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Android could soon add support for digital smart lock keys
Code in Google Play Services shows work on a new, open NFC standard
Smart locks are a fundamental component of a modern home. You can add tons of features to your smart home's security with a smart lock. For example, you could set a temporary, one-time entry code for landlords or maintenance workers, set automatic lock schedules to make sure your front door never accidentally goes unlocked overnight, or unlock your door with the lock's corresponding mobile app as you approach home.
US lawmakers are pushing Google to restructure amid monopoly concerns
The Justice Department argues that Google unlawfully diminished its competition
Whether you purchase a new tablet or a phone, you know that there is only going to be so much removable bloatware. In some cases, you might want to remove pre-installed software because you know that you won’t use it. However, big tech companies don’t make it easy to stray from default apps and services. Companies, including Amazon and Apple, are some of the biggest offenders. Now, the US Justice Department is taking Google to court, citing monopolistic business practices.
Android 14 will warn you when trying to sideload updates for some Google apps
Get ready for app stores claiming 'update ownership' over the software they install
Most people with Android phones get all their apps from Google Play, but Google’s app store is not the only repository of Android apps. There are a handful of great alternatives to Google Play, such as APKMirror (run by Android Police founder Artem Russakovskii). While downloading Android apps from outside Google Play is easy thanks to sites like APKMirror, there is a greater risk of things going wrong. If you choose the wrong APK, for instance, you could unintentionally install the wrong version of an app for your device, or an update that removes some functionality. That’s why, in Android 14, the OS will warn you when you try to sideload an update to a core Google app.
How to update Google Play Services
Update Google Play Services to experience new features firsthand or fix the existing bugs
Google Play Services is one of the core components of the Android operating system that is crucial to the whole experience. It handles everything from allowing you to manage your Google accounts to ensuring your Google apps work together. It provides specific functionality between your installed Android apps and the operating system. Google's apps and many third-party apps rely on them to offer unique cloud services, targeted user ads, and more. And like smartphones, the best Android tablets also benefit from Google Play Services.
Google’s June 2023 Play System Update lets you turn off fun Wallet animations
There’s also “Gpay support for foldable devices”
Read update
Your Android phone, tablet, or watch does not always need a new software update to gain new features. Thanks to Play System Updates, Google can roll out minor but important underlying tweaks and changes without waiting for your device manufacturer. The company even publishes a monthly change log, making it easier to keep track of these additions. Google has now published the June 2023 Google System Updates release notes, highlighting the changes it brings.
A Google Maps-like Timeline could come to your phone’s system settings
The company wants to make the settings app the central place to manage all your personal data
Google Maps offers a timeline view on an opt-in basis that makes it easy for you to go back into the past, checking out the places you’ve been to. It looks like a timeline like this might soon make it into the proper Android system settings, living right along Google Account-related data options. This would further cement the settings app as the place to go to organize and manage your personal data on your favorite Android phone.
As phone manufacturers removed microSD card slots from their devices, dealing with storage constraints became a very real problem for many of us. Though lots of phones are sold with the option to pay more for extra capacity, some don't have that luxury and can leave you with minimal space to work with. If you're big into downloading media, or playing weighty games, finding all the space you need can be a challenge. Last year, Google introduced the idea of app archiving to help people manage their precious storage, and now it's tweaking the program to work automatically.
Google System Updates welcome almost-forgotten audio switching feature
And a little something for Play Games for PC
September's package of Google System Updates went public a couple weeks ago, though as a matter of fact, we had reported on a lot of the features within earlier on. It turns out, however, that we have a couple of stragglers that came across the finish line late, so we wanted to make sure you knew what was officially coming with which component update.
Matter device controls are showing up for some on Android
A Matter devices & services section has popped up in the Google account settings
Matter is the upcoming smart home standard that wants to bridge the gap between all the disparate systems currently out there. With Matter, you will be able to control your Apple HomeKit devices using any of your great Google Assistant smart displays, and vice versa. Most of the relevant companies are on board with Matter, and everyone is gearing up to launch support by the end of 2022. It looks like Google is already pretty far along in testing, as a Matter devices & services section has appeared on the Google account settings for some.
New Google Play system update tells you when a data breach may have compromised your accounts
The update also enhances the Google Wallet app
In the first week of September, Google released the Play system updates for the month, including improvements to Play Services and the Play Store. Those updates added a few new Wear OS-related features for smartwatches and made the Google Kids Space more user-friendly. Both of these services now have a few more additions that improve your experience, including a feature that alerts you to passwords that may not be secure anymore.
