About Manuel Vonau
Manuel Vonau is Android Police's Google Editor, with expertise in Android, Chrome, and other Google products — the very core of Android Police’s content. He has been covering tech news and reviewing devices since joining Android Police as a news writer in 2019. He lives in Berlin, Germany.
Manuel studied Media and Culture studies in Düsseldorf, finishing his university career with a master's thesis titled "The Aesthetics of Tech YouTube Channels: Production of Proximity and Authenticity." His background gives him a unique perspective on the ever-evolving world of technology and its implications on society. He isn't shy to dig into technical backgrounds and the nitty-gritty developer details, either.
Manuel's first steps into the Android world were plagued by issues. After his HTC One S refused to connect to mobile internet despite three warranty repairs, he quickly switched to a Nexus 4, which he considers his true first Android phone. Since then, he has mostly been faithful to the Google phone lineup, though these days, he is also carrying an iPhone in addition to his Pixel phone. This helps him gain perspective on the mobile industry at large and gives him multiple points of reference in his coverage.
Outside of work, Manuel enjoys a good film or TV show, loves to travel, and you will find him roaming one of Berlin's many museums, cafés, cinemas, and restaurants occasionally.
Latest Articles
Tip: Google can read out loud almost any story on your Android phone
Just say 'Hey Google, read it.'
The internet is filled with great written content, but sometimes, you just don't have the time to read everything yourself. That's where a handy but rather hidden Google Assistant feature comes in. When you invoke the Assistant while looking at an article and say something like "Read it," "Read this page," or "Read it to me," it will give you an audiobook version of the content you're seeing. You can even try that with the text right here.
You can finally make payments via WhatsApp in Brazil
Sending money becomes as easy as sending a text
Read update
For years, WhatsApp has been working towards launching its own payment service, first releasing one in India last year. But before that, the company struck a deal with Brazilian banks, though it had to postpone the launch in the country due to regulatory scrutiny. It looks like whatever issues there were have been worked out, as the company has announced that it's rolling out digital payments to WhatsApp in the Latin American country now, powered by Facebook Pay.
Viber messenger ups group video call limit once again (APK Download)
Now you can video call up to 30 people at once for free
Viber might not be a de-facto standard like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, but the platform still has a loyal following of at least 500 million people on Android alone. Like most of its competitors, it quickly upped the group video call cap at the beginning of the pandemic, but the service isn't done — in a Play Store update note, it has revealed that you can now make video calls with up to 30 participants at once, rather than 20.
PlayStation app now lets you delete files and games from your PS5 without touching it
The update also packs a few more features
Last year, Sony redesigned its PlayStation App in the light of the PS5 release and promised a slew of new features once the console was more widely available. Some of these are now starting to come to people as part of PlayStation App version 21.4. The release lets you manage your PS5 storage right from the app, allowing you to remove titles you no longer play without even fully turning on your console.
Google is facing even more flack for FLoC from the EU
Regulators are unsure what to make of Google's proposed third-party cookie replacement
Google knows that third-party cookies tracking users around the web are on the way out, as even the company itself is planning on phasing out support for them in its own Chrome browser. But the online ad business is only as lucrative as it is due to extensive tracking practices, so Google is looking for an alternative to cookies. Enter FLoC, or Federated Learning of Cohorts. The technology is supposed to make tracking less privacy-invasive by assigning people to random groups with similar interests, instead of following every individual around. But many other companies think that FLoC will still be pretty invasive, and now, even some European regulators are chiming in, voicing their concerns.
Here are the latest phones to officially support Google's 3D animals
ARCore is augmenting reality since 2018
After accidentally teasing a few upcoming phones before removing them again earlier this year, Google has published a proper update to its ARCore support page, revealing that the augmented reality library is now supported by 24 more devices. This time around, all of them have already been announced.
Vivaldi browser wants to get rid of those annoying cookie banners once and for all
And other improvements coming with version 3.8
Vivaldi is among the most customizable and powerful Chromium-based browsers out there, and today, the company is launching yet another intriguing update. Vivaldi 3.8 helps you get rid of the pesky cookie banners that pop up whenever you visit a new website. It also adds an option to switch the app language independently from your system's preferences.
New TeamViewer setting makes those help sessions with your family more secure
The company is introducing two-factor authentication for connection approval
TeamViewer is among the most established remote support services that may have been a boon to your family during the pandemic — it helps remote into their computers to fix all of their tech problems. But remote computer or phone takeovers always come with inherent risks when bad actors are involved. To further secure the process, TeamViewer has introduced a 2-factor authentication option to allow or deny connections.
Tidal finally gets a playlist organization feature that Spotify has had for years
Organize your playlists with folders
Besides industry giants Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music, there are a few more niche services on the music streaming market. One of them is Tidal, the platform focused on high-fidelity, lossless audio. The latest version of the streaming service's Android app gains a new ability that's been part of Spotify for ages: You can finally organize playlists in folders.
