What you need to know

• Meta's latest smart glasses update stops video recording if someone covers the capture LED after filming begins.
• The update closes a loophole that previously allowed users to start recording first and then cover the LED afterward.
• Meta says several businesses offering capture LED tampering services have already shut down following its changes.

Meta has started rolling out another update for its AI glasses that closes yet another loophole that allowed users to record discreetly while keeping the capture LED covered.

Earlier this year, Meta took several major steps to address privacy concerns surrounding its smart glasses. The company rolled out a mandatory update for its Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta, and Meta AI glasses that prevented the camera from recording if the capture LED had been tampered with or covered.

Meta said the change was designed to make sure people around the wearer can clearly tell whenever the glasses are capturing photos or videos.

Now, the company is rolling out another update that closes a loophole in that system. Meta VP Alex Himel shared on Threads that the new update will stop video recording if someone covers the capture LED after recording has already started.

Until now, users could apparently get around Meta's protection by starting a recording while the LED was visible and then covering it afterward. With the latest update, doing that will automatically stop the recording.

Himel added that Meta will continue rolling out updates like this to make sure the capture LED can "reliably alert bystanders" whenever photos or videos are being captured and saved to someone's gallery.

Meta also claims that its efforts against LED tampering are already having a deterrent effect. According to the company, several businesses that previously offered services to disable or cover the capture LED on Meta's smart glasses have already shut down.

In fact, the company has also launched an awareness campaign explaining what the capture LED actually means. With AI glasses quickly becoming a much bigger product category, Meta says not everyone is familiar with the light or knows when someone is recording. The company now seems to be heavily marketing these new privacy protections in an effort to build back some of that trust.

In addition to these changes, Meta says it has removed accounts from its platforms that engaged in this behavior, alongside posts that provided instructions or advertised services for tampering with the capture LED.

Honestly, it's pretty sad that things have reached this point. In my opinion, protections against something as obvious as covering the recording light should have been built into these glasses from the beginning. But nonetheless, Meta is finally closing these loopholes, and hopefully, it makes discreet recording with its smart glasses much harder going forward.

What you need to know

• Meta has reportedly reached a $16 billion settlement with 29 states involving claims that its social media platforms "harmed young users."
• Not only have Facebook and Instagram reportedly "fueled" a nationwide mental health crisis, but the addictive nature does not help.
• Following the settlement, Meta will need to roll out changes to its platforms to reduce the addictive nature for younger users with usage limits and more.

Lawsuits have been filed against Meta in several states over the past few months over how its social media platform addict children. Another has been settled, pushing Meta to shell out over $16 billion.

A major settlement such as this isn't the only thing Meta is forced to do. Following coverage by Reuters, Meta will also need to make sweeping changes to how younger audiences interact with its platforms. For context, this $16.68 billion settlement involved claims from 29 states. Each state claimed that Meta's social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) "harmed young users."

Specifically, these platforms reportedly "fueled a nationwide youth mental health crisis." Meta has continued to disagree with these allegations. Regardless, to reduce the "addictive nature" of its platforms for younger users, Meta will restrict nighttime use of Facebook and Instagram. Meta will also beef up its defenses to keep kids away from "age-restricted" content, while introducing a new daily usage limit.

The addictive or potentially mentally harmful sides of social media were the highlights behind these claims. However, Reuters mentions another side of these claims that also makes up this $16 billion settlement: child privacy. According to the post, the 29 states claim Meta "violated the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act" by collecting data from kids without consent.

What's more, Meta allegedly used this data to train its AI systems. It should only be a matter of time before we see the result of this settlement hit Facebook and Instagram for youth accounts.

A prevoius case

This has been a long-standing issue for Meta over the past few months. In March, we highlighted CNBC's coverage of a Los Angeles case involving YouTube and Meta's "negligence." The trial concerned Kaley (otherwise known as K.G.M.), a young woman who said she had become "addicted" to social media as a child. According to K.G.M., this addiction led to severe mental health issues as she got older. K.G.M. is now 20 years old.

In their argument, K.G.M. said the "infinite scrolling" aspect of social media is where the addiction begins. Additionally, the case in Los Angeles highlighted the influx of notifications one would receive from these platforms, which didn't help. Meta disagreed with the claims, as it's done in the recent settlement involving 29 states. The company also leaned on K.G.M.'s therapists to say that none of these claims were "the cause" of her mental health issues.

What you need to know

• Nothing OS 5.0 is here and combines a redesigned interface, deeper customization, smoother performance, and upgraded Essential AI tools.
• Transparent widgets, wallpaper-adaptive icon colors, the new Geist typeface, and refreshed system icons give Nothing OS a more cohesive look.
• Nothing OS 5.0 Open Beta begins for the Phone (3), with a stable release expected in mid-October and more devices joining the beta later.

Nothing is giving its software a substantial refresh with Nothing OS 5.0, a major update built on Android 17. The latest software zeroes in on everyday interactions, blending a redesigned visual system with more customization, smoother performance, and more powerful Essential AI tools.

The update is all about giving you more control and a smoother experience. The home screen gets a brand new theme with transparent widgets and a search bar that adds some depth, while app icons can now pull subtle color tints from your wallpaper to match your vibe.

There’s a new system typeface, Geist, which is cleaner and easier to scan, and refreshed icons across the status bar, Settings, Camera, and Gallery. The Gallery also includes new options for sorting and filtering to help you organize photos.

You also get more ways to make the phone yours. The lock screen has two new clock faces: the whimsical “Gooey” and the hardware-inspired "Micrographics." Please note the Micrographics clockface and the new home screen theme are still in development and will not be available in the Open Beta yet — they will be part of the general release starting October.

The Glyph Interface now comes in an app, so all the features and sounds are in one place. There is also a new Glyph Timer widget and the Away Time widget that helps you monitor your digital habits by telling you how long you've been away from your phone.

Nothing is also doubling down on its Essential AI tools. Essential Voice is faster, real-time transcriptions are better, and with the Ear (3), you can record audio directly from the Super Mic on the case. Smart Collections can suggest and organize content for you automatically. And for a fun twist, you can now create Essential Apps right on your phone; just tell it what you want in plain language and it’ll build it for you.

Since it runs on Android 17, you get the latest features of the platform as well. That includes the capability to split out the notifications and Quick Settings panels and an enhanced Quick Share that works across iOS and Android via QR code. The update also brings new privacy indicators, expanded dark theme support, and a redesigned Recents menu.

The Nothing OS 5.0 Open Beta program starts today for the Phone (3), with a stable release expected in mid-October. Other devices will be included in the beta program later.

What you need to know

• Walmart is finally embracing contactless payments, as Apple Pay and Google Pay are coming to Walmart and Sam’s Club after years of resistance.
• Tap to Pay will reach all U.S. Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs by the end of 2026, with fuel stations following by mid-2027.
• Cash, chip cards, Walmart Pay, and Sam’s Club Scan & Go will remain available alongside the new payment option.

Walmart is finally throwing in the towel on its notorious resistance to contactless payments. After years of pushing shoppers to its proprietary Walmart Pay app, the retail giant is rolling out standard Tap to Pay, meaning both Google Pay and Apple Pay are on their way to checkout lines near you.

Starting August 24, Walmart and Sam’s Club locations nationwide will begin to deploy Tap to Pay, the retailer announced today. The feature will be rolled out to all of its U.S. stores and clubs by the end of 2026 and to its fuel stations by the middle of 2027.

This allows shoppers to tap an eligible contactless card, phone or smartwatch at the payment terminal instead of having to pull out a physical card or open Walmart’s app. Android users can add an eligible card to Google Wallet and tap to pay when the feature is available at your store, Google says. Walmart will also allow customers to add eligible Walmart, Sam’s Club, and OnePay cards to compatible digital wallets.

That sounds like a basic checkout upgrade for 2026, but Walmart has resisted it for years. Instead, the retailer promoted Walmart Pay, which uses a QR code at the register, and Sam’s Club offered Scan & Go, which let shoppers skip checkout altogether. Walmart also supported CurrentC, a rival mobile-payment initiative that ultimately shuttered a few years ago.

Customers, meanwhile, kept asking. And they weren't the only ones. With most U.S. retailers already accepting contactless payments, Walmart’s holdout was becoming more conspicuous. The company has effectively admitted defeat now, realizing that forcing shoppers into its own system was putting its own customers at a disadvantage.

Existing checkout options like cash, physical chip cards, Walmart Pay, and Sam’s Club Scan & Go aren't going anywhere – this just gives shoppers the frictionless checkout flexibility they’ve been asking for for years.

And there's a practical privacy benefit: when you pay with a digital wallet, the retailer generally doesn't get the physical card number that's stored on your account.

What you need to know

• A report discovered a Meta patent for new "hardware-level" locking for AI glasses microphones and cameras.
• It's been stated that this method removes software completely, meaning no nefarious actors could reactivate your mic or camera without your knowledge.
• The idea is to return privacy to the people, as Meta's AI glasses have come under severe backlash due to others recording people against their will or knowledge.

Having a pair of smart glasses is one thing. But to many, it's an entirely different topic when you factor in cameras and microphones that can record you. A report claims Meta's filed a patent that could help bring our privacy back.

The team at Patentlyze highlighted a patent from Meta that could help alleviate privacy concerns surrounding smart glasses. The publication states Meta has filed a patent for a "privacy shield" that's operated in full by hardware components. Software plays no role in muting/unmuting the microphone or cutting off the camera. As Patentlyze notes, this would be a notable shift from how these functions are operated on a device like a phone, which relies on software.

According to its discovery, this "hardware mute circuit" would lock the camera/micrpohone at "atomically." This reportedly leaves no room for hackers or other nefarious attackers to activate these sensitive areas without you knowing. More importantly, Patentlyze says, "no app, no operating system update, and no remote hack can flip it back on." Other details in the patent mention that the "trigger," the act of muting or cutting off the camera, would need to come from a "verified hardware source."

Right now, we can think of this as a button that you can press or perhaps a switch you can slide into a locked state.

