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
Google's new family website will help you keep your kids safe online
A website filled to the brim with online safety and wellbeing resources
Google has launched a new website for parents on families.google today. But if you were hoping for a whole slew of new and improved parental controls for Android, Chromebooks, and Google Accounts all collected in one central place on the web, you might be disappointed. The website is merely a resource that gives parents an overview of which tools there are for safeguarding their kids online and what they need to look out for.
Leaked Poco X3 Pro renders show off a familiar look
Little more than a tweaked Poco X3 NFC, or so it seems
Rumors of a follow-up of the 2018 surprise budget hit Pocophone F1 have been circulating for a while and it was even teased multiple times. After Poco recently posted a teaser on Twitter with some hidden hints inside, renders of the upcoming Poco X3 Pro have now been leaked.
Here are 3 new Chromebook features you should use now
Chrome OS 89 introduces a hefty set of productivity improvements
A week ago was Chrome OS's birthday, marking ten years of Google's operating system. To celebrate, Google jam-packed a load of features in version 89 to supercharge your Chromebook. There's a ton to break down in the new update, but we want to talk about three highlights we loved using that you might not know about.
OnePlus Nord's Android 11 update is rolling out again
It was temporarily halted due to bugs
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OnePlus published Android 11 for the Nord at the beginning of March, but the rollout came to a grinding halt last week due to some bugs the company discovered in the process. It looks like whatever went wrong was easy to fix, as OnePlus is already rolling out a hotfix update (OxygenOS 11.1.1.1) to everyone that comes with the same changelog as the original version.
These Android devices are eligible for 64-bit Chrome
Finally, some clarity on which phones will get the better performing version of Chrome
Last year, we reported that Google Chrome for Android was finally going 64 bit, but it turns out that things were a bit more complicated than we thought. While we initially thought all devices running Android 10 or higher were receiving the 64-bit version, it soon became clear that some more limitations were involved. Following the release of Chrome 89, Google has finally explained what's going on. To receive the 64-bit variant automatically, you need to run a phone with Android 10 or higher with at least 8GB of RAM.
Xiaomi and the US government come to an agreement, averting a ban
Fully resolved following a temporary exemption
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In the final days of Donald Trump's presidency, the US government wanted to follow up the Huawei and ZTE bans with another one, this time aimed at Xiaomi. However, the company was able to get a preliminary injunction from the US District Court for the District of Columbia, removing the restrictions on the business a week before they were scheduled to go into effect. And ass Bloomberg reports, it looks like Xiaomi and the US government have finally come to an agreement, completely removing the company from the entity list.
This is how you can preview links in Chrome without opening the full website
When you just want to reference something quickly without opening an extra tab
When you surf the web, you might sometimes find yourself wanting to take a quick peek at a link in an article without really leaving the said article. In the past, you could just open that link in a new tab and return to the original site by closing it, but now, Google is rolling out an even more comfortable way: Many people are noticing a "preview page" option in the long-press menu. Here's how you can activate it if it isn't live for you yet.
Huawei may be in trouble due to the trade restrictions imposed by the US, but the company is still doing its best to create enticing new products. After we got a first glimpse at the upcoming P50 Pro flagship on New Year's Eve 2020, renowned leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer (better known as @OnLeaks) is back with more renders that give us a way better idea of what the device will look like — prepare for an absolute unit of a camera bump.
The OnePlus 9 (Pro) could mark the return of a beloved back cover design
Embracing the sandstone texture of old
The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro will be unveiled on March 23, but of course, we might as well end up learning everything there is to know about the phones ahead of time thanks to leaks. The latest details to become public prematurely revolve around the colors. WinFuture snagged up a few renders of the OnePlus flagships, and some of the designs sure look familiar.
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.
Instagram Lite is going global
Facebook has announced it's now available in 170 countries
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.
Videoconferencing has become the new normal following 2020, and although many people hop into video calls while in isolation, there are still plenty of occasions when you need to huddle in front of the camera with more people — be it your family chatting with relatives or co-workers presenting a project. That's where the CoolPo 360-degree videoconferencing camera comes in, and you have the chance to win one via the widget below.
Qualcomm allegedly exploring a cheaper Snapdragon 888 variant without 5G
We don't know much about the rumored chipset just yet
After releasing a slightly tweaked Snapdragon 865 Plus as the Snapdragon 870 earlier this year, Qualcomm seems set to launch yet another derivative of a successful high-end processor. Leaker Roland Quandt reports that the company has a lower-end version of the Snapdragon 888 in the works for 2021.
Should you buy a Chromebook?
Maybe. But you need to be knee-deep into Google's ecosystem to get the most out of it.
Chromebooks are on the rise. Chrome OS machines have been selling like hotcakes since 2020, and they've proven to be reliable and often affordable laptops for anyone learning or working from home. But many people are still asking themselves: Is a Chromebook really a good choice for me? In this article, we're exploring when you should buy a Chromebook, what limitations there are, and what has improved over the last year.
Google Play Family Link now supports app-specific exemptions to daily max usage
Less drastic restrictions for kids, finally
Family Link allows kids to use Android phones before they can have their own full Google accounts at the age of 13, but there are some drastic limitations attached to the solution. Parents have full control over everything kids do on their phones and can set strict usage and bedtime limits. However, many parents (and kids) have lobbied that some apps should remain available to kids regardless of how long they've used their phone, especially ones important for homework and communication with parents, and it looks like Google has finally listened: It has introduced a new always allow option for apps.
Redmi is bringing two new excellent mid-rangers at unbeatable prices to Europe
Up to 64MP cameras, 5G, high-refresh rates, and MIUI 12
Xiaomi has announced the latest entries to its Note series today, and following the introduction of the Snapdragon-equipped Note 10 Pro and Note 10, we're turning our heads to the Note 10 5G and the Note 10S, both coming with Mediatek processors. Unlike the Snapdragon phones, these two apparently aren't headed for India and will be exclusive to other markets at first, launching in April.
YouTube is testing a bunch of comment section design tweaks
Keep going, Google, you'll get there in the end
The YouTube app introduced an easily accessible comment section revamp in April 2020, but it looks like the company isn't happy with the current design anymore. YouTube is testing a few new looks for the collapsed comment section in the Android app, and some variations even allow you to post your thoughts without having to enter the comment section first.
Google Maps dark theme is finally rolling out, more than a year after it was first teased
And it's beautiful
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Google has been teasing a dark theme for Maps for over a year now, and it even briefly rolled out to a few people, but it was never properly formalized or acknowledged officially. That changed last month when Google finally announced that dark mode is coming, and now, it's starting to roll out more widely.
Google was among the first to herald the advent of mobile VR, but that daydream is slowly coming to an end. After the company halted the Cardboard SDK development and open-sourced it in 2019, it has now finally stopped selling the Cardboard hardware altogether in its online store.
Sharing your computer with multiple people is a mess when using Chrome. You might run into your spouse's saved password or bookmarks, interfering with your browsing session and potentially even syncing over to your phone. You can mitigate these problems with the possibly little known Chrome profiles, accessible by clicking on your account image to the left of the ⋮ overflow menu. Google is rolling out a redesign to these profiles today, making it easy to pick your own color scheme.