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Your Pixel Watch can now tell you the time using haptics
April's Pixel Watch update brings enhanced haptics functionality and auto-brightness improvements
Like clockwork, Google has started rolling out a new update for Pixel Watch owners, coming in as build number TWD9.240405.001. The update will make its way to devices over the next week as it rolls out in phases, and while there are the usual bug fixes and performance improvements, this one is a bit special as it adds a unique way for Pixel Watch owners to tell time without even having to lift their wrists.
If you own a Verizon Samsung phone, it's time to smash the update button
The update has also reached a handful of unlocked phones
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Samsung's software reputation is in a much better place now than it used to be, whether we're talking about Android upgrades or monthly security patches. December has been busy for the company as it rolls its Android 14-based One UI 6 update to more devices.
Discord won't treat its Android app like an afterthought anymore
React Native developers are wincing, though
Discord might be best known as an advanced IRC for gamers and the Perpetually Online, but it's got a mass appeal with over 100 million Android downloads. While the app has an excellent rating on the Play Store, one common concern is the late arrival of new features when compared to the iOS or desktop clients. However, that's set to change soon, as the Discord Android app is getting an under-the-hood overhaul.
Here's when your Asus phone is getting Android 12
The rollout kicks off in December and extends well into 2022
Ever since Google released the stable build of Android 12 in early October, phone makers have been announcing rollout schedules for their devices, and now we can add Asus to that list. The Taiwanese phone maker has now begun sharing its plans for Android 12 updates for popular Zenfone and ROG Phone models.
Android's yearly updates aren't for you anymore
Android is now a platform for devs and OEMs first, and a consumer product second
This year's big Android update has finally arrived, but there's not quite the excitement around its release that was common just a few years ago. Given the current worldwide pandemic and Google's shift to working from home, it's impressive that Android 11 arrived even close to on time, but the upgrade seemingly crossed the finish line with little fanfare.
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LG's Stylo 5 launched almost a year ago with Android Pie. When we reviewed it, we noted the device had good design and amazing battery life, but its prospects for software updates were unclear due to LG's history. While the future's still far from certain, we're happy to see that LG is finally getting around to giving the phone a major refresh, with the company starting to turn the Stylo 5's Android 10 update loose on the wild.
Google has gotten a bit stricter with requiring OEMs to add Android's security updates over the years, but that doesn't mean companies are actually on board. LG's Software Update Center may be running at full power, but everything from last-minute bugs to carrier certification can hold up Android updates. It's almost July, but LG's new dual-screen capable device is only now receiving the May security patch.
LG V40 on Verizon now picking up Android 10, following AT&T and T-Mobile
More carriers are clearly ThinQing about making this release available
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LG launched the V40 ThinQ with Android 8.1 Marshmallow in October of 2018. The company updated the device to 9.0 Pie last year. Now the latest and greatest Android 10 OTA has begun rolling out to owners of the V40 on the multiple carriers.
Motorola is finally rolling out Android 10 to the Moto G7
The Moto G7 Power won't be far behind, hopefully
Lenovo-owned Motorola used to be king of the budget and mid-range Android handsets, but Nokia phones have overtaken them in recent year, in no small part due to HMD Global's commitment to fast Android updates on even its cheapest phones. The Moto G7 came out a little over a year ago and wasn't exactly the finest entry in the series. It's now finally getting its Android 10 update, at least.
Until recently, the words "Samsung" and "timely updates" were never uttered in the same sentence, unless you were emphasizing the contradiction between them. The Korean behemoth had a reliable, albeit very leisurely update schedule, pushing Android users who valued prompt access to security patches and new features away. With Android 10, things changed drastically, and Samsung has been impressing us more and more, with both major OTA rollouts and monthly security patches. Whether it's due to a different strategy, new team or leadership, Android's Project Treble, or some magical potion, Samsung is quickly becoming the OEM to beat for Android updates and we can't help but applaud its recent efforts.
Sony recently published a timeline detailing when we could expect Android 10 on its phones. While many older devices are only supposed to get the update "early 2020 onwards," the company was more specific with the Xperia 1 and 5, which should get the new software this month. And true to its promise, Sony has just started rolling out the latest version of Android to the two devices.
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- LG's long-awaited Pie update for the G6 is ever-so-slowly expanding to be available though more carriers. One month after learning of distribution on Verizon, we've caught wind of the update starting to head out to users on AT&T. This new release is only for the H871 model, not H871S.
If there's one aspect of Android that could use improvement, it's the software updates. As OEMs and carriers set their sights on rolling out Android 10, there are still plenty of older devices haven't even tasted a slice of Android 9 Pie. That's why this week's scheduled release of Pie for Verizon and European Union users rocking the LG G6 from 2017 is something of a minor miracle. That LG Software Upgrade Center is finally coming through!
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- Huawei told AndroidWorld.nl that this update was an internal test software that was rolled out inadvertently. It's not an official beta or release.
Android 10 has been steadily finding its way into OEM handsets since launching in September. This past weekend, Huawei decided to get a jumpstart on its own Android 10 beta release schedule by showing some love to the Netherlandic variant of the Mate 20 Pro.
The LG V40 ThinQ only recently received Android 9 Pie on all US carriers, but it's already time for another minor update, hitting the Verizon variant first. It includes some security patches, a native screen recording app, and a secure power-off feature.
Not even a week following the release of Android 10 Beta 2 for the OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro, the official stable version of Android 10, branded as OxygenOS 10.0, is now rolling out to these devices. However, the rollout is a slow one, and if you're too impatient to wait for OnePlus' servers to deem you worthy of the update, you can cut to the front of the line fairly easily.
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- Snapchat has just posted a short blog entry formally welcoming the arrival of the app's new Android edition. Get it while it's hot!
CEO Evan Spiegel has been promising a complete rebuild of the much-maligned Snapchat Android app for what seems like an eternity — or since 2017, to be precise. Back in February, he proclaimed that the new app would be released before the end of the year, eliciting feelings of pure euphoria indifference. Finally, the new dawn of Snapchat on Android is upon us.
A new Android developer preview program is always an exciting moment here at Android Police. We love to dig into everything new and provide you with an early look at unreleased features. Better yet, you don't need to worry about installing unstable beta software on your device. However, we know you. Of course, you want to get your hands on the fresh release ASAP. Some bad actors on the Play Store know this as well. Searching for "update to Android" reveals a load of apps which promise that, but won't do that.
Pixel phones now let you schedule reboots after an OTA update, pause updates while phone is 'in use'
Security updates come every month for Pixel owners, but we don't usually expect any user-facing changes to arrive with them. With the February patches, however, there appear to be a few little differences. The most minor of those is the moving of the 'About Phone' menu in the settings, but the update process itself has some new features.
Owners of HMD Global's Nokia 8 Sirocco understandably thought that buying the flagship Android One model would guarantee them fast updates, but they've since had to sit back and watch plenty of other phones get Pie ahead of them. Thankfully, the wait is over and the rollout starts today.
The stable release of Android 9 Pie appears to be going out to Xiaomi Mi A2 handsets right now. It includes lots of the features Pixel phones have now had for some time, including adaptive battery, gesture navigation (crap though it may be), and app actions.