This is a patent, and, as always, there's no telling if or when we could see this on the market. At present, we have something to hold us over.

Meta has a real problem

This patent discovery follows the same line as a recent mandatory patch Meta pushed to its AI glasses last month. This patch deserves context. It was reported that users with Meta's AI glasses were covering the LED indicator that illuminates when the camera is active. It would let people record others without their knowledge. It was creepy and unsettling. These same malicious users found other means of getting around the LED indicator, such as drilling holes and other modifications.

Meta's patch solves this. The company states that any tampering with the LED recording light will disable the camera completely. If the privacy light is tampered with or covered, this safeguard will activate. There's been no shortage of backlash from people about Meta's "pervert glasses," or however you may describe them. This update was a step in bringing back user privacy. Now, with this recent patent, it seems Meta isn't done.

Android Central's Take

People, right? It's like the one bad student in class that gets the teacher made, so now we all have extra homework for the weekend. Painful. Something like this gives a company's product a bad rep. But it's more than that. Put Meta aside and just think on a street level. No one wants to feel like they're being watched. No one wants to be recorded. For what? Why are you recording them? A person's privacy is nothing to scoff at, and it's definitely nothing to defile.

What you need to know

• Samsung Galaxy users are reporting RCS issues in Google Messages after switching to a new phone with Smart Switch.
• Some affected users are seeing error code 3100 when trying to enable RCS or send messages on their new Galaxy phones.
• Google says corrupted cache files transferred through Smart Switch may be responsible for the RCS connection problems.

Samsung Galaxy users are reporting a surge in RCS issues with Google Messages after recently switching to a new device.

Samsung recently shut down its Messages app in the U.S., asking both new and existing users to switch to Google Messages instead. Google Messages is the only messaging app on Galaxy phones that supports RCS, making it the most sensible replacement. However, it seems that some Samsung users are running into problems getting RCS to work after setting up their new Galaxy devices.

As spotted by Android Authority, several users have taken to Reddit to report that RCS stops working after switching to a new Galaxy phone and transferring their data using Samsung Smart Switch. Some affected users are seeing error code 3100 when trying to enable RCS or send RCS messages from their new device.

It looks like Google has already identified a potential cause. A Google representative said that the issue may be related to corrupted cache files that were transferred during the Smart Switch process.

Google recommends updating to the latest version of Google Messages, turning off RCS, clearing the Carrier Services data, restarting the phone, and then enabling RCS again. Unfortunately, that workaround doesn't appear to be working for everyone.

Some affected users say they were only able to get RCS working again after factory resetting their Galaxy phone. Even then, there's no guarantee that a factory reset will solve the problem for everyone, making it a pretty drastic workaround to try.

There are also Reddit users reporting similar RCS issues after switching carriers. Google says those cases could instead be related to the number-porting process not being fully completed.

Either way, it seems like some Galaxy users are currently having trouble getting RCS working after switching devices or carriers. Google is aware of at least some of these reports, but for now, there doesn't appear to be one guaranteed fix that works for everyone.

What you need to know

• Google is rolling out a Chrome update on Android, bringing Gemini webpage summarization, Q&A, and connected apps to all U.S. users.
• AI Pro and Ultra subscribers will gain auto-browse in this update, which lets Gemini purchase items for you or secure events based on your prompt.
• Nano Banana is also rolling out in this Gemini in Chrome on Android update.

AI assistance has been a major trend for Google, especially for phones. This week, Google will continue that trend with a Gemini in Chrome update for Android.

This afternoon (Aug 18), Google announced that Gemini is now available in Chrome for all U.S. Android users. Two major features are rolling out in light of this update. All users can lean on Gemini to summarize and answer questions about webpages. Google states its AI can quickly summarize the content in longer articles, and simply tapping its icon in Chrome brings a Q&A experience akin to its app.

On the other hand, Google says users can connect their favorite apps, such as Calendar and Keep, with Gemini in Chrome. This will likely help users save content or important dates "without switching between tabs." Image generation arrives, too, which means Gemini's Nano Banana is available.

While the bulk of users will receive this update, Google highlights a little more for subscribed AI Pro and AI Ultra consumers.

In the U.S., AI Pro and Ultra subscribers can access auto-browse with Gemini in Chrome. The post states this feature aims to make "tedious everyday tasks" easy to manage. Users on a webpage can tell Gemini to order an item or book a venue/event. Google states it's continued to roll out safeguards for its AI, especially now that it's arriving fully in Chrome.

These features are rolling out today in Gemini for Chrome on Android for U.S. users.

Let Gemini take the lead for shopping

Google said this was its plan during The Android Show: !/O Edition 2026 in May. What users on Android are receiving is Gemini 3.1, and you'll find its icon in the toolbar for easy access. The above examples provided by Google highlight Gemini's auto-browse helping a user find an item for their pet on Chewy. Users must provide a prompt (task) for Gemini to complete, and it will detail its "plan."

This is for confirmation reasons, if we're being honest. Users can review this to make sure Gemini understands their prompt, then hit "start task." Gemini will hop across Chewy, locating the item you desire, then adding it to your cart. In Google's example, Gemini finds a bowl that needs to be customized, and it waits for the user to fill this out before continuing.

The other side of Gemini arriving in Chrome is Personal Intelligence. This makes the AI more personal, as it tunes its responses to fit your hobbies and preferences.

Android Central's Take

Not a bad update. I knew this was coming since The Android Show, but to see it is another thing. The majority of people send the majority of their time on their phone, anyway. Bringing Gemini into the mix for mundane things has never screamed "bad idea" to me. The best thing is that I can see what it's doing at all times and step in if I need to. This is AI we're talking about. It's not going to be perfect, so our watchful eye is always required.

What you need to know

• GitHub is mostly back online, but some services are still experiencing problems.
• Git Operations have recovered, while Issues continue to show degraded performance.
• Copilot remains heavily affected, making AI-assisted coding less reliable.

GitHub had a rough Monday. Developers were unable to use one of the world’s most important software platforms for more than three hours, as a widespread outage hit the site. The outage impacted GitHub’s website, code review and merging tools, automated testing and deployment systems, and Copilot.

The problems began around 9:40 a.m. ET and spread quickly. By roughly 11:10 a.m., most of the major GitHub services were down or running poorly. Reports on Downdetector were also flooding in, indicating the issue wasn’t limited to a few users. Reports hit almost 3,000 before slowly falling after GitHub rolled out its fix.

However, there was a fun twist in the GitHub status updates, as error rates for web and API traffic were hovering around 20%, while raw repository content and archive downloads were failing at about 50%. In other words, even getting the code itself might be considerably harder than simply getting to GitHub.

The company said it had identified the problematic component and taken corrective action, with services showing strong signs of recovery. It said at 2:23 p.m. ET that it had mitigated the Git Operations degradation and was monitoring the platform for stability. Copilot is still being investigated and engineers are still monitoring the platform.

AI-powered coding tools are generating exponentially more traffic and workloads, and GitHub has been scrambling to grow its infrastructure. The company had originally planned a 10x increase in capacity, its CTO had said previously, but then realized they needed infrastructure that could handle 30x their former scale.

GitHub has had several incidents this month already, including issues with Actions, Copilot, API requests, login, and Pull Requests. Previous outages have been linked to capacity issues and infrastructure changes, implying reliability is becoming an increasing challenge as GitHub handles ever-more-demanding workloads.

GitHub has not yet publicly stated the exact cause of Monday’s failure. Most services have recovered according to the status page, but the incident remains open.

What you need to know

• Google has started rolling out Android 17 QPR2 Beta 3 for enrolled Pixel testers, bringing huge restrictions for call-forwarding fraud.
• The company is also fixing a couple of reported bugs from testers, while rolling out new features such as Quick Settings layout customization and app options for foldables.
• The Pixel 11 series has now debuted, and in the days ahead of its market launch, there are still pre-order deals users can check out.

Google's QPR2 beta continued this weekend, and enrolled Pixel testers should start seeing it become available on their devices.

On Reddit, Google detailed the arrival of Android 17 QPR2 Beta 3 for Pixel phones and tablets. The company states users with a Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 7a, Pixel Fold, and Pixel Tablet will download vCP41.260731.005.A2. All others will find vCP41.260731.005.B1. Google keeps Beta 3 pretty light, only detailing two important fixes.

The first involves opening the notification shade and Quick Settings. Users reported "visual corruption" and a strange device restart when attempting to open either option. This should now be fixed. Additionally, Google rolls out a fix for "erroneously displayed false battery capacity degradation warnings" in Device Health and the Support tool.

What takes center stage in the latest beta is Google's new "security restrictions" for call-forwarding fraud. Not only has the company rolled out API restrictions, but it's giving users direct system confirmation when forwarding calls. It states, "To combat social engineering scams, users manually dialing call-forwarding codes in the system dialer will now see a new OS-level confirmation dialog before the command is executed."

Elsewhere, a post by Android Authority shined a spotlight on the new features Google packed into QPR2 Beta 3, as detailed by Mishaal Rahman on X. Among them is a new set of Quick Settings options that lets users alter its layout. The publication discovered three options, which shift around a few major buttons: brightness, tiles, and media. One option places the media card between the tiles and brightness bar, while others place brightness at the very top.

The post mentions a change for foldables, which brings an app handle to apps in a window. The publication states this handle lets users drag the app, capable of switching between full-screen and split-screen viewing.

Another beta & Pixel 11

If you're wondering, QPR2 will likely be Google's December 2026 Pixel Feature Drop. It's been consistent in releasing new versions for its test since the first got underway in mid-July. This update was pretty minimal; however, it did well to solve stability problems across the board (or at least try to). Google was intent on fixing several Gemini-related reboot crashes, touch input bugs, and more.

Another major change was the removal of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro from the Android beta program. Both devices have reached the end of their upgrade cycles, meaning they are now excluded. From here on out, users will see past-gen devices starting from the Pixel 6a and up. On a related note, Google's Pixel 11 series is here and available for pre-order before the phones begin shipping in a few days.

