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Firefox 92 launches with support for your 2FA USB security key (APK Download)
The update is now rolling out on the Play Store
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Ever since the redesigned Firefox for Android landed back in 2020, development has stalled a little. Mozilla has only added a few new features to the browser since, like improved tracking protection, a small interface lift, and improvements to HTTPS connections. Unfortunately, Firefox 92 doesn't change much about that. The latest version of Firefox is now rolling out to the Play Store, and it only brings a handful of features to the table.
Facebook just announced that Instagram Lite is now officially available in 170 countries, but there are still many people who don't have access to this much tighter, 2MB small Instagram experience just yet. That applies to countries like the US, the UK, and many more in Europe. But luckily, there's a simple way to get your hands on it right now via our sister site APK Mirror.
Not everyone has the latest flagship smartphone, and even those of us who do sometimes run out of space or would prefer to use less resource-hogging apps when possible. That's where Lite variants of heavy and bloated applications come in, like Instagram Lite. Facebook has been testing the 2MB big app in select markets for a long time, and now, it has finally officially launched it in 170 countries around the world.
How to reliably sideload the latest Google apps on Android 11
Try this if you get the dreaded verification failure error
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The Gmail app may lack some basic features like access to filtering rules, but at least the Android app is a little less overwhelming than the website. And when Google is not busy adding bottom bars with spam or a new icon nobody asked for, the company sometimes does tweak the user experience in satisfying ways. As an avid Redditor noticed, the Gmail app now offers vibration feedback when you use swipe gestures.
Here's why some Google app updates can’t be sideloaded on Android 11
Looks like it's an intentional change after all
When the Pixel 5 and 4a 5G were released, Google also updated a few of its first-party apps — the Camera and the Recorder, to be specific. But when people with older Pixel phones tried to sideload these to their phones, some ran into an odd INSTALL_FAILED_VERIFICATION_FAILURE error message even though the cryptographic signature matched and there should've been nothing standing in the way. We quickly found a workaround, but we never really understood why the error was popping up in the first place. Thanks to an investigation by our friends over at XDA, we now have an idea of what causes the problem.
Firefox 85 cracks down on supercookies to prevent cross-site tracking
Partitioning network connections and caches for each website
Firefox 85 only brought one significant user-facing change — add-ons are now directly installable from addons.mozilla.org. But it turns out there is a lot more going on under the hood. The latest version of the Mozilla browser is cracking down on supercookies that evade regular anti-tracking techniques.
How to install the OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 theme on your phone (APK Download)
All aboard the hype train
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The OnePlus 8T Cyberpunk 2077 Edition may be limited to China, but that shall not stop you from experiencing its theme on the phone you already own. @linuxct is back at it with ports that works on any handset running Android 8 or higher. Here are a few APKs you'll need to become a samurai.
Get the new Google Drive icon on your phone right now (APK download)
The redesigned logo is rolling out as part of an app update
Not too long ago, Google announced that it would roll out redesigned icons for its core productivity tools like Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Meet, and Drive. It turns out that the latter is the service to make the transition first, as the company has just started rolling out a Drive app update complete with the new icon. We've got it available for download over at APK Mirror.
Chrome 86 will automatically check if your passwords have leaked and help you change them
A release focused on security
These days, we have a plethora of tools at our disposal that help us keep our online accounts safe, but no system is 100% fool-proof. And sometimes, login credentials do get hacked or are leaked. That's why many password managers have built-in breach checkers, and following the desktop version, Google Chrome for Android and iOS has also finally gained that ability. Starting with Chrome 86, the browser will notify you when passwords saved to your Google Account are compromised and help you change them as fast as possible.
Closing your perfectly innocent incognito tabs will no longer cause Chrome to freeze
The problem persisted for about two months
For the last two months, spanning from Chrome version 84 to 85, some people have been experiencing spontaneous interface freezes, mostly when trying to close their last incognito tab. Google acknowledge the issue quickly and promised a timely fix, and it seems like it's finally rolling out with the latest minor Chrome update. People on version 85.0.4183.127 report that the freezes have stopped for them, and the corresponding entry in the Chromium bug tracker has been marked as fixed.
