Latest Articles
Google wants to stop cookie theft once and for all
As logins become more and more secure, authentication cookies are a lucrative target for hackers
With two-factor authentication and passkeys making logins ever more secure, hackers have started to turn to the next best option to steal credentials: authentication cookies. These valuable datasets are what makes it possible for you to stay logged in on your devices for weeks and months without entering a password, but they can also be stolen and extracted, often far too easily. Google has announced that it’s working on changing that, detailing an open-source project which it hopes will become a web standard some day.
Google vows to delete all data collected from incognito mode
Google Chrome’s incognito mode isn’t as incognito as you’d hope it is
When you’re online, you’re virtually always leaving some traces, no matter which browser you use. That’s true even when you turn on Chrome’s or any other browser’s incognito mode. However, Google was found to be using misleading language around what incognito mode does in Chrome, and on top of that, the company has been collecting limited data despite people using incognito mode. Google has now vowed to destroy or further de-identify records in a proposed settlement.
The 11 best Google Play Store alternatives for apps and games
Sick of Google's Monopoly, perhaps it's time to seek out competing digital media marketplaces
Although Google may want its Play Store to be the only app store in town, it actually has some solid competition. Of course, Google has an upper hand since the Google Play Store is baked into almost every Android you buy, from flagships to the ever-increasing number of awesome budget phones.
Google Contacts tests a search bar that looks like it was ripped right out of the Play Store
A new divided search bar leaves room for more buttons
Google has been working on some redesigned elements in its Contacts app for a while now. The next element in line for a revamp seems to be the search bar at the top. Google is currently testing a redesign that brings it more in line with the Play Store. The new look hasn’t rolled out just yet, though, so it may take some time to arrive on your phone.
Google just marked the Pixel ‘scrolling stutter’ as fixed
The System UI should soon be less janky on your Pixel with Android 15
Google’s Pixel phones are excellent devices, but like any other product in existence, they have their share of problems. Apart from worse-than-average connectivity and battery life, they also suffer from software quirks like scrolling stutter, which has been a problem on Pixel Pro phones more than any other. The same was true with Android 14, with many people reporting problems with jittery scrolling during the beta program. One year later, we can expect a fix.
Google Chrome is ready for the age of Arm on Windows
An Arm version of Chrome is here for all those upcoming Snapdragon X Elite machines
While Apple’s Mac machines have fully transitioned to fast and energy-efficient Arm-based processors, things are looking different for PCs. There are some Snapdragon-powered laptops out there already, but they’re still rather niche. Leading up to the hotly anticipated Snapdragon X Elite for Windows launch, Google has announced that it’s now finally launching an Arm-optimized version of Chrome for Windows, which may finally tip the scales in favor of Arm-powered Windows machines.
Telegram's new peer-to-peer SMS relay is an absolute privacy nightmare
In exchange, you get free Telegram Premium
Telegram has started offering some of its users free access to its Premium subscription in exchange for access to their phones for sending out login verification codes via SMS. The feature is potentially a privacy and spam nightmare, as participants will presumably be able to see the numbers that their phones are sending out codes to. Even though they’re not allowed to contact these numbers as per the terms of service, Telegram shouldn’t provide random users with other users’ phone numbers for whatever reason.
What to expect at Google I/O 2024
Last year's I/O was all about AI, and we expect Google to double down on it this year
Google's annual developer conference is inching closer. The company has announced the dates for Google I/O 2024. While we don't know much about Google's plans for its big show, we have some expectations and educated guesses about what we will see. If last year is anything to judge by, Google will introduce more generative AI features powered by Gemini, and we may hear a word about Android 15. There could also be a hardware launch or two, with the Google Pixel 8a a hot candidate for a May reveal.
Apple could use Google’s Gemini for the iPhone's on-board AI
The Gemini engine could power Apple’s upcoming AI efforts
Samsung’s Galaxy AI features are already powered by Google’s Gemini models, but Google may have an even bigger partner on board soon. Reports claim that Google and Apple are talking about a partnership with Gemini at its core which could power some Apple-branded features.
Our favorite open-source 2FA app finally got the Material You redesign we've been waiting for
Aegis hits all the right marks with its new design
There are tons of great 2FA apps to choose from, but if you like an option that is both secure and stylish, Aegis may be the one to consider. The open-source project has started testing a new build in beta that comes with optional Material You theming, making it look more at home on Android than Google’s own Authenticator app.