What you need to know

• A report from inside a recent court visit between Epic Games and Google highlights the lackluster state of its rival app store search process.
• Judge Donato states Google must do better to let users find what they're looking for and to remove the third-party app store-specific page via the "Are you looking?" banner.
• Recently, Aptoide returned to the Play Store through Google's Play Catalogue Access Program.

If you thought Google's battle with Epic and rival app stores was over, think again. New reports claim that a U.S. judge is not happy with how things have progressed.

A report by The Verge walks us through a recent court visit between Epic Games and Google. The reason for the recent court visit is that the former claims the Play Store (Google) is "still making it too difficult to install rival app stores." Details from inside the courtroom state an Epic lawyer walked U.S. Judge Donato through a brief demo of how difficult the process is.

In the demo, the lawyer showed that typing "store for apps" in the Play Store's search box provides no such results. Instead, Judge Donato was confused when Walmart appeared. "Wait, why did Walmart come up?" he asked, before stating, "That's not good." Judge Donato ordered Google to fix this, stating the Play Store should understand what the user intends to find, no matter how they phrase it.

Another jarring issue is the Play Store's "are you looking for?" banner that appears frequently when searching for rival app storefronts. As an example, Judge Donato, after viewing a demo, asked, "Why doesn’t it say ‘are you looking for music’ when you type in ‘music store’?" Epic states that if users search for a rival store, the banner forces them to tap on it before sending them to a third-party page for other options.

The Verge highlights Epic's argument, which says this may deter new stores from placing their store on the Play Store, as well as "big, established" companies like Amazon. Judge Donato also wants this problem corrected. He told Google, "Take off the ‘are you looking for’ screen, there’s no purpose for that. There’s a friction there that has no purpose whatsoever."

Judge Donato expects these changes to arrive on the Play Store within one week.

Do better

Interestingly enough, Aptoide was mentioned in this report. Earlier this week, Aptoide returned to the Google Play Store. This app store was previously removed from Google's store under its old ruleset that prevented such competition. Aptoide was allowed to return to the Play Store through Google's new Play Catalogue Access Program. Qualifying third-party stores are allowed to publish their stores on the Play Store through this program.

This program was the result of Epic and Google's long-standing anti-competitive battle over how the Play Store operated. We'd been down this road for years. In 2025, the Epic Games Store was allowed on the Play Store, in what CEO Tim Sweeney called a "total victory." Epic had accused Google of having anti-competitive practices against third-party developers. This kickstarted a long battle between the two companies, and Samsung even got roped into the fray.

Android Central's Take

This is all about choice. It's all about not scaring users into thinking they're doing something wrong when they're not. Epic argued that Google deployed "disadvantages" and scare tactics when users attempted to sideload its apps. Users were given pop-ups that made it seem like a security risk. It didn't leave Google in a positive light. Now, third-party app stores can display their content. Display their alternative path for users looking for something different.

What you need to know

• Compatible Pixel phones can now share contacts, photos, videos, and more when you bring two devices together.
• Exchanging contacts works straight from the home screen via an instant two-way exchange, while sending media requires just opening the Share Sheet and bumping phones.
• The feature goes live starting today for Pixel 6 and newer devices, with Samsung's new Fold 8 and Flip 8 lineup next in line.

Google is making it easier to share content between Android devices. Starting today, compatible Pixel phones can use Quick Share to exchange contact information, photos, videos, and more simply by bringing the devices close together.

The new tap-to-share feature builds on Quick Share, Google's existing Android sharing system, but removes some of the usual friction. Now, you don’t have to go digging through menus when you’re exchanging contact info. From the home screen, pair two compatible Android devices and they can start a two-way exchange.

Media sharing is a little bit different. On your phone, open the Share Sheet, then move the two devices together to send the selected photos or videos. Google says the feature is meant to make it easier to share between Android phones, especially when you’re passing content or contact info to someone nearby.

There is one catch: availability is limited for now. Google says the feature is rolling out for Pixel 6 and newer devices starting today. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8, and Galaxy Z Flip 8 are next, with support coming soon.

However, Google has plans to continue expanding the new feature. The company says tap-to-share will be rolled out to more Android devices by the end of the year. That would make Quick Share a much more natural part of the Android experience, especially when you’re sending something to the person standing right beside you.

It’s been my goal this year to perfect my gardening skills and really hone in on my green thumb. And since becoming a homeowner, the one thing I’m incredibly proud of is the perennial hydrangeas the previous owners planted and that I’ve been taking care of.

But this year I noticed something terribly wrong: one entire side of my perennials wasn't growing as fast, almost seemed to be dying, and didn't look nourished.

I went to Gemini to help me figure out what was going on and how I could fix it, and it took me all of 20 minutes and about a day’s work. And I’m going to tell you the step-by-step procedure I used, not only to fix your hydrangeas but also how you can probably do the same thing for any of your gardening-related queries.

It started with a simple question

I find that when you’re using Gemini, the more specific you are, the better, and if you can include images, it’s even better.

I took pictures of the left and right sides of my garden and asked what was going on with my perennials. I also said that I had no idea how to fix it. Offering Gemini a photo visual of what you are working with can help diagnose exactly what you need to fix.

Gemini indicated that there was a huge night-and-day difference and that it usually comes down to environmental microclimates and resource competition. I liked that it explained exactly what happened: that one side’s growth is affected by its environment versus the other side, and that much of the issue comes from the grass and weed population.

It then gave me a solution. It said that I would have to get rid of the competing properties (grass and weeds) using a weed whacker. Lay a compostable material first, then add fertilizer, and top it off with mulch.

The back and forth

Here’s where it got fun for me and also complicated. I am not a simple person; I like options, and I want to know what exactly I would need to make this project happen successfully. I questioned Gemini what the right compost was, in my case using something high-quality like sheep or cow manure. I asked what kind of mulch I needed, and if I could use yard waste bags as the compostable layer.

I liked that Gemini would push back if I offered a specific kind of mulch and would give me a reason why one is better than another.

The biggest pushback I had was whether I should use a ground fabric liner versus cardboard or yard waste bags. Because I wanted to do this on a budget and effectively.

The quick check with real humans

Here’s the part that I highly recommend you do when you are using Gemini to help you do a DIY project or fix anything at home.

Talk to a professional!

With the information I had (the environmental conditions and the fix), I called the Terra that is near my home to ask questions. Side note: Terra is a garden center for those who don’t live in Ontario and are reading this.

I spoke with a professional, detailing everything, and I did not say I used Gemini, not because I cared what the person would think, but sometimes people have weird feelings about Gemini or any AI use. So I wanted to keep it neutral.

The professional told me exactly what Gemini said, and even when I asked about fabric liner, the professional told me not to use it and that it would not really help with the regrowth of my flowers.

I would recommend doing this step because Gemini can always be wrong. It can also tell you things that might require more steps than usual, and it might also tell you things that might cost more than you think.

The final result

While it took me an entire day to do this project, the actual back-and-forth with Gemini was all of 20-30 mins. And I think that’s super worth it. I love that even after cross-referencing with a gardening professional, I was told the exact same steps, and that I could do it in one day.

The result was so epic because after a few weeks I started seeing that my hydrangeas looked healthier and happier and started blooming too. I am actually pretty impressed with how Gemini was able to help.

And I think you can do this with any home gardening project.

I even used Gemini to help fix the side of my home that leads to the shed.

A few weeks later, I went back into my Gemini and asked if it remembered the conversation I had with it about my hydrangeas, and whether a similar process could be done to the side of the house. Surprisingly, it remembered everything and also told me that the same process could be taken with the side of my home.

I don’t think Gemini needs to be taken too seriously. I think this is the real intention of Gemini, and I think it can totally be helpful.

I went snorkeling a few weeks ago, and it was an eye-opener to just how sedentary my lifestyle has gotten. I have been meaning to get back into shape after completely letting myself go in recent years, and what better way to do that than to start maintaining a food diary on my phone?

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of fitness and wellness apps on the Play Store, but I wanted to kick things off with something easy to use consistently. BitePal and SnapCalorie are two AI calorie-tracking apps that stood out because they both advertise the same thing: take a picture of your food, and the app will log all your calories and macros. Sounds easy enough!

As someone who has never followed a diet plan before, I needed an app that could do the thinking and planning for me, in addition to the tracking. I am the antonym of a gym rat; a home cat, if you will. I decided to spend three days logging everything I consumed as well as my activity data on both apps to help me decide which one would be better in the long run.

Both apps offer the same features at their cores. You can choose the kind of lifestyle you lead, set a goal weight, choose your pace, and the app will use its nutritional database to spit out a diet plan for you to follow, giving you your target macros to hit daily.

You can connect your Google Health data to both apps, so it logs not only your food and water intake but also factors in your activities and workouts. You can also record your workouts and activity info manually if you want.

I like BitePal because it gamifies the entire food-tracking experience and takes the diet plan a step further, including step-by-step recipes that fit your daily goals. The app has a cute virtual pet raccoon that you can name yourself, and based on how well or poorly you're meeting your fitness plan goals, the pet's health fluctuates daily. The entire UI is colorful and fun, but the free plan limits the number of food picture scans, meal tracking, nutritional advice, and pet-related features.

SnapCalorie is a more traditional fitness app with a straightforward UI, which can be boring, but it offers free users unlimited access to food logging tools and features, including barcode scanning and recipe creation and logging. Its AI food photo capture requires you to describe the food in a few words, which helps the AI analyze it more accurately and yield better results. It takes some time to process, but I found it much more accurate than BitePal.

From homemade meals like goat meat biryani to foreign drinks such as Kinza Cola, SnapCalorie was shockingly able to recognize food items a lot better than BitePal. I had to just settle for the closest item BitePal could find, such as substituting the lesser known soda with Sprite. Clearly, the AI picture analyzing tool on SnapCalorie does more extensive research.

