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iMessage reactions, tabbed categories, and a lot more are here in Google Messages
This is it, the actual rollout is happening "in the coming weeks"
We're all still basking in the Android Feature Drop update changes and Google's "new" beta program for them, but the company also has a lot more to share today when it comes to its apps, too, like Google Messages. Today, Google is making a handful of new-new and not-so-new changes to Messages official, including support for iMessage reactions, the ability to send videos through Google Photos links directly inside Messages, YouTube previews, conversation categories, one-time password auto-delete, and message nudges for follow-up and birthday reminders. Some of these changes have been in testing as far back as 2020, but now they're official and rolling out "in the coming weeks."
New Android Feature Drop betas land out of the blue
The Pixel 4 and later can test the June Feature Drop early as Google mixes up how the Android Beta Program works
Today, seemingly out of the blue, Google has released a whole new wave of Android betas for all currently supported Pixels, including the latest Pixel 6. Google's expansion of the Android Beta Program, announced last year, will apparently continue beyond Android 12L and into feature drop updates, with the Pixel 4 series, 4a series, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, and Pixel 6 series getting in on the action for the upcoming June update.
Google's new wireless charger for Pixels is a plain white piece of curved plastic, but some folks read a little more into that shape than others. Chloe Condon, former Microsoft Cloud Advocate and a software engineer, saw a gravestone and turned hers into a monument to dead batteries with a custom decal.
Google finally fixes Widevine bug that broke HD Netflix on some Pixels with the Android 12L Feature Drop update
Restoring Widevine L1 certification widely after a year of playback problems
For nearly the last year, we've seen reports that Pixels are almost randomly losing their Widevine L1 status — a particularly nerdy way of saying they're unable to stream HD content in apps like Netflix. Plenty of causes have been bandied about, but a concrete solution for the issue wasn't clear. Fortunately for those affected, anecdotal reports indicate the Android 12L Feature Drop fixes the issue, and Google confirms to us that the problem was patched in the latest update.
Google wants you to have your app and uninstall it too with a new 'archiving' feature
Coming later this year
Google's changing apps on Android in a way that might save you some space rather than continue to whittle it away, as most app updates do. By tweaking how App Bundles work, which already cut down on storage space themselves, you'll soon be able to "archive" apps as needed, saving your user data but cutting down the space they occupy when you no longer need them. And if you decide you want it back, the app can be easily restored.
Here are all the Pixel bugfixes included in the March security patch Feature Drop update
Another round of fingerprint sensor improvements for the Pixel 6, when it finally gets the update
Today is a trifecta: A Feature Drop update, security patch update, and Android 12L release day. As Pixels (excluding the Pixel 6, for now) wait to download the update, the full list of issues fixed by the update has been published, and it's huge. If you haven't gotten the update the old-fashioned way, you can also manually install it.
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Android 12L, the big-screen updated version of Android 12, is now rolling out after months of testing, landing as part of today's Feature Drop update for Pixels and coming soon to other tablets and foldables from companies like Samsung, Lenovo, and Microsoft.
As rumors of Carl Pei's Nothing phone continue to swirl and build ahead of a possible unveiling this month, we may have just caught our first glimpse of the device, though it doesn't tell us much about it. Leaker Evan Blass has tweeted a photo of Nothing founder Carl Pei and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon fondling an unfamiliar device, splattered with the sort of stickers you sometimes see on engineering verification tests ahead of release.
New Feature Drop update leaves out Pixel 6, improves Live Caption & Live Translate
Plus the long-awaited battery widget
The March Feature Drop update, based on the brand new Android 12L release, is here for Pixels — excluding the Pixel 6, anyway. The new update brings Live Caption functionality to voice calls, brings Live Translate to Spanish, expands the dynamic notifications displayed by the At a Glance widget, and adds the long-awaited and much-teased battery widget for connected devices, among other changes. As for the Pixel 6, Google tells us it needs some extra time to test and validate fixes for a few bugs. The update is expected to land for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro later this month.
Dark theme boot screen spotted in testing for Chrome OS
Soon your Chromebook won't blind you every time you power it on
If you're a Chromebook fan and a Dark Theme stan, then you may be particularly excited to hear that a dark boot screen for Chrome OS has been spotted in recent Dev-channel releases. The new look started appearing late last week for devices like the Pixelbook and Lenovo Duet running the latest Dev channel Chrome OS 101 releases. However, reports indicate some subtle differences between devices.