Google silently fixed your Pixel’s notification history
Tapping recently dismissed notifications finally opens them again with the March Feature Drop
Sometimes, you inadvertently swipe away notifications you may want to get back to later, or that you haven’t even properly processed just yet. That’s where Android’s opt-in notification history comes in, giving you an overview of everything your apps sent you the past few days. On Pixels running Android 14, notification history has been having issues reliably opening apps when tapping recent notifications in it. It looks like this is now fixed with the March Feature Drop, which Google started rolling out earlier this month.
Google Chrome's phishing protection is now both faster and better
The browser now checks for threats in real time with Safe Browsing's Standard protection, promising up to 25% better phishing detection rates
Google Chrome wants to supercharge phishing protection with its latest update. The browser will check for new phishing and security threats in real-time as you visit new websites, rather than work with a downloaded list from Google servers. This makes it possible for sites to load faster all while blocking 25% more phishing attempts, as Google claims.
What’s new in Chrome 123: Android-style media player on desktop
Chrome 123 is working hard on feature parity across desktop and Android
Google’s incredibly fast browser release rhythm continues with Chrome 123, which is already going stable following Chrome 122's release last month. This week, it's poised to reach a small percentage of users while a wider rollout will only start a few days later. Chrome 123 is working on some interesting features and may offer a few new functionalities, so let’s dive in.
Spotify tackles YouTube Music head-on with music videos
It’s a limited release for now, but Spotify has big plans
For all its early flaws, there has always been one key feature YouTube Music stands for long before anyone else: access to all the music videos. With Spotify’s latest announcement, this advantage might soon fizzle out, though. The Swedish streaming giant has announced that it will start rolling out music videos in beta for select regions and titles.
Chrome for Android could get a (very limited) bottom bar again
A new flag for a bottom-based custom tab interface was spotted, but it will only be available with links opened from the Google app
A long time ago, Google experimented with moving some Chrome interface elements to the bottom on Android devices. The company has long scrapped these tests, and even though Chrome for iOS offers an optional bottom-based interface these days, we don’t see anything remotely like it on Android. This could finally change soon, but it looks like the bottom bar will only be used for some very specific activities.
Google paid out $10 million in vulnerability awards last year
The company held its first ever live-hacking event targeting LLM in 2023
The more complicated software gets, the more likely it is to have bugs or security loopholes. Google and many other companies recognize that, and they want to give hackers and security researchers an incentive to find and report problems. That’s where Google’s Vulnerability Rewards Program (VRP) comes in. Last year, the company paid out a total of $10 million to researchers reporting problems with Google software all around the world.
Google goes straight for Steam and Epic with native PC games
Meanwhile, in-game ads will look more immersive on Android, and other news from the Google for Games Developer Summit 2024
Google may have left the game streaming market with its big Stadia exit, but the company still seems committed to gaming as a whole. In 2022, it launched Google Play Games for PC, its biggest push yet towards gaming on desktop computers. Roughly two years later, at its annual Games Developer Summit, the company announced that it’s now expanding its catalog with more native PC games.
Google Chrome's custom tabs get a serious multitasking upgrade
The browser is rolling out support for picture-in-picture mode in custom tabs
Google’s custom tabs are an ingenious way to handle in-app links on Android, giving you access to your cookies and preferences on websites all without kicking you straight to Chrome. The concept of custom tabs has been largely unchanged over the past few years, with nothing but some minor improvements. The latest tweak is more fundamental, though. Using Android’s picture-in-picture mode, custom tabs can now stay active in the background.
Your Google Contacts could look a lot less messy soon
Messaging and calling options now take up only one line per service by default for some
The Google Contacts app can serve as your hub to message and call your friends and co-workers without first having to find them in WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, and Co. The interface can get a little overwhelming, though, with each contact page listing every possible action for every app (message, call, video call). This is now changing, with a new top-level menu only showing each service you and a given contact are connected on.
YouTube stops showing recommendations when you’re not logged in
A blank homepage is all that greets you when you first go to the entertainment platform
YouTube’s homepage is usually filled with recommendations when you first visit the website. If you’re logged in or if you’ve built a local history, these videos can often be genuinely interesting to you. That’s usually not the case when you first visit the entertainment website without being logged in. It looks like Google finally understands that, as YouTube has stopped showing any video recommendations at all for new, logged out users.