I know I can manually add the calories and nutritional values of the items unrecognized by BitePal, but that just defeats the purpose of using an AI food logging app. The entire reason why I want to rely on an app is so I don't have to measure everything I put in my body and go looking for its nutritional info.

When I forgot to record an iced coffee I drank, I used a screenshot of the app I ordered it from and used that on both apps. SnapCalorie found the exact coffee from the specific cafe I ordered it from, pulled the calorie and nutritional info from the internet, and logged it in my food diary. It was amazingly easy!

BitePal couldn't even clock that the iced coffee had milk in it, let alone find the exact drink. Instead, I resorted to manually typing out that additional info once the app created the wrong record based on the screenshot of the coffee. Even though you can edit the name of the food once the AI creates a record based on the image, BitePal lacks the smarts to identify the item properly.

The verdict is in...

After three days of extensive food logging on both apps, I have decided to stick with SnapCalorie for long-term use. The fact that it can recognize foods from different cultures and parts of the world is a vital feature. It also offers all of the most important features of the app with the free basic version.

I can see BitePal being a kid-friendly fitness app, though parents will have to be prepared to pay for it. It's an exciting and interactive way to teach children about the importance of eating clean, consuming the right amount of fiber, calories, and fats in a day, and staying hydrated. Parents can even connect their child's Google Health data from the Fitbit Ace LTE or whatever fitness watch their kids use. The pet raccoon is adorable, and the entire layout and UI are so well done. I just wish the AI food recognition was better, because that's the main purpose of the app.

Interestingly enough, when I was first setting up BitePal and SnapCalorie, both gave me different timelines for me to achieve my goal weight even though I chose the exact same pace, with SnapCalorie giving an earlier date to achieve my target. Based on how much more extensive SnapCalorie's food library and analysis seem to be, I'll be trusting it to help me achieve my goal.

There are many reasons why you would want to use your smartphone as a mouse to control your computer. Maybe you're watching something, and it's just easier, or maybe you can't get a physical mouse at the moment. Regardless, I can teach you how I turned my Android phone into a remote mouse that connects to my Windows laptop seamlessly. You'll see just how simple the steps are and will find no trouble doing it yourself!

All of this is possible thanks to Unified Remote, an Android and iOS app that works with Windows, Linux, and macOS. The app's basic, most essential functions are free to use, but if you want more customization and features, you can always purchase the premium version. This tutorial uses the free basic version on a Pixel 10 Pro running Android 17 and an HP laptop running Windows 11.

How to use your phone as a mouse for your laptop or computer

There are two parts to this tutorial. The first half is done on your computer, and the next half is completed on your phone. Although slightly different depending on the OS, the steps are more or less the same across platforms in essence.

Let's begin with the initial setup on your PC.

1. Go to the Unified Remote download page on desktop and download the Unified Remote Server setup file.

2. Run the Unified Remote Server setup file and to install it.

3. After installation is complete, launch Unified Remote on your computer.

4. You should see your server status and information once the Unified Remote Server has been launched on your computer. If the server is up and running, this is what it should look like:

The next steps are to be carried out on your phone.

5. Download and install the Unified Remote app on your phone. Be sure to grant the necessary permissions to the app.

6. Launch the app and select "I'VE INSTALLED THE SERVER".

7. Your phone should connect to your computer's server automatically, so you can immediately start using the app's interface to control your computer.

Unified Remote is a fantastic free-to-use app that works perfectly well without paying for the premium version

It's really that easy and doesn't require any money. The touchpad in the app works like a laptop's touchpad. You can scroll, right-click, single-click, double-click, move the pointer on the computer screen, and even pull up a keyboard and type! A bonus feature is that swipe texting works in the app, so you don't need to tap individual keys.

If you want to have access to remote controls beyond the basic touchpad, keyboard, and media controls, or if you want to get rid of ads, you'll have to subscribe to the premium version of the app. The ads aren't even that invasive, so you shouldn't stress about that aspect too much.

There's a lot to like about Google Pixel phones, but Now Playing is perhaps one of the best features on these devices. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Google is interested in extending this functionality to other Android phones any time soon. On the plus side, you probably have an app installed on your phone that can perform a similar function to Now Playing: Shazam.

Shazam has been around for as long as I can remember, and it's my go-to app when I need to identify a song that I like. Normally, using Shazam requires you to open the app and tap a button to start the song recognition process, but you may not know that it also has an Auto Shazam feature that functions similarly to Now Playing, and it's available on just about any Android phone.

What is Now Playing

If you own a Pixel smartphone, you're likely familiar with Now Playing. It's a built-in song recognition software that works in the background on your Pixel. Whenever there's music playing nearby, the Pixel microphones will pick it up and identify it without you needing to do anything.

The feature has been available for years, but it's so subtle that it goes mostly unnoticed. However, if you glance at your lock screen while music is playing nearby, you may notice a song title pop up, which means Now Playing is working its magic.

The best part is that it works on-device, so you don't have to worry about Now Playing sucking up your battery life or data. And when you need to figure out what that song was that was playing at the bar, you can easily access your library to find the list of songs your Pixel has identified.

Auto Shazam works similarly, in that it runs in the background to identify songs for you. However, since it's a third-party app, it's not as seamless as on a Pixel. It will show you songs playing, but it will clog up your notification panel a bit unless you do a little tweaking.

It's also not an on-device solution, so it will utilize quite a bit of battery power and data. However, you can easily toggle the feature on and off, which is helpful for moments when you don't need it sucking up battery and for times when you find yourself somewhere playing good music you might be interested in but don't want to have to manually identify each song.

How to enable Auto Shazam

1. Open Shazam and tap Library.

2. Tap the Settings icon in the top-left corner.

3. Tap the Auto Shazam toggle.

Note: Alternatively, you can press and hold the Shazam button on the home screen to enable Auto Shazam.

4. A pop-up menu will appear asking if you want to end Auto Shazam after one song or if you want to leave it on continuously.

5. From your notification panel, you can see a persistent notification informing you that Auto Shazam is on. Tap Turn off if you no longer want to use it, or Change if you want to manage any settings.

Finally, you can also add an Auto Shazam tile to your Quick Settings menu, which lets you quickly toggle the feature on and off.

Other ways to easily trigger Shazam

Still, if Auto Shazam isn't for you, or if you just want to quickly identify one song, Shazam makes it easy to do so without digging for the app. One of the main ways I use it is by adding the Shazam tile to the Quick Settings menu. Unlike the Auto Shazam tile, this one lets you identify just one song, and once you tap it, it runs in the background without opening the app.

In fact, it's probably one of my favorite ways to identify songs whenever I hear something interesting, especially because it's one of the few third-party tiles that works on the Motorola Razr's cover screen Quick Settings. That means I don't even have to open the phone for it to work.

The other option is to add a Shazam pop-up to your screen. This adds a floating Shazam button that you can move around and tap whenever you need it. To add this, go to the Shazam settings and enable Pop-up Shazam. You may need to grant the app permission to draw over other apps; once you do, the floating button will appear on your screen.

We need more Now Playing on more phones

I sorely wish Google would bring Now Playing to the Pixel, or at least that other Android OEMs would implement their own versions of the feature. What makes it superior to Shazam's offering is that it works on-device and in the background, so you don't really need to do anything or worry about it constantly burning through your battery.

Newer chips like the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 have gotten quite good at on-device tasks such as this; it's kind of crazy that Google is seemingly the only company doing it (that I know of).

Still, Shazam is a great alternative if you don't own a Pixel smartphone, and it's one of those apps I always download first whenever I set up a new phone, becoming a staple for me when building up my music library.

What you need to know

• Google is rolling out a refreshed Gemini AI overlay, which was first teased at Google I/O.
• The updated interface is appearing on both Pixel devices (like the Pixel 10 Pro XL) and Samsung hardware (like the Galaxy S26 Ultra).
• The signature visual tweak replaces the basic floating box with a prominent blurred backdrop.

Google is quietly rolling out another Gemini makeover on Android, this time tweaking the AI’s overlay. The new interface was announced at Google I/O and is now starting to roll out to some Pixel and Galaxy owners.

A Reddit user spotted the refreshed Gemini UI on their phone, while others reported receiving it on devices including the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro XL. That hardware mix means the update isn’t a Pixel-exclusive update. It also appears to be server-side controlled, so an update to the Google app may not instantly enable it for everyone.

The most significant change is that instead of just placing the assistant’s compact interface over an unchanged screen, the new design applies a prominent blur to whatever is underneath. The background is blurred and softened but still identifiable, visually separating Gemini from whatever app or home screen is open but not hiding it completely.

That’s on top of the Gemini overlay Google has been steadily reworking this year. Previous changes included thinner icons, a redesigned plus menu sheet, and Dynamic Color support. Gemini Live also stopped jumping to a separate screen, instead keeping the interaction within the overlay.

There’s no obvious switch to turn it on yet, so if your Gemini overlay still looks the same, you’ll probably just have to wait for Google to flip the switch.

Android Central's Take

I like the new look, especially because the blur makes Gemini feel more integrated into Android rather than just some random panel layered on top of what you're doing. It retains enough of the background to provide context while keeping the assistant front and center, which should make quick Gemini interactions feel cleaner and less distracting. My only complaint is the usual Google server-side rollout lottery, which makes it hard to get excited about a redesign when two people with the same app version can open Gemini and somehow end up living in different design eras.

What you need to know

• Google Earth is receiving an update this week that brings Nano Banana 2 into its AI portfolio.
• Users can zoom in on a place and click "create image" to prompt Nano Banana 2 to create an infographic with Gemini or a rendering in an empty plot of land.
• Google Earth's recent major AI update was about helping researchers predict and understand disasters and weather patterns.

Google Earth is getting another round of AI updates late this week. This time, the company is leaning on its next-gen image generation model.

Imagining, or rather seeing what's possible, is something Google Earth is bringing to users this week. Gemini's image generation model, Nano Banana 2, is rolling out in Google Earth. The post states users can "generate custom images using satellite, aerial, and 3D imagery." Google states Nano Banana 2 can be helpful in a few different ways, such as bringing history to the present. If you're interested in seeing what a city looked like centuries ago, Google says Nano Banana 2 can create "a hyper-realistic" render of that place.

