow ended up on a post from a few weeks ago, but no, this is new. TwitPic originally announced its impending closure back in September, but then appeared to get a reprieve when a mysterious buyer emerged from the shadows to acquire it. Now? Nope, the shutdown is back on.
Mozilla is pushing a new version of Firefox Beta out to the Play Store today, and it brings some big changes. You might not be thrilled with all of them, but it's Firefox so you can change things. Don't get me wrong, it's almost all objectively good stuff. Are you sufficiently intrigued?
Android 5.0 has only been official for about 24 hours now, and already OEMs are lining up to explain their upgrade paths. Yesterday was Motorola, and today Sony is laying its cards on the table. Sony has a lot of cards. The company has confirmed that all its Z series devices will get Android Lollipop. That's a whole mess of phones.
Google announced the Nexus Player on Wednesday as the first Android TV device, but there was no news on an updated Chromecast. Google's $35 streaming stick has been a big hit, and it's been more than a year since it was released. Now a device has passed through the FCC, and it's clearly a Chromecast with the updated model number A4RH2G2-2A.
Motorola's always-on voice control system is a little less special than it was a year ago, but it's still a neat feature. It's still got some room to grow, though. The recently rebranded Moto Voice app is improving a bit today. Specifically, it should reduce some of that lag when initiating commands by voice.
Around the Android Police virtual headquarters, the annual Nexus announcements are known as "Nexmas." This Nexmas was quite a haul with a new phone, tablet, and TV box. Then there's the brand spankin' new version of Android. In case you didn't pay attention all day long, here's a quick recap of all the Lollipop and Nexus information from Google's October 15th loot drop.
It has been the hot thing to make kill switches for phones recently. Carriers have been asked by government agencies to do it, states are passing laws to require it, Apple did it, and now Google is implementing it in Android 5.0. Lollipop will come with an opt-in "Factory Reset Protection" option that keeps a thief from being able to wipe your phone, making it a less appealing target in the first place.
Looking for something to help you justify that whopping $649 Nexus 6 price tag? Yeah, us too. Well, how's this: the Nexus 6 will be water-resistant. Probably not submersible, but at least splash-proof like the new Moto X.