Google rolls out Game Dashboard to Play Services, finally making the jump to the Pixel 6a
You'll need to run the Android 13 beta on your Pixel 6a to enjoy Game Dashboard, though
Android 12 brought Pixel users a snazzy new Game Dashboard that offers some rudimentary gaming options like an FPS counter and live streaming capabilities for YouTubers. The dashboard was initially very much only meant for Pixel phones — Google even made it part of the system UI of these phones. This has changed just now, though. Google has started rolling out Game Dashboard as a part of Play Services to the Pixel 6 and finally the Pixel 6a, too, which inexplicably launched without it. This also paves the way to bring the dashboard to more devices other than just Google's own.
One of Windows 11’s most eagerly anticipated features was the ability to run Android apps and games. Microsoft’s implementation relies on the Amazon Appstore, and the stable version hasn’t rolled out in many regions yet. Meanwhile, Google has introduced its own approach to app virtualization on Windows, dubbed Play Games for PC. The service is currently in beta but is still making rapid strides, as Google has just expanded it to two new markets.
Google Play services update lets you set a persistent launcher on your child's device
While Google isn't being entirely clear, this could sure mean that you can prevent your kid from changing the default launcher
Google rolled out self sharing in Nearby Share and a new developer service for Android 13's photo picker with the May 2022 Google System Update. Additionally, the build introduced improvements to the Play Pass and Play Points program along with the Play as you Download feature. Now, the big G has refreshed the Google System Update changelog again for this month to reflect a new feature that will be useful for parents who supervise their child's device.
Nearby Share now lets you move files across all your Android devices hassle-free
It's part of the Google System Update for May
A much-vaunted tweak to Android's Nearby Share feature has arrived as the star addition to the Google System Update for May.
Google will make sure you know all about its latest changes to Android through Play Services
You'll always know exactly when new features have arrived for your phone
Every three months, Pixel owners get a handful of updates delivered to their phones straight from Google in the form of a Feature Drop. These exclusive options are designed to make the company's flagship phone experience even better, but it's not the only way it brings new content to Android. Updates through Play Services — known as Android Feature Drops — can deliver all sorts of new experiences to any device, and Google wants to make sure you know all about them.
Google is rolling out air raid alerts in Ukraine through Play services
Notifications straight to devices without the need for an app or site
Read update
Life in wartime Ukraine includes the frequent wail of air raid sirens ahead of Russian artillery shelling. But as the politics swirling around this situation continues to heat up and the threat assessment expands, Google seems prepared to deploy another in a series of responses to the crisis that could save people's lives.
Google Play system updates for March includes improvements for app and game discovery, NFC, and more
Keep those changes coming
It's always great when a software company is open and honest about what's changing in new versions, from the smallest app developer all the way up to, well, Google. And despite some recent changes that have made it more difficult to see update logs on the Play Store, it's continuing on with listing out monthly patches to Google System Updates.
January's latest Google Play Services and Store updates have something for gamers and families alike
Improvements to Play-as-you-download and Family Link
Earlier this month, Google began detailing all the additions coming to its monthly system updates. The company added the complete changelogs for December 2021 and January 2022 to its support page, and it's not stopping there. The company has now updated the page to reflect the improvements made in the latest Play system, Play services, and Play Store updates.
Your old Android phone is getting better about keeping you safe from barely-used apps
'Those permissions granted to you? Yeah, we're gonna need them back...'
Google is alerting app developers to some big coding changes ahead of the planned expansion of Android's permission auto-reset policy. This means more users will have permissions they've granted to apps automatically revoked starting in December. Here's what you need to know as a consumer.
Phone Hub for Chrome OS won't destroy your phone's battery in a future update
Phone Hub is great, but not when it ruins your Android phone's battery life
Phone Hub was a big deal when Google launched it with Chrome OS 89 a few months back. The feature finally brought the cross-device synergy that Android and Chromebook fans have been waiting for, with the ability to respond to your phone's messages, view its status, and more. The launch didn't go smoothly at all, however, with many reporting bugs like severe Android battery drain that outweighs any reason to use it. That may soon change, though, as Google is finally working on a fix to prevent it from killing your phone's battery.