While the history can be fun, users can change a landmark, city, or building with an entirely different aesthetic. Google states users can type "transform X into a futuristic sci-fi utopia with glowing walkways..." For companies, Google says Nano Banana 2 can help "create estate plans" using empty lots you find in the Earth app. Moreover, this extends to any user looking to "visualize" a backyard project or what a home would look like secluded in the woods near the lakefront.

An AI update in a place like Google Earth wouldn't be complete without a chance to learn. Nano Banana 2 can lean on Gemini to generate infographics about a specific city directly in the app.

To get started, users need only head to Google Earth on their computer, zoom in on a location, hit "create image," and type their prompt.

Our World

Google Earth received an important AI update for researchers. Disasters are a reality we have to deal with on this big blue ball; however, they don't always have to catch us off guard. Google Earth's Gemini-based update brought "deeper insights" about the planet's weather patterns. At the time, the company said Gemini could help "instantly find objects and discover patterns from satellite imagery." Sandstorm predictions were mentioned, as well as the ability to monitor clean drinking water conditions.

As our planet is complex, Google was also preparing to introduce a Geospatial Reasoning update for Trusted Testers. This would help researchers and Earth AI answer more complex questions, leveraging weather forecasts, population maps, and satellite imagery.

What you need to know

• Android 17 QPR1 Beta 8 eliminates the long-running audio bug that caused random crackling, distortion, and loud static on Pixel devices.
• The audio issue lingered across multiple beta releases and generated 30+ reports in Google's issue tracker before this fix.
• Build CP31.260623.010 arrives two weeks after Beta 7, focusing purely on system stability and bug fixes ahead of the official September Feature Drop release.

Google has released Android 17 QPR1 Beta 8, fixing one of the most frustrating bugs Pixel testers have been dealing with: distorted audio that would randomly blast loud static during media playback or notifications.

The update, build CP31.260623.010, comes a little over two weeks after Beta 7 and is another cleanup release before the Pixel Feature Drop in September.

Google’s changelog says the biggest fix is for an issue with managing buffers in the audio framework that could cause unexpected crackling, corruption, and bursts of static. It’s a problem that has persisted over many QPR1 beta releases, spawning more than 30 separate tickets in Google’s issue tracker.

Android 17 QPR1 was already at Platform Stability with Beta 6, so developers have been working against finalized APIs while Google turns its attention to stability.

Beta 8 is available for eligible Pixel devices enrolled in the Android Beta Program, including the Pixel 6 series through the latest Pixel 10 lineup. There is, however, one big exception. Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro owners still get this QPR1 Beta 8 update, but it’s basically the end of the line for those phones. Google has already confirmed that those models won’t be moving on to Android 17 QPR2, with the stable Android 17 QPR1 release expected to be their last major software update this September.

Beta 8 might finally make the preview stable enough for you to use on a daily basis if you’ve been putting off trying it because of audio glitches. Otherwise, you might want to hold off a little longer because the polished, stable QPR1 release is now just around the corner.

What you need to know

• Google debuts Lyria 3.5, its next-gen AI music generation that takes its musicality, lyrics, and vocal quality up a level in Flow Music.
• Creative control was highlighted as a strong point for Lyria 3.5, as users can control tempo, vocals, drums, and bass, alongside tools for track length.
• Google's Lyria 3.5 is rolling out in Flow Music today (July 29

The middle of the week features another AI model announcement from Google, aiming to advance its music generation capabilities.

This afternoon (July 29), Google's press release highlights its newest AI music generation model, Lyria 3.5. According to the company, this should "deliver higher-quality song generation." A subsequent blog post continued, stating that Lyria 3.5 advances the model's "musicality, lyrics, and vocal quality." Regarding the AI's musicality, Google states users can create more complex sounds that feel more "natural."

Prompt adherence and structural awareness are two key areas Google says it focused on for Lyria 3.5. Of course, the former should help keep the AI on topic and avoid lyrics that have nothing to do with your prompt. Lastly, Lyria 3.5's vocals are said to deliver "more expression," alongside updates to its AI's pronunciation.

All of this is wrapped in Lyria 3.5's updated creative control system. Google states users can control the song's tempo and duration a little more easily than before. Users will find options to alter their AI-generated song's vocals, drums, and bass. Moreover, the length of a track can now range from 30 seconds to three minutes.

Google states its Lyria 3.5 model is rolling out today in Flow Music.

Keep the beat with AI

In February, Google got off to a fast start with the launch of Lyria 3. Its highlights included generating songs up to 30 seconds long based on text prompts or photos. Lyrics, style control, and "more realistic audio" were also detailed in its debut. Some aspects of AI music generation continue with Lyria 3.5. Users should still be able to describe the feeling or vibe of the song they want, such as saying "a goofy R&B jam about a lonely sock."

Shortly after Lyria 3's launch in February, Google said it was preparing to roll it out for Dream Track in YouTube Shorts. Similarly, a few months later, Google Vids welcomed Lyria 3 and Veo 3.1 models. Lyria's involvement was particularly useful for users creating videos and looking for a short 30-second to three-minute-long beat or soundtrack.

What you need to know

• Google Photos removes an annoying extra step by letting you capture a photo and jump straight into AI editing.
• Generative AI tools like Remix and Photo to video are now easier to access, making spontaneous edits much faster.
• The new in-app camera workflow eliminates the need to switch between the camera app and Photos.

Google Photos is cutting out a frustrating detour in its mobile app, making generative AI features like Remix and Photo to video much more convenient for the average user.

The company has unveiled a new camera experience that lets you take a photo and go straight to AI-powered editing tools without first rooting around your gallery.

Until now, feeding a fresh snapshot into Photos’ generative suite required an awkward multi-step dance. If you wanted to turn a quick funny expression into an animated clip or stylized portrait, you had to leave Google Photos, open your phone’s dedicated camera app, take the photo, then reopen Google Photos and hunt through your album to select it. That friction made spontaneous edits feel like too much work.

The updated flow allows you to take a new photo within the app and jump directly into Google Photos’ editing interface, where AI tools are at the ready. That eliminates the usual routine of opening the gallery, finding the photo you just took, and then firing up the editor.

In the year since, the app has transformed from a simple cloud backup tool to an AI-first photo hub featuring things like Magic Editor, Reimagine, Auto Frame, and Ask Photos. The latest shortcut doesn’t add a brand new editing capability, but it takes away some of the friction getting to the tools that already exist.

For those who routinely touch up photos before posting them, the new workflow could save an astonishing amount of time.

Android Central's Take

I personally like this direction because it removes one of those small annoyances that tend to add up over time. If I know I’m going to clean up a photo before sharing it, I’d rather jump straight into editing than hop around the app. That said, Google does seem intent on bringing AI into every nook and cranny of Photos, whether you asked for it or not. This shortcut is genuinely useful, but I’d still rather Google spend those same efforts fixing the core camera and gallery experience instead of assuming every shot needs an AI makeover.

What you need to know

• Samsung Find is losing support on older Galaxy devices, meaning phones and tablets running One UI 2.0 (Android 10) or older will no longer receive app updates.
• Existing device tracking, SmartTags, and connected accessories will still work, and you can reinstall the latest compatible version from the Galaxy Store or Google Play.
• Samsung recommends upgrading to a newer version of One UI to keep receiving Samsung Find updates and long-term support.

If you’re hanging on to an older Galaxy phone, Samsung has some bad news: it’s drawing a line in the software sand. Following its decision to drop Samsung Messages, the tech giant is also removing support for updates for the Samsung Find app on any device running One UI 2.0 or older.

A new notice in the app says that Samsung Find is not getting updates on Galaxy phones and tablets running One UI 2.0 or older, which is based on Android 10. That means no new features, no bug fixes, no performance upgrades, and no future compatibility updates for those devices, as spotted by SamMobile.

Well, the good news is that Samsung is not shutting down the service. And if you have an older Galaxy phone, Samsung Find will work just like it does now. Compatible Galaxy devices, SmartTags, earbuds, and other connected products are still available. You can reinstall the app from the Galaxy Store or Google Play if you uninstall it, but you'll only have access to the most recent version compatible with your software.

There are a couple of caveats, though. Samsung says over time the app may not work with older devices and newer Galaxy hardware as it develops. Since unsupported versions won’t get compatibility updates, newer features added for recent Samsung phones may never appear on older phones.

Samsung says the move is intended to deliver a "more stable and high-quality service experience" for users on supported devices. If your Galaxy phone qualifies for a newer version of One UI, the company recommends updating both the firmware and the Samsung Find app so you can continue receiving new features and ongoing support.

Android Central's Take

Honestly, I'm not buying the "stable and high-quality experience" excuse. What Samsung is really telling us is that they’d rather you buy a new phone than keep squeezing an old one. Yes, supporting old-school software is a pain, but let's face it, this is a power play for planned obsolescence under the guise of a service upgrade.

What you need to know

• Google's latest System update brings Play services v26.29 and Play Store v52.5 with upgrades for Wallet, Wear OS, Play Games, and content discovery.
• Play services' latest version adds new Maps and Wear OS APIs for developers alongside unspecified system bug fixes.
• The Play Store is becoming more engaging, with a smoother Play Games Sidekick dashboard, comic previews in Play Shorts, and smarter travel app recommendations through the updated Engage SDK.

Google’s latest Google System update won’t grab headlines for fancy new tricks, but it does bring a handful of changes that could help make everyday Android use just a little bit smoother. The latest rollout brings Play Store v52.5 and Google Play services v26.29 with content discovery improvements, Play Games and Wallet updates, and Wear OS improvements.

On the Google Play services side, version 26.29 continues the trend of Google pushing new features out of full Android OS updates. Maps APIs for Android Auto, phones, tablets, TVs, Wear OS, and PCs are now available for developers, as are new utilities APIs for Wear OS. Google also managed to slip in bug fixes for system management and diagnostics on phones, but it hasn’t said what those patches are for.