OnePlus sales grew by over 300% in Europe and India in Q1
Thanks to the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro
Despite all of the criticism OnePlus is receiving for its update policy, its latest phones, and the OnePlus Watch, the company seems to be in a great state. It just reported one of the strongest quarters in Europe ever, with a 388% growth in sales and 286% in revenue compared to Q1 2020, with the UK being in the top three of the best performing markets.
Typewise wants to revolutionize smartphone keyboards, but is it actually better than Gboard?
Version 3.0 of the keyboard is rolling out now, and we went hands-on with it
Typewise stirred up the mostly stagnant software keyboard market on Android and iOS when it launched its reimagined hexagon keyboard layout back in 2019. While the key arrangement takes quite some getting used to, the Swiss deep learning company was able to carve out a niche for itself and has a loyal following of about a quarter million active users who were ready to completely relearn how to type. And today, the company is launching Typewise 3.0 after an extensive testing phase. It comes with improved auto correction, better language detection, and better undo behavior.
Sick of Zoom video calls? You'll soon be sick of Telegram video calls, too
A full suite of video conferencing features are on the way
Telegram is on a roll this month. After announcing not one, but two new web apps and significant updates to its mobile offerings, the company has now set its sights on Zoom, Slack, and co. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has just announced that the company wants to add a "video dimension" to its voice chats in May, making it a powerful video-conferencing platform.
Check if your Sony Android TV will get the new Google TV-inspired UI
Get a taste of the new Google TV experience on your Sony Android TV
Read update
Google started rolling out a redesigned, Google TV-inspired facelift for the Android TV homescreen earlier this year, and now, that new interface is finally finding its way to Sony's Android TV sets. According to 9to5Google, the manufacturer is sending out emails to owners, telling them that their "Sony Android TV just got a whole lot better."
Verizon Motorola One 5G UW and Moto G Stylus are finally getting Android 11
No recent security patches in sight, though
Verizon is in a giving mood these days. It has released Android 11 not for one but two Motorola phones. Both the Moto G Stylus and the Motorola One 5G UW are in for Google's latest stable Android release, complete with newer security patches (but not the latest).
Latest OnePlus 8T Open Beta is further evidence that OnePlus has forgotten how to do updates
Skipping a beat
OnePlus might not be the fastest manufacturer when it comes to updates anymore, but at least you can get your hands on new releases early, if you're okay with the occasional bug or issue. OnePlus' extensive Open Beta program lets owners participate in the software creation process, to an extent, and the latest phone to receive a new Open Beta version is the OnePlus 8T with version 4.
There's nowhere Google Lens won't follow you — it's coming to the Pixel Launcher search bar next
Every move you make, every breath you take ...
Google Lens is an incredibly powerful tool that probably gets used way too little — you need to know how to access it in the first place, and even though Google isn't shy about adding it almost anywhere you could think of, it might still not be as discoverable as the company would like it to be. That's probably why it's experimenting with adding it to the homescreen search bar on Pixel phones.
OnePlus 6 and 6T get new update, but it's still not Android 11
Here's your April security patch and nothing much else
OnePlus is rather slow when it comes to software updates as soon as one of its phones isn't the flagship anymore, and that shows when you look at the OnePlus 6 and 6T. The phones still haven't received Android 11 about half a year after Google first launched it. Sadly, that isn't changing with the latest software update, either. It comes in the form of OxygenOS 10.3.10 and doesn't bring a lot to the table.
These are the best chargers for your Samsung Galaxy S21 (since it doesn't come with one)
See it as a chance to get the perfect charger for your needs
When Samsung launched its Galaxy S21 series, it was among the first manufacturers to follow in Apple's footsteps — like the Cupertino company, Samsung removed chargers from the box. The manufacturer explained the move was made for environmental reasons, saying that most people already have compatible chargers at home and wouldn't necessarily have to get yet another one. But what if you do want or need a new charger to go with your new Galaxy S21? We've got you covered with a fine selection.First off, keep in mind that there are countless options to choose from, but we don't want to overwhelm you here. That's why we picked a small selection of tried and true products that cover different use cases. We'll also point you to the official chargers Samsung sells because these products are sure to give you the highest possible charging speeds. And if you pre-ordered an S21, you might even be able to pick up one of these for free.
Android 12's got some jiggle
DP3 picks up a new overscroll animation, and we're not 100% sure if we like it yet
Android 12 Developer Preview 3 landed this week with many smaller design tweaks, but there's one thing you'll instantly notice when you start using the new release. Things have become considerably more bouncy. Whether it's the notification drawer or the overscroll animations, Google is working on making things feel much more physical and realistic.
In unusual move, Spotify to actually let podcasters make money
Spotify supposedly won't take revenue cuts from creators — for now
Apple introduced its new Podcasts Subscriptions this week, an Apple-exclusive platform that allows podcasters to charge listeners a monthly fee for access to some or all of their content. It looks like Spotify doesn't want to be sidelined. Just a few days after Apple's announcement, The Wall Street Journal reports that the audio company wants to introduce podcasts subscriptions of its own, but with a twist: It won't take cuts from content creators.