The OnePlus Notes app comes to the Play Store with Oxygen OS 11 design (APK download)
Prepare for lots of white space in the name of reachability
OnePlus is preparing a novel take on its UI for Oxygen OS 11, and its first redesigned apps are already available for everyone to check out on the stable version of Android. The running theme of the overhauled applications is reachability, with OneUI-like big titles and gaps stretching to the top of the screen. That's no different for the new Notes app version 4.0, which has just celebrated its Early Access debut on the Play Store.
Android 11 requires apps to restart upon getting permission to install APKs, but you likely won't notice
Apps that want to install APKs will be force-quit upon receiving the permission
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New Android releases always bring exciting new features to the table, but every once in a while, a beloved feature gets reworked or removed altogether. That's no different for Android 11, which made it more cumbersome to grant apps the permission to install APKs, requiring a restart of the application in question up until at least Developer Preview 4. While that requirement is still present on more recent builds, the situation is now slightly improved: when apps are programmed correctly, they'll restart the latest activity, making the experience as smooth as possible.
Soon, everyone you share photos and videos with will know you've got a Pixel
Camera v7.5 changes the naming convention from IMG to PXL
IMG is the most common file name for images that come out of cameras, used in many phones and DSLRs, including the Google Pixel lineup. Google is looking to differentiate files created by the Pixel line's excellent cameras, though. Starting with Google Camera version 7.5, currently only available for devices running the Android 11 beta, image file names will start with PXL instead of IMG.
Google Home app finally integrates advanced router controls for Wifi (APK download)
Looks like the Google WiFi app is up for the chopping block
When Google introduced its new Nest Wifi routers, it promised to bring over all the settings from the dedicated Wifi app to the regular old Home app. It looks like the company is working on making good on that word, as the latest Google Home app (v2.26) has added a slew of advanced Wifi controls that were previously reserved to the standalone Wifi app, including things like DNS, WAN, LAN, and DHCP configurations.
Latest Zoom update adds support for dark mode on Android (APK Download)
A bunch of other upgrades are also included
Zoom has understandably been one of the most popular apps around these last few months as people have had to forgo in-person meetings — both personal and business — for online video chats. The desktop client has had a dark mode for a little while now, but Android users have had to suffer blinding menu screens before jumping into late-night calls. With the latest update, Zoom for Android finally gets dark mode and a few others new features to boot.
OnePlus Camera v5.4.10 beta introduces Quick Share, video capture shortcut, and new filters (APK Download)
Sharing to social media is now as easy as a long press and a swipe in the viewfinder
The latest OnePlus Camera beta (version 5.4.10) is all about speed. Faster sharing, fast burst mode photos, and faster video capture are among the new features, as well as a few additional filters that make use of the color filter camera on the OnePlus 8 Pro. First available with the Android 11 Beta on that phone and the regular OnePlus 8, it also works on those phones running Android 10 if you sideload the app.
Adobe's Photoshop Camera app is out of beta (APK Download)
Because the world needs more filters, and they may as well be AI-powered
Adobe first announced Photoshop Camera — another Android app that's not as good as real Photoshop — late last year before opening up early access to beta testers. Pre-registration for the stable version came a couple of months ago, and now it's available to all on the Play Store.
Astro File Manager gets modern redesign with dark mode in v8.0 (APK Download)
The fan favorite file app gets a fresh look for 2020 and won't blind you at night anymore
A long-time darling of Android aficionados, Astro File Manager hasn't always had a look befitting its excellent functionality. That changed somewhat through the 7.x version updates, with certain parts of the interface getting refreshed here and there — bottom tabs had been introduced by v7.9, for example. Now version 8 is upon us, and the Astro team has delivered an even more dramatic overhaul. The home page has been completely restyled and the much-requested dark mode has also arrived.
Another Widget's first update in 2 years adds dark mode and clock
The widget recreates the Pixel Launcher experience, and then some
Pixel phones, or more specific, the Pixel Launcher, comes with a neat widget that gives you an overview of the weather, the current date, upcoming appointments, and commute estimates. Google even includes a basic version of this widget for everyone else, but it's not as capable as the Pixel Launcher solution — colors don't adjust to the background, and you can't change the size of the text. Another Widget changes that and adds a ton of features on top, and after 2.5 years without updates, the developer has finally pushed version 2 to the Play Store. It includes dearly needed bug fixes and new capabilities.