Wallet gets the largest batch of changes. For new users, the update saves a few steps, as Pixel Watch owners can now set up Express Pay directly from the watch. Google is also renaming the “Connected apps” section to “Linked apps” on its platforms, a small change that better reflects how third-party services connect to Google accounts. For Pix users, Gboard now works within messaging apps, and there are new developer tools for digital wallet and payment experiences.

The Play Store’s v52.5 update is more about how you find and interact with content. Google says the Play Games Sidekick dashboard is now more stable and responsive, which leads to a gaming companion experience that’s less likely to experience hiccups. Play Shorts is also branching out beyond apps and games, with the addition of popular comic book previews that you can swipe through before you get to the full story if something catches your eye.

Google is also giving a lift to travel apps. With updates to the content clusters in the Engage SDK, third-party travel apps that are supported can now show your previous searches, helping you to get back to your trip planning.

What you need to know

• "Tuning" was spotted in a leak conerning Google's Gemini Daily Brief, which could bring specified customization tools to users.
• A report claims users can tell the AI what they want to see in their morning digests and what they don't.
• Gemini Spark and Daily Brief were a part of Google's I/O highlights, which turn the AI into a proactive assistant.

Google rolled out "daily brief' for Gemini earlier this past spring, and you couldn't avoid the Samsung Now Brief similarities. The company has reportedly kick-started development for a refreshing change.

Google often runs tests for many features, and Android Authority claims to have discovered its latest for Gemini's daily digest. The publication dove into a recent app version with tipster AssembleDebug, who discovered a "Tune your brief" function for Daily Brief. When tuning, the tipster claims users can open a sub-menu that offers a glimpse into what Gemini rounds up for you, as well as suggestions.

"Important events" and "action items" were a couple of items highlighted by the AI; however, it suggests adding email newsletters, updates from your child's school, and more. Much of this is coming from your connected Gmail and Calendar accounts. Alternatively, users can interact with the textbox for better customization.

AssembleDebug states users can write what they'd like to see more or less of in their Daily Brief from Gemini. By that, it seems that users can get specific, informing the AI of specific senders they'd rather not be updated about constantly every morning. Additionally, if there are emails you just can't miss, you can tell Gemini and "tune it" appropriately. The tipster reminds us that since this was found hidden in Gemini's app code, there's no telling when Google could roll this out (if it makes the cut).

Proactive AI

You might remember Gemini Spark from the days of Google I/O 2026. This is an AI agent for Google's main AI that's eager to become more proactive. Spark features deep integration with the user's Gmail, Docs, Slides, and more, and Gemini's Daily Brief was an extension of this mindset. Personalized morning digests are the main course in the AI's Daily Brief.

Google said, "Daily Brief goes beyond simple summaries by actively organizing and prioritizing information based on your goals, while also suggesting what you should do next." What the tipster found in this "tuning" leak is kind of what Google's feedback options did. Currently, users can thumbs up or down the information provided in their Daily Brief. It's not the best way to tell the AI what you want or don't want. Of course, directly tuning it will provide the best results.

Android Central's Nicholas Sutrich enjoyed his time using it, praising the AI for finally not feeling like a "ChatGPT prompt clone."

Sony has been doing all the wrong things of late, but I'm not here to rant about them canceling physical game discs today. I'm here to help you fix a very annoying, yet somehow super prevalent, problem. If you use the PlayStation app on your smartphone, you might have come across this issue.

I signed out of my secondary PlayStation account on my phone a few weeks ago and tried to log in to my primary PS profile, which has 2FA enabled for security. Unfortunately, I wasn't receiving any two-factor authentication text messages from Sony. It was the start of the weekend, which meant I'd have to wait two days before Sony's customer support came online.

So here's what I did to fix it and finally log back into my account.

How to regain access to your PlayStation app when two factor authentication fails

Usually, the correct thing to do is to use your backup codes when 2FA fails. And trust me, Sony's PlayStation app regularly fails to send a 2FA SMS. Just go to Reddit, and you'll find countless accounts of this happening (here, here, and here). PlayStation account users have even been prevented from logging in to their PS4s and PS5s because of this problem.

Anyway, I kept my backup codes in such a safe place that even I couldn't find them. So here's what I did.

1. Open the PlayStation app and tap Sign In.

2. Enter your email address and tap Next.

3. Instead of entering your password, select the Trouble Signing In? option.

4. You'll have to reset your password now by selecting the Recover Your Account > option.

5. You will be redirected to the account recovery portal. Enter your email address there and tap Send Link.

6. Once the password recovery email arrives, choose to set up a passkey instead of a password. This automatically disables two-factor authentication.

7. Once your passkey is set up, sign in to the PlayStation app using your passkey instead.

The PlayStation app can be your savior when you're locked out of your PSN account

Previously, PlayStation Network (PSN) users could use 2FA on their PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 4 if they weren't sent a verification code via SMS. But that option is no longer available. So if you can't get your two-factor authentication code via text, you need to rely on your backup codes.

Thankfully, even if you've misplaced your backup codes, this hack lets you reset everything without relying on 2FA. Once a passkey is set up, it is tied to your password manager. So just make sure you don't get locked out of that!

What you need to know

• Google Play hosts The Auction at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC), and there are rewards for visitors on-site and online.
• In the Play Store app, Play Points members Gold or higher can claim an exclusive digital case of rewards for a chance to score prizes.
• If you're at SDCC, Google Play encourages users to get their custom tote bag and unique keychain charms at the charms bar.
• The Auction runs from July 23 to July 25, and the final day at 5 pm PT is when the auction gets underway, hosted by Quenlin Blackwell.

SDCC (San Diego Comic Con) is underway, and Google Play is there to take in the sights while also giving away rewards for users on-site and online.

Google announced that it's hosting The Auction at SDCC, and people can snag perks and rewards to celebrate. If you're unable to make it to the San Diego area for the festivities, Google Play Points members can still have fun. Google states that users will find "Digital reward cases." For Gold Plus members, "can unlock an exclusive digital rewards case on Google Play for a special chance to score points boosters and surprise collectibles." Keep in mind, this includes Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Play Points members.

You can find these cases in the You or Perks tab in Play Points. The Special Event—Comic-Con in San Diego case ends on August 10, per the app.

Alternatively, if you're looking for "instant rewards," users can head to the Use tab to redeem "high-demand gear," like the Gen 2 Backbone One | DEATH STRANDING 2 Limited Edition controller.

Everyone who has made the trek to SDCC, Google Play is hosting The Auction. From July 23 to July 25, visitors can "step into an immersive space where tokens earned on-site are your currency." Google highlights a massive gachapon that visitors can spin for rewards. You can use your tokens to redeem a custom tote bag or "uniquely crafted keepsakes" at the venue's keychain charm bar.

Visitors can also score rewards for MARVEL Strike Force and Crunchyroll.

This all converges on a massive auction finale on July 25 at 5 pm PT hosted by Quenlin Blackwell. Visitors can bid on high-value items from an Emerald Gemagotchi Necklace with white diamond buttons on a 14K gold ball chain to a Herman Miller Vantum Gaming Chair. There's still time, and if you're not a Points member yet, get going.

Peep the rewards

Buying in-game items and other items through the Google Play Store helps you rack up points. In turn, these points level you up from Bronze to Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond. In September, Google revamped Play Points, introducing new rewards. The inclusion of more prizes was for users in the U.K. Google teamed up with YouTube, Chrome, and developers to curate accessories and clothing options for points holders.

Shortly after, in December, Google Play Points brought the Pixel 10 Pro into the mix with a decent discount. If you had the points, you could get $250 off the Pixel 10 Pro, which knocked it down to $749 on the Google Store. However, the company said some users might've been eligible for an extra $200, knocking it down to $549. This was a promotion Google ran from December 15-27, so if you were there (and interested), it was a joy.

Android Central's Take

I would give my personal take on this, but you already know I'm a big comic book fan (and if you didn't... now you know). SDCC is always a great time. Seeing what's coming up from my favorite games, Marvel comics, and DC comics is a highlight. But please excuse me, I'm getting my rewards on Google Play.

Google's video-generation AI models are finally getting the Nano Banana treatment. Gemini Omni powers video creation in the Gemini app and replaces Veo. Now, the Gemini Omni model is coming to the Create tab of the Google Photos app. A new Video Remix feature helps you take simple video clips and transform them into something new using Gemini Omni, all without leaving Google Photos.

I gave it a shot, and while it's not a replacement for the full Omni experience in the Gemini app, Video Remix is pretty fun to use. You select a 10-second video clip, choose a Remix template, and wait for the reimagined video to generate. The results were better than I expected, even if I wish Video Remix supported longer clips. Here's how you can try Video Remix for yourself.

What you need to get started with Video Remix

Although the Video Remix experience is powered by Gemini Omni, you won't find it in the Gemini app. Instead, you can use Video Remix in the Create tab of the Google Photos app. It lives alongside Photo Remix and Reimagine, with the key difference being that Video Remix is made for short clips. Specifically, you can select a 10-second portion of a video to change using Omni and Video Remix.

Video Remix uses the following prompt templates to shake up your clips:

• Relight my video with a morning glow
• Add doodles to my video
• Set my video in a greenhouse
• Give my video an orange sunset glow
• Add shifting laser light strobes
• Paint my video in dreamy watercolor
• Make my video look like pixel art
• Give my video a tropical sunset background
• Put my video in a gritty subway scene
• Cast a magic hour haze in my video
• Cast my video in cool blue hour tones
• My video as a stop-motion sketch
• Turn my video into a moving oil painting
• Put my video in a Mediterranean villa
• Give my video a golden hour glow

As you can see, Video Remix templates vary from offering subtle lighting changes and background swaps to completely remaking clips in selected art styles. Google says that stable and steady videos work best with Video Remix, and warns that it might not always work as expected or could include audio.

