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Google just released its February patch for current devices, including a timely update for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro. Meanwhile, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL have been left behind since Android 12 rolled out in October, excluding a quick fix for that pesky 911 issue. We've known both phones would receive one last security update before being sent to a farm upstate sometime in Q1 2022. Even though it wasn't mentioned in the February patch notes, it turns out today's the day.
When Google first launched its original Pixel phones, they came with a promise of free photo uploads. Back then, the company still offered unlimited high-quality (not original-quality) photo storage for everyone, but if you bought a Pixel, Google doubled down on its deal and offered free full-quality uploads — meaning you could upload original-quality pictures to Google Photos, and they wouldn't get recompressed, or count against your storage allowance. For the Pixel 3 and the 3 XL, the company offered to honor this until January 31st, 2022. Guess what today's date is.
The only thing less believable than Hawkeye getting his own show is that everyone uses a Pixel phone
Who's still carrying their Pixel 3?
Smartphone product placement is tricky business. On the one hand, shows and movies often need every dollar they can get to finance their projects. On the other hand, placement done wrong can be way too in your face, or just so poorly conceived as to be distracting. Hawkeye, the new Marvel series on Disney+, may be laying things on a little thick, as it seems to take place in a world where not just everyone's using a Google phone, but they haven't upgraded since 2019.
Android 12 review: Your phone's biggest update in years
It's the most exciting release in a long time — if you have a Pixel phone
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Google tweaked, tested, and experimented with Android 12 for about half a year before it went stable on Pixel phones, right when the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro launched. After all this work, you would imagine that the operating system is pretty stable now that it's live for everyone, but even on the brand-new Pixel 6 phones, we keep running into issues. Even though we initially published this review based on the latest beta release running on a Pixel 3, a lot of the problems mentioned still exists 1:1, with some new ones even popping up on the Pixel 6 phones which we've now finally got firmly in our hands.
Google released the November security patch earlier this week, with factory images and OTA builds for the Pixel 3 and 3 XL notably missing from the list. This was not surprising since these devices hit their "guaranteed security updates" deadline in October 2021. The Pixel 3 series is also not a part of the upcoming Android 12L beta program, further confirming that it has effectively reached its end of life in terms of software updates. As Google previously confirmed to us though, one more "sunset" update for the Pixel 3 series will be released in early Q1 next year.
Google's working on letting you mirror your phone screen to Chromebooks
A teardown reveals that Pixel users might soon be able to interact with their phone from their Chromebook
Google has been working on integrating Chrome OS and Android more tightly for a while now with features like Phone Hub, Nearby Share, and Smart Lock. But the company already teased during its 2021 I/O developer conference that there was a lot more coming. We've long tracked one of these potentially upcoming features, codenamed "Eche," which we understand to be a service that will allow you to mirror your Pixel's screen right on your Chromebook, and now, more details have emerged.
The Pixel September security update is here, including the first round for the Pixel 5a
A few critical security patches, but nothing user-facing
It's that time again, every* Pixel owner's favorite day of the month: security patch day! Updates for the Pixel 3, 3 XL, 3a, 3a XL, 4, 4 XL, 4a, 5a 5G, and the Pixel 5 should all be heading out via over-the-air update over the next few days. And since there's a (sort of) new Pixel on the block, let's all welcome the Pixel 5a to its first monthly security patch.
Pixel 3 and 3 XL phones are getting stuck in EDL Mode and seemingly bricked
There doesn't appear to be any clear solution to the issue
For months users of the three-year-old Pixel 3 series have been complaining of a common and dreadful problem: seemingly random shutdowns that completely lock their devices. The Pixel 3 and 3 XL have been plagued by the "EDL Mode" bug, which locks the device with no screen or button inputs and makes it more or less impossible to use. To date there's no clear solution to this problem, at least not one that's easily available to even advanced users.
Google Assistant acting up on your Pixel? There's a fix in the August update
Get your Pixels out for their latest security patch
Google being Google, the company has pre-announced the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro that will be available later this fall. But if that wasn't enough Pixel news for the day (it's the first Monday of the month, remember), Google is also delivering its August security update for supported Pixel phones.
