Readers like you help support Android Police. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More.
latest
Apple's loosened App Store restrictions attract another big-name emulator
Provenance is bringing PlayStation and Sega emulation to iPhones
Civilizations used to build walls around their cities to prohibit outsiders from accessing the inside and protect their people from invaders. The App Store's strict rules and policies acted just like that wall for Apple. With limited sideloading, hefty commissions, and virtually no chance of downloading apps from third-party stores, Apple built a formidable fortress to maintain its reign. However, history teaches us that even the greatest walls can't last long.
How to set up your iCloud email and contacts on an Android phone
Checking your iCloud emails on Android is a breeze with these tips
Many of Apple's services, including iCloud, aren't available on the Google Play Store. This makes transitioning from Apple to Android challenging because you might lose app data and emails. Still, you can access your iCloud emails and files from your new Android phone or tablet. However, the experience isn't as smooth as using the iCloud app from your iPhone or iPad. Nevertheless, you can access them in a pinch on your Android device. We show you how.
Netflix sparks concern after confirming it will no longer share subscriber stats
Co-CEO Greg Peters cites changes to the company business model
Long before the height of streaming, Netflix established itself as one of the pioneers of the industry. While there is now an abundance of service providers to choose from, the company has remained one of the go-to streaming options, but not just for its content. Password-sharing between friends and family had become a common practice among Netflix subscribers, if only to save a few extra bucks. Ultimately, the streaming giant dropped the hammer on sharing, and some believe Netflix may now be paying the price.
YouTube moves to AV1 by default to the dismay of some Android users
Those with phones that lack hardware decoding have voiced battery concerns
As video continues to evolve, the demand for new technology to handle its complexity is growing. With the arrival of 4K video, for example, developers quickly became aware that existing video codecs like H264 were no longer going to cut it. To that extent, AV1 has started to become the popular standard for decoding and encoding on devices. Now, Google is ready to adapt to the changing times, and it will soon be reflected on YouTube.
Google Pay can now create a virtual version of your Citibank card
More payment options are always welcome
You can't help but feel a little scared when you have to enter your credit card information when buying something online. You hear about big companies such as AT&T suffering a data breach and wonder if your information will ever be a part of one. Even Roku is reeling from a data breach that exposed user credentials. It's good to hear that Google has added support for another virtual card to give users more options.
WhatsApp Communities could soon make managing events easier
Event scheduling in WhatsApp Community has been spotted in the newest beta
WhatsApp was spotted working on an event scheduling feature since October 2023. A follow-up report from March this year detailed how the feature will work and the improvements Meta has made to event scheduling since 2023. It appears WhatsApp is ready to start trialing the feature, as it has popped up for some beta testers on the latest WhatsApp beta for Android.
Google Messages is working on advanced parental controls
Select conversations can be hidden from view
Google Messages is bundled by default on some of the best Android phones available today. Like most messaging apps, Messages also undergoes occasional changes, like the recent and somewhat controversial revamp of the in-app camera UI. We're now stumbling upon another new, under-development Google Messages feature pertaining to parental controls.
WhatsApp recently moved the tab bar to the bottom of the screen, giving us the convenience of swiping between tabs for chats, calls, communities, and updates. The logo design and search bar placement was suitably adjusted thereafter. The flurry of UI changes isn’t unexpected, because the app interface was left largely unchanged in the decade Meta owned WhatsApp. Now, this popular instant messaging app could get rid of tabs in the image attachment UI.
Samsung confirms fix for another annoying One UI 6.1 bug
A Secure Folder update will allow you to uninstall the app in One UI 6.1
Samsung recently rolled out the One UI 6.1 update for its 2023 flagship and premium devices, like the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 5. Since this was a significant update, some bugs inadvertently slipped through the company's testing, leading to excessive battery drain, the fingerprint scanner not working correctly on the lock screen, etc. Samsung quickly acknowledged the problems and confirmed they would be fixed soon. Now, Galaxy users have run into another annoying bug in One UI 6.1.
21 of the best Android app and game sales this week
Don't miss out on limited-time sales for these Android apps and games
The best Android apps and games aren't often cheap but do go on sale. This week, we've selected some of the Play Store's most notable titles, so you can get some of the best apps for less. This week's sale highlights include AppLock Pro and Sleep as Android, with brilliant Android Games like Bloons TD6 and Dicey Dungeons also available for a good deal. For those interested in saving even more cash, Play Pass includes various great apps and games with a subscription.