For now, Video Remix is rolling out for paid Google AI subscribers. It's available in the following countries:

• US
• Argentina
• Bangladesh
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Egypt
• India
• Indonesia
• Japan
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• South Korea
• Turkey

If you're located in one of the above countries and have a Google AI Plus, AI Pro, or AI Ultra account, you're ready to start using Video Remix in Google Photos.

How I use Video Remix to reimagine my photos

I take a bunch of videos I rarely revisit, so I thought using Video Remix could be a fun way to play around with clips lying dormant in my Google Photos library. I had videos of dolphins from a boating trip and Meta Oakley clips from summer runs, and I used Video Remix to change them up. Here's how I did it, and how you can too:

1. Open the Google Photos app.

2. Tap Create.

3. Press Video remix.

4. Choose a template.

5. Select a video from your Photos library.

6. If your video is longer than 10 seconds, use the grab handles to select a section of the video to remix. Then, press Generate.

7. Wait for the clip to process. This may take up to two minutes. When finished, play the Video Remix output and press Save to add it to your library.

Now, you've created your first Video Remix. You can try again if the results didn't turn out as you expected, or choose a different prompt to get a new output.

Everything I made with Video Remix in Google Photos

Despite the short maximum video length, Video Remix's results were impressive. For my first test, I tried taking a POV-style video from one of my runs and turning it into a watercolor moving painting. Gemini Omni certainly nailed the effect, as you can see below.

However, the output felt too cartoonish for my liking. I tried the doodle Video Remix template next, hoping it would be more tasteful. The output was my favorite of all. It livened up a video of myself running across a bridge with sketched stars, outlines, and arrows. What was a mundane running clip turned into something ready for socials, which is the entire point of Video Remix.

For those that want an even subtler effect, there are lighting templates for Video Remix. I used the morning glow template on a video of dolphins popping out of the water, and it definitely changed the clip's appearance. See for yourself in the video below.

All told, Video Remix does what it says it'll do — unless there are human faces involved. In some cases, Video Remix won't generate a clip if it thinks there are faces of minors in the original video. This certainly makes sense for safety reasons, but it doesn't always get it right. Even when generating remixes of videos containing adult faces, the outputs don't usually match the original subject closely.

When to use Video Remix in Photos instead of Omni in Gemini

The Omni model in the Gemini app should still be your go-to for new video generations. However, for making small changes to existing clips, Video Remix in Google Photos is the better choice. I'd like to see Video Remix support longer clips and expand access to free Photos users. For now, it's still a great option for Google AI subscribers.

What you need to know

• The European Commission issued its first-ever Digital Markets Act fines against Google, totaling €890 million ($1 billion) for anticompetitive practices.
• Search took the biggest hit, with Google fined €460 million for allegedly giving its own services preferential placement over rival platforms.
• Google Play wasn't spared either, as the EU fined the company €430 million for restricting developers from steering users to cheaper payment options outside the Play Store.

Google’s battles with European regulators are far from over. After recently losing its fight against the EU’s record €4.1 billion antitrust fine over Android's market dominance, the European Commission has now issued its first fines against the company under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The EU announced that it has fined the company €890 million (around $1 billion), saying that Google broke the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by giving its own services an unfair advantage in Search, and limiting how Android developers can reach customers outside the Play Store.

The penalties are divided into two parts. Google was fined €460 million for allegedly favoring its products, including Shopping, Hotels, Transport, and Sports results, over rival services in Google Search. EU regulators said that Google's services were consistently given better placement and richer visual treatment than rival services, making it harder for competitors to get visibility.

The second fine, worth €430 million, was imposed on Google Play. The Commission said Google blocked developers from directing users freely to cheaper offers or alternative payment methods outside the Play Store. Under the DMA, developers should be able to promote those options without facing restrictive conditions, and Google’s steering-related fees were also found to be higher than what regulators consider acceptable.

These are the first fines that Google has received under the DMA, Europe’s landmark law aimed at reigning in the power of the biggest “gatekeepers” in the tech industry. The ruling also orders Google to change its Search ranking practices and its Play Store policy to comply with the law. Failure to take corrective action within 60 days can result in additional penalties based on the company’s global revenue.

Android Central has contacted Google for a statement and will update this article when we hear back. Anyway, the tech giant is expected to appeal the decision but will continue discussing possible compliance measures with regulators.

Android Central's Take

I don’t think most people will lose sleep over Google getting another billion dollar fine, but if these rulings push Google to give developers more freedom and make Search a little fairer, that’s ultimately a win for users. At the same time, I can’t help but notice the pattern here: Google changes its products, regulators object, Google appeals, and the process repeats itself. For years, you’d think we’d be talking about lasting fixes after billion-euro penalties instead of another chapter in the same regulatory saga.

What you need to know

• Google introduces Selfie Video, a new secure sign-in method to log into your account.
• Users will be required to set up a Selfie Video initially, running through Google's guided instructions before it's saved.
• Signing into your account with Selfie Video will compare your new recording with the initial one for verification.

As far as device security goes, or even account security, biometrics are unique. Google wants to advance that by using your face.

Google announced that it's adding a new way for users to sign into their accounts this week. Selfie Video is a method that will join Google's more security-conscious methods for account sign-in. Setting up Selfie Video is fairly straightforward. Google says it will walk you through the head movements you need to make so its software can "capture multiple angles" of your face. The Selfie Video you record initially is the original.

After you're done and you're looking to sign into your account, you can record a "new" Selfie Video. Google says it will compare the current video to your first one to verify you.

There are a few other ways users can sign into their Google Accounts. The company states Selfie Videos are here in case you're locked out. If you've forgotten your password or "don’t have access to your usual phone or computer," Selfie Video could help. Security—personal privacy, really—is an area Google knows is important to users. The announcement highlights the user's control over their video.

Your capture will be saved (and encrypted) on Google's servers "with your consent." Google says your video is saved for sign-in purposes "unless you opt to share it for additional purposes." What's more, users can delete their saved video at any time. It adds that when you call on Selfie Video for verification, Google deploys several layers of defense to protect your account from deep fakes, fake photos, and videos.

If Selfie Videos are your jam, you can get it set up.

Take a selfie

Passkeys are probably the most recognizable "strong" sign-in method that Google Accounts offer users. We've had passkeys as an option for personal accounts since 2023. The idea is to give passwords a nice (quiet) way out. Of course, you can still sign into your account with your password, but Google's kept pushing passkeys. This new security tech is reportedly 40% faster than typing your password. Passkeys were developed with the FIDO Alliance and are used across websites and apps.

Another good reason to rely on a passkey is that it can't be phished or stolen. Plus, you don't have to remember anything (phew!). It's worth remembering that since passkeys are a new security method, they've got their issues.

What you need to know

• Google says Chrome on Android now experiences 48% fewer scroll stutters than in 2023.
• The improvements are the result of nearly three years of engineering work.
• Google redesigned several parts of Chrome's rendering pipeline to achieve this.

If you've felt lately that the Chrome app on Android is smoother while scrolling through articles (like this one, even), it's probably because you're using the end result of three years of engineering work behind the scenes at Google.

While Google may be focusing heavily on new AI features, like bringing more Gemini into Chrome, there are also plenty of other improvements the company has been quietly working on for Chrome on Android. Take, for example, that split-second stutter you sometimes notice when scrolling through a webpage before it carries on as normal, which Google internally calls "scroll jank."

In a new engineering blog post, Google says Chrome on Android now experiences 48% fewer janky scrolls than it did back in late 2023.

According to Google, scroll jank happens when Chrome fails to update the page quickly enough to keep up with your finger. Even though the delay may only last a fraction of a second, it's still enough for the human eye to notice, making the whole scrolling experience feel jerky.

The company says that getting rid of those interruptions wasn't as simple as making Chrome faster. Google explains that Chrome's rendering pipeline is far more complex than a typical Android app because the browser spreads work across multiple processes for security and stability. That means there are far more opportunities for tiny delays to build up before a frame finally appears on screen.

To tackle the problem, Google first spent months instrumenting Chrome's rendering pipeline to identify exactly where scroll stutters were occurring.

It then introduced a series of architectural improvements over the following years, including rerouting touch input through a faster path, reducing communication delays between browser processes, and moving more work onto the GPU.

Google also worked alongside Android itself to prioritize the operating system's input threads, helping touch events reach Chrome more consistently, thus helping it produce frames more reliably.

Google went into a lot more depth about exactly how it fixed all this, but I won't bore you with the technical details. In case you've been wondering why Chrome doesn't feel so bad on Android anymore, this is why your feed might feel a little less jumpy than it did a couple of years ago.

What you need to know

• OpenAI is addressing a severe AI security flaw with Hugging Face that occurred during a simple "model evaluation."
• It discovered that GPT‑5.6 Sol and other pre-release models were involved in this incident, relentlessly breaching nodes and exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities until it gained internet access.
• OpenAI states it is committed to partnering and working with Hugging Face and others to solve this problem and roll out protections.

After what appears to be an "unprecedented cyber incident," OpenAI is getting candid about a nasty AI security incident during a "model evaluation."

A recent security incident involving an autonomous AI gave AI Hugging Face quite the scare. Now, OpenAI is discussing what its investigation into the matter uncovered as it partners with Hugging Face to develop protections. OpenAI explains that the incident occurred "during an internal evaluation which prompts models to pursue advanced exploitation using complex attack paths, in an effort to quantify their cyber capabilities."

These tests typically run in a "highly isolated environment," but some AI models broke through. Another unnerving discovery is that the AI models involved in the incident were OpenAI's GPT‑5.6 Sol and other pre-release models.

OpenAI says the models in question became "hyperfocused" on finding a solution for ExploitGym, and it went to "extreme lengths" to discover one. To solve the problem, OpenAI found that the AI would relentlessly pursue a way to access the internet. In doing so, the AI models found and exploited a reported zero-day vulnerability. Once the AI broke its isolation and got access to the internet, it was over.