Samsung will soon let you decide whether your Galaxy S22 throttles in apps and games
Earlier Samsung phones are also affected
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Samsung's new Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra may pack some of the fastest hardware you can get right now, but you might not actually be able to enjoy that benefit when playing games or other popular apps. According to Geekbench developer John Poole, and confirmed in our own testing, the Galaxy S22 series and earlier Samsung phones throttle performance severely when playing certain popular game titles, like Genshin Impact, and we've got the numbers to back it up.
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The OSOM OV1, an Essential Phone 'sequel', will be made of stainless steel, titanium, and ceramic
The company shares some specs and more design details for the upcoming OV1
As promised, OSOM now has more information to share about its upcoming OV1 phone now that it's MWC time. The company was able to share some specs and withheld others, but the thing I'm most excited for is that it will be made out of stainless steel, ceramic, and titanium. It's not the first Android phone to use these kinds of materials, but it's the first I can think of in a long time. Unfortunately, the phone has also been delayed slightly, with it now expected to launch in the second half of the year, though you might actually like the reason why.
Sometimes, you need to install an earlier version of an app on your phone. Maybe the new one crashes, it may have introduced a new feature or a broken option, or you don't like the latest changes. On your favorite Android phone, rolling an app back is a straightforward process, and we guide you through it.
Facebook is asking more people to turn on Facebook Protect or risk a locked account
The company has confirmed the notices are real and customers should enroll
Many people are getting emails today which appear to be from Facebook, asking them to turn on Facebook Protect (with a handy link to the setting) or risk being locked out of their accounts. Security-savvy folk may be whispering "phishing attack" already, but Facebook confirms that the emails are real, and it's asking highly targeted Facebook users like journalists to enable the feature, using email to send notices to those who don't use the platform as often.
MediaTek's newest Dimensity chips take aim at Qualcomm's older models
The Dimensity 8000 and 8100 claim to offer Snapdragon 888-level performance
MediaTek has just announced two new Dimensity chipsets with a curious target. Joining the company's flagship push with the Dimensity 9000, MediaTek is showing off the new 8100 and 8000 chips, meant to go head-to-head with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 and 870. Those might be last year's parts, but with the rise of gaming phones and sub-flagships that use older chipsets, it could be a smart move.
Chromebook updates will get harder to follow as Google kills version-tracking tool
Google's sunsetting the "CrOS Updates Serving" page in favor of the Chromium Dash portal, but there are better alternatives
Chromebooks have many benefits, including frequent updates and a relatively long support lifetime. But following which Chromebooks are running which version of Chrome OS can be tricky without some help. For years, Google has kept track of which models are running which version across Stable, Beta, Dev, and Canary channels at a dedicated site. Unfortunately for anyone trying to keep track of update rollouts at home, Google's moving things over to the Chromium Dash portal — it's prettier but not quite as easy to find your Chromebook or the right numbers in.
FFVII The First Soldier kicks off its second season, adding new aerial combat, materia, and a Bahamut boss
With more changes including a new map coming later
Season two has officially begun for Square Enix's FFVII The First Soldier, a battle royale game set in the world of Final Fantasy VII. With the tagline "Dominate the Sky," the new season "extends the battlefield upward" with dragoon-style combat fans of other Final Fantasy games may recognize, as well as new guns and materia, and Bahamut around to shake things up on a map now studded with crystals.
Crazy fast 150W charging is coming to future OnePlus and OPPO phones
SuperVOOC is getting super-er, as soon as next quarter
OnePlus phones are already the fastest-charging models you can buy in the US today. Last year's OnePlus 9 Pro was able to charge at 65W using a cable, and the 10 Pro upped that to 80W (though, sadly, you can't buy one here yet). But future phones from OnePlus and Oppo will be able to charge much, much faster, as the two companies have announced today at MWC that 150W SuperVOOC charging is coming.
AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and even Mint Mobile are making it easier to reach friends and family in Ukraine
Details differ between carriers
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As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, US carriers are stepping up to make it easier to stay connected with affected friends and family during the ongoing conflict. T-Mobile, US Cellular, AT&T, and Verizon are all reducing or waiving the costs associated, though the details vary a little from carrier to carrier.
Google Chat web client gets new emoji ahead of the forced Workspace Hangouts migration
A little later than the original "coming weeks" promise
The last stages in the Hangouts to Chat transition are building up. Just before Workspace-subscribed Hangouts users are pushed to Chat, Google has given Chat's web clients the same updated emoji it delivered to the Android app last summer — it took a little longer than the "coming weeks" previously promised.