Pocket Casts adds new widgets with better Material You dynamic theming
The latest update provides a new and exciting way to customize your homescreen
Pocket Casts is one of the best podcast apps that you can download for Android thanks to its intuitive design and ease of use. And what helps it stay on top are updates that consistently refine the experience for the better. In the latest beta, it appears that there are new widgets to choose from that will provide more options to customize your homescreen.
As an avid PC gamer who's been neck-deep in mobile games for the last decade, I know just how foolish it sounds to pin hope on Epic Games of all companies. On the PC side of things, most gamers are nonplussed with the company constantly paying for exclusives while withholding the games we'd like to buy and play on Steam or any other quality PC game stores. Essentially, Epic Games doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to digital storefronts, but thanks to its war with Google and the Play Store (that it recently won), the company has offered a list of demands that it wants a judge to force on Google (many that I agree with).
8 best podcast apps on Android in 2024
Our selection to listen to the news, captivating stories, or to learn something new
Listening to podcasts is a fun way of entertaining yourself on long commutes. It's easy to get lost in documentaries when you use one of the best noise-canceling earbuds. Google recently shuttered its Podcasts app, but there are others to choose from. If you're unsure which podcast app to pick, our list helps you decide which one works for you. You'll find apps based on price, ease of discovery, and playback features. They work on Android and iOS, so compatibility won't be a problem.
Sony's PlayStation Store refund policy can help you get your money back if you accidentally purchased something or aren't satisfied with a product. Different digital products have different refund policies, so familiarize yourself with these before you use the PlayStation Store. This guide explains the PlayStation Store's refund policy and rules and how to request a refund. Whether you enjoy games on your console or stream them via the Android PlayStation app to an Android gaming tablet, we help you avoid a library of unwanted games.
How to find your Amazon order history
No need to search through your emails since your Amazon purchase history is only a few clicks away
Amazon sells almost anything and accounts for nearly 40% of all e-commerce sales, so you may have a handful of their items. You get a receipt for every purchase, but revisiting your Amazon order history is handy when you want to buy something again, return an item, or see how much you spent on Amazon. Review your past purchases on your smartphone, PC, or Chromebook in a few clicks. You can't download your purchase history report for commercial purposes or to get a broader view. However, this guide simplifies viewing your order history.
Google Wallet adds 32 new US banks to its support list
More banks are cards are coming to Google Wallet in the US
As Charles Darwin's theory of evolution suggests, those who adapt to change have a higher chance of survival. This theory is mirrored in our current technological era. Our smartphones, once limited to calls and texts, are now poised to replace our physical banking cards. Imagine, in just 50 years, you might be regaling your grandchildren with tales of physical cards for payment, a concept they can't even fathom.
It looks like Google is testing a peculiar redesign of its Phone app. PiunikaWeb is reporting that code in the Phone app suggests Google is thinking about removing the tabbed navigation we're used to in favor of a decidedly dated alternative: a side navigation drawer, often colloquially referred to as a hamburger menu.
Meta’s upgraded AI comes to WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook
Meta AI gets more powerful with real-time image generation and more
Google and OpenAI are not the only companies dabbling in the AI chatbot space. Meta also launched its AI chatbot — aptly named Meta AI — in September 2023. Since then, the company has slowly but steadily improved the LLMs powering its chatbot. More recently, Meta AI rolled out to some WhatsApp users as an experimental feature. In a major Meta AI expansion, Mark Zuckerberg announced the chatbot's integration into WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram. It's switching to the Llama 3 AI model as well, which is faster and smarter than ever.
You'd think developers designed mobile games to be played on the go, yet many of the best Android games don't support offline play. Unfortunately, the Play Store doesn't reveal which games require an online connection, so choosing titles to play during your commute or when away from a Wi-Fi source can become fairly challenging. To help alleviate the pressure, AP rounded up some of the most intriguing offline Android games, from classic RPGs like Final Fantasy VI to long-lasting city-building games like Pocket City 2, all to ensure everyone's tastes are covered.
WhatsApp is one of the best encrypted messaging apps available on Android, and is also a hotbed of activity ranging from frequent feature additions to, more recently, UI changes. Meta developers have finally given the WhatsApp UI much-needed attention with new design elements like the swipeable bottom bar and chat filters. However, all the changes aren’t equally well-received and a small change to the Online and Typing indicators in the app has been rolled back for that reason.