OpenAI says, "the models inferred that Hugging Face potentially hosted models, datasets, and solutions for ExploitGym." OpenAI gives an example, stating the AI was able to "chain" attack vectors, leveraging stolen credentials and other zero-day vulnerabilities within Hugging Face's servers. The post states that Hugging Face identified the problem and launched quarantine (containment) measures, as well as the reconstruction of its open-source models to stop the problem.

Quite the fright

Hugging Face adds that it also deployed additional guardrails and "stricter admission" controls on its clusters to prevent this issue. The company also stepped up its awareness, so a "high-severity signal pages a responder in minutes, any day of the week." Hugging Face has begun working with a cybersecurity forensic specialist to conduct further investigations.

On OpenAI's side, it's working on stronger controls at an infrastructure configuration level. Partnering with Hugging Face has brought the company into its trusted access program. OpenAI says it is offering Hugging Face its support in this matter. On a related note, Hugging Face has informed its community members about a few potential next steps. Since security is a major concern, it recommends that its community members "rotate any access tokens" and review recent activity on their account.

Hugging Face remains committed to using AI as a defender for online systems. It says, "Defending an online platform now means treating the data and model surface as a first-class attack surface, and using AI on defense to keep pace. We will keep investing there, and keep sharing what we learn."

Android Central's Take

This sounds exactly like a sci-fi movie. I saw people in Hugging Face's comments mention Terminator 3... and that might be what I'm thinking of. My colleague Nicholas Sutrich said this was a "nasty AI incident." He's not wrong. These AI models were able to get free, exploit terrible flaws, and gain internet access. It was after the solution to a problem it was given. It didn't stop. Imagine that danger turned in another direction. Something much more crucial to us.

What you need to know

• A tipster reportedly discovered a new accessibility feature that Google is working on for Gboard called "Sign-to-text."
• This feature would leverage the user's camera and Google's AI to "translate" sign language into written text for messages or online searches and more.
• Android has several common accessibility features, and Android 16 helped to refine the hearing aid experience for Bluetooth LE-based models and more.

There are a few important accessibility features present on Android that help make devices useful. However, a recent rumor claims that Google is working on another, and it could be its most significant.

"Sign-to-text" is a feature that Android Authority claims Google is working on for its keyboard app, Gboard. Within the code of a recent Gboard app version, the publication claims it found a welcome pop-up for "Sign-to-text," an accessibility feature for users who communicate via sign language. The early description says it will "translate your signing into text messages, web searches, emails, and more."

As one might imagine, this Gboard feature would leverage your phone's camera to capture you signing. If you also expect this feature to rely on Google's AI, you'd be right. Together with tipster AssembleDebug, the publication found that Sign-to-text will "translate" sign language into written text. While the video is said to "never leave your device," Sign-to-text will send "points representing the movement of your body" to Google for translation before deletion.

There's still quite a bit unknown about this. The tipster couldn't find much else aside from the splash screen and brief description. There's also speculation about how good Google's support for sign language will be. Android Authority highlights that there are other sign languages out there aside from American Sign Language.

Accessible for all

As we mentioned before, Android has its fair share of accessibility options for users. Android 16 made two important changes for users who rely on hearing aids. If a user has a pair of Bluetooth LE earbuds, they can switch to their phone's mic to hear a call better. Additionally, users can adjust the volume of their hearing aids from their phone. Work to improve the hearing aid experience continued for Android 16 in December 2025.

In Google's year-end update, hearing aids were given Fast Pair support. The single-tap experience for pairing these devices to a compatible Android device was undoubtedly a major win. Google rolled this out for Demant hearing aids first, but planned to expand its support to Starkey devices earlier this year. Other than hearing aids, Android has accessibility options for colors and text size, but sign language is something fresh for its available selection.

Android Central's Take

I like that this has been discovered. It's in Google's code, yeah, but hopefully that means something. I've seen things like this disappear, as it's probably something Google is trying to see if it can do. I truly hope this is one that makes it because it would be huge for people who sign.

What you need to know

• Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1 is officially here, kicking off testing for Google's next Pixel Feature Drop arriving in December 2026.
• This beta includes fixes for Bluetooth reconnection failures, lock screen media glitches, Gemini-related reboot crashes, and touch input bugs.
• The update supports Pixel 6a through the Pixel 10 lineup, plus the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet, and is available via the Android Beta Program and Android Emulator.

Google’s not wasting any time after wrapping up Android 17 QPR1. The company has officially kicked off testing of Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1, offering Pixel users and developers a first look at the next quarterly update expected to arrive as the December 2026 Feature Drop.

This release doesn’t come with any new user-facing features, but it does fix some annoying bugs that have plagued Pixel owners. In its official release notes, Google says it has fixed an issue where Bluetooth devices could fail to reconnect after losing pairing, with no indication there was a problem. There’s also a fix that stops media controls from flashing briefly on the lock screen when waking a phone, even if notifications for that app had been turned off.

The most important fix is maybe for Gemini. Pixel devices may suddenly reboot when launching Google’s AI assistant due to a system crash. Google also addressed an issue with touch input where apps would stop receiving touch events after users performed a drag-and-drop gesture with multiple fingers.

The Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1 is now available with build number CP41.260701.005 and supports most of the supported Pixels, including the Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 series, Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, Pixel 8 series, Pixel 9 family, and the latest Pixel 10 devices. It’s also available through the Android Emulator, and users enrolled in the program can install it over the air via the Android Beta Program.

But the rollout brings a major change, too. If you still have a Pixel 6 or 6 Pro, your beta journey ends right here. These devices have reached their guaranteed update limits, so the previous QPR1 branch is their final beta track.

Android Central's Take

I don’t mind if Google takes a break from dumping flashy new features on us if it means they’ll actually iron out the bugs that get in the way of using my phone. Not getting access to yet another AI gimmick is 100x more annoying than Gemini demanding a reboot or Bluetooth suddenly refusing to reconnect. That said, I’d still like to see Google spend less time playing catch-up with stability issues in the first place. Pixel owners signed up for a premium Android experience, not a free QA gig. If QPR2 delivers a smoother, more reliable phone by December, that’s a win. But it would be even better if these fixes didn’t have to wait for a quarterly update.

What you need to know

• Google Maps is finally bringing a live speedometer to Android Auto, closing a long-standing feature gap with Android phones and Apple CarPlay.
• The rollout is currently very limited, with reports pointing to a server-side release for select Google Maps beta users on version 26.29.02.946673643.
• The speedometer appears next to the speed limit indicator and changes color when you exceed the posted limit, making it easier to monitor your speed at a glance.

Google is finally checking off one of Android Auto users’ oldest wish list items. Google Maps has had a live speedometer feature on Android phones for a long time and even brought it to Apple CarPlay in 2024, but now it’s starting to show your speed on Android Auto as well.

It seems like the rollout is very limited for now. User reports from Reddit suggest that the feature is rolling out to a small number of beta users running Google Maps version 26.29.02.946673643, including at least one driver in Canada (via 9to5Google). As is often the case with recent Google Maps features, the update seems to be a server-side rollout, so simply updating the app doesn’t mean you’ll get it immediately.

The speedometer sits alongside the speed limit indicator when that information is available. Community reports say the speed read-out changes color as well if you’re driving over the posted limit, making it easier to spot at a glance without taking your eyes off the road for long.

As with everything, Google considers the feature a reference and not a substitute for the real speedometer in your vehicle.

The delay has been particularly puzzling, given that Android Auto has lagged behind both Google Maps on Android phones and Apple’s CarPlay, despite them sharing a lot of the same navigation experience.

With this update finally arriving, Android Auto is edging closer to feature parity as Google continues rolling out other navigation upgrades, including its new immersive Maps interface with 3D buildings, improved lane guidance, and easier-to-follow highway interchanges.

Android Central's Take

This is one of those updates that, for me, deserves a “finally” more than a “yay.” A live speedometer isn’t some new AI-powered thing; it’s a simple navigation feature that’s been on phones and even CarPlay for ages. I’m still pleased to see it coming to Android Auto, because it’ll give drivers one less reason to look down at the dashboard, especially when driving in unfamiliar areas with lots of speed limit changes. I just wish Google would be just as quick about practical quality-of-life features as they are with fancy add-ons.

Now that smartphones have become our de facto communication and note-taking devices, the need to type faster has become a priority for many. Whether it's a requirement for your job or it's a skill that'll help you in university or at an internship, I have valuable advice for you.

Many people still default to tapping each letter on their phones, but there's a better way. I learned how to type insanely quickly on my Android phone with a single hack, and while it's not a new feature by any means, I'm going to teach you, too. Once you've mastered this skill, your average words per minute are going to jump up.

How to type really fast on your Android phone

This demonstration was conducted on a Google Pixel 8 running Android 16 and using Gboard as the default keyboard. After explaining how to use this hack, I'll also explain how to implement it in Samsung Keyboard.

As long as you're using Gboard on an Android phone running at least Android 8, you're good to go. This "trick" is called swipe typing, sliding to type, or Glide Typing (on Gboard). The idea is that you don't lift your finger for each letter of the alphabet, only for each word, saving you a lot of time. Here's how to slide your finger across the keyboard to type faster.

1. Tap a text box where you want to type on your phone.

2. Instead of individually tapping the alphabet, slide your finger without lifting it. Pause on the letters for a microsecond, and lift your finger when you're done typing a word. A space is automatically added once you lift your finger.

If you're a Samsung Keyboard user, you'll need to head to the keyboard settings and enable the Swype mode before sliding your finger to type.

Swipe typing on Gboard is intelligent and intuitive

Gboard gets smarter over time, as does your swipe-typing accuracy. As you swipe over the alphabet, you'll get word suggestions in Gboard. Over time, you can teach Gboard what your intended word was by tapping the right suggestion.

Swipe typing also works with words added to your dictionary, such as names, slang, abbreviations, or words in another language. They don't have to be grammatically correct.

What's even cooler is that you can swipe to type in other languages too! I tried it with Urdu in Gboard, and it works just as well as it does in English. Plus, if you use a Wear OS watch with Gboard, you can use this hack on your smartwatch as well.

I attