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Google delivers its final security patch for the Pixel 3a and 3a XL
Two months behind schedule, but better late than never
While we all eagerly await the arrival of the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro next month, Google is finally saying goodbye to two of its most important phones. The Pixel 3a kicked off a lineup of incredible budget picks, bringing back the affordability of legacy Nexus devices while delivering on the camera quality most would expect from anything Pixel-branded. It received its last guaranteed update in May, but Google promised one final patch would arrive by July. Although it's a little later than promised, new software is finally rolling out.
The Pixel 3a is the living legacy of Google's phone lineage
A great $399 phone that got better and better...for free
The Pixel 3a and 3a XL were the best smartphones of 2019 — so said we here at Android Police — and they arguably stayed the best of their class in the three years that's passed since our reviews. Google rather unceremoniously extended its OS support for the phones by a full year to permit them Android 12L and the last security update they are guaranteed to receive is due next month. Some 3a owners will be more than satisfied to go on cruising, but it's clear for many others that they don't have much of a future left with a phone officially out of fashion. I think it's as good a time as any to assess them not just holistically in and of themselves, but as what may be the most significant crease in the legacy of what we call "Google phones."
Google is cutting off Android betas for the Pixel 3a and 3a XL
Ahead of the end of their guaranteed updates in May
Google surprised us with an all-new beta for its current Pixel devices today, including a preview of what's to come in the forthcoming June Feature Drop. Unfortunately, Pixel 3a and 3a XL owners likely noticed they were left out of this build, and now we know why. With the end of guaranteed update support rapidly approaching for the first A-series phones, Google is removing them from the beta track.
Pixel 6 and 6 Pro get their first on-time update with Google's February patch
Now available for Pixel 3a and newer
We're only a week into February, but we've already seen this month's patch hit a handful of Samsung phones. If you're rocking a Pixel, there's no need to feel left out any longer. Google's ready to join the party with a new update for its current devices, including, most notably, the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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:
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.
7 killer tricks for your Pixel phone's camera
Hey, Pixel owners: These are the camera tricks you've been missing
Got a Pixel? Then you've got one of the best damn cameras in all the Android land. But hold the phone: Your kickass camera can do even more than you realize.
The latest patch for the Pixel 5, Pixel 4a, and more is out now — here's what's new
April's Pixel security update is here, with some added extras in tow
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- Now that folks have had a chance to dig into the update, the GPU improvements in the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 are pretty major — in some cases, benchmarks have doubled. Our coverage has been updated.
Google's Pixel updates for April are here. This isn't one of the big feature drop updates (that was last month), but device owners can look forward to the latest security patches and a handful of fixes and improvements. This time around, Google specifically calls out improved photo quality in some third-party apps and even GPU performance improvements for on the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5, plus a handful of fixes addressing issues on several Pixel models, including a problem that dates back to a missing December Feature Drop feature.
Out with the old, in with the new: LineageOS cut support for Android 9 Pie earlier this year, and to make up for the loss, the open-source project has just released version 18.1 based on Android 11. It comes with official support for about 60 phones and tablets.
Google Fit's nifty camera-based HR monitor is now available on Pixels (APK Download)
A timed-exclusive coming to other phones later
I know that a month feels like a lifetime ago, but do you remember the Google Fit Mobile Vitals features that were announced — you know, the ones that promised heart rate and respiratory monitoring without any extra hardware? The Pixel timed-exclusive Google reminded us was coming during the March Feature Drop? Well, we're told that the pair of Mobile Vitals features (which work with nothing more than your phone's existing camera) start rolling out to Pixels on Monday, and we even know what they will look like in action.
March Pixel Feature Drop packs changes for bedtime, communication, note-taking, and even underwater photography
Plus plenty of bug fixes
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Following Verizon's early teasing, Google has just released details about the March 2021 Feature Drop update, which should be rolling out today. Pixel owners can look forward to enhanced underwater photography when paired with a specific case, expanded Smart Compose support for some messaging apps, a snazzy new bedtime screen when using the Pixel Stand and Clock app, and wallpapers for International Women's Day. On top of that, Google promises more fixes for Android Auto disconnection issues.
Pixel 3a bug introduced in December 2020 update messes with the corners of the screen
It's a tiny issue, but you can't un-see it
Before smartphone makers switched to edge-to-edge, nearly bezel-less designs, we had a small transition. Some smartphones rounded-off the corners of their rectangular screens to emulate the high-end look. In many cases, these phones actually just had square displays, and the effect was done in software, or via masking in the front glass. That includes the Pixel 3a. And unfortunately for folks that own one, that software masking broke at the end of last year.
Hardware failures may be to blame for increase in reports of Pixel camera issues
Pixels may have some of the best cameras, but they don't work for some
The Google Camera app, an exclusive to the company's Pixel phones, has seen a spate of one-star reviews on the Play Store recently. In fact, its overall rating has declined over the last year and a half from 3.8 stars to 3.3, and details in the bulk of complaints may indicate that the well-known Pixel camera curse is spreading to affect more devices. However, Google tells us there aren't any known app or software issues related to the problem, implying the apparent increase in customer complaints is due to hardware damage.