Pixels get July's updates a few days late and a few changes light
Blame the holiday for the delay, but some networks are picking up Pixel VoLTE support
July's updates for Google's Pixels are now rolling out, and functional patch notes for this (holiday-delayed) release are very light. In addition to the regular security patches, Pixel owners can look forward to precisely two extra changes: added VoLTE support for "certain" unspecified networks and a fix for "continued device reboots under certain conditions."
When the wireless charging Pixel Stand was released back in 2018, people were excited about the Pixel 3's new wireless charging capability, and the way the stand turned Pixel phones into tiny digital photo frames. What people weren't so thrilled about was the price: at eighty bucks, it was several times more expensive than a standard Qi charging pad. Woot is selling the Stand for just $38, a match for the lowest price we've ever seen, and maybe even worth actually buying.
The Pixel Launcher is getting some subtle design tweaks in Android 12 Beta 2
New outlines do a better job at showing exactly what space an app icon will occupy
Android 12 Beta 2 finally introduced some of the more enticing changes like wallpaper-based theming and the privacy dashboard, but Google has also tweaked some other parts of the latest release while it was at it. Among these is the Pixel Launcher, which now more clearly shows you the grid when moving app icons and widgets around.
Lineage OS the premiere custom Android ROM, and one of the best things about it is that it's constantly expanding. Over the last few weeks the distributed team has added no less than sixteen new phones and tablets from a handful of vendors.
Your Google Pixel is about to get a big June update
June 2021 security patches are rolling out soon with four functional fixes and Feature Drop changes
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Google's June 2021 update is now rolling out for Pixels. This is one of those big every-three-month Feature Drop updates with a whole pile of changes — you can read more about that here. But on top of new changes like astrovideography and a market expansion of existing features, there's also a handful of fixes for specific problems certain Pixel devices may have run into.
June's Pixel Feature Drop is here, and there's more new stuff than we expected
Video astrophotography (astrovideography?), Locked Folders for Google Photos, Heads Up for Digital Wellbeing, and market/language expansions for existing features, plus lots more
It's June, and that means a few things: Nice weather, Pride Month, gardening, donut day, and the latest Pixel Feature Drop update. This month we're getting several new features: previously leaked long-exposure Night Sight videos for animated astrophotography, the debut of the Locked Folder feature for Google Photos, a new Heads Up feature for Digital Wellbeing that leaked last year to help pedestrians, Assistant-based voice controls for answering or rejecting calls, a new Gboard feature to pull details like phone numbers or URLs from bigger chunks of text in your clipboard, and an expansion of car crash detection. Recorder and Call Screen are also coming to more markets and languages, plus a set of new Pride-themed ringtones and backgrounds.
This Pixel 3 deal is so good you won't even notice those bezels
It's $160, it's pink, and you can't unlock the bootloader... but did we say it's $160?
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The Pixel 3 is starting to age, considering it was released in October 2018. However, that also means you can get it at a very low price, especially considering it remains a capable device. It's currently selling for just $160 on Woot. At this price, though, you'll only get a pink phone.
The complete list of phones that can get the Android 12 beta today
Available for Pixels, as well as devices from eleven other OEMs
For the last few years, the Android Beta Program has been one of the biggest highlights of Google I/O, which continues to be the case this year. Now that Google has announced the exciting changes coming to Android 12, many of us will be eager to try it for ourselves. Naturally, the Beta will only be available on select devices, so find out if your phone is eligible below:
Spruce up your Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL with a fresh coat of LineageOS 18.1
The open source ROM based on Android 11 is now available for both phones
Custom ROMs are the saviors of old Android phones. Google's Pixels get quite a lot of after-release support, but with the Pixel 2 series hitting end-of-life back in December, the writing is on the wall for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. So if you're ready to say goodbye to official software updates a little early, why not hop on the Lineage train?
Google's May Android security update for Pixels is ready to go
We're not seeing a Widevine fix just yet
Pixel device owners, start your Wi-Fi radios. The monthly security update for Pixel phones has been posted by Google. The updates are available as both direct download of the firmware and OTA files, but it should be showing up on at least a few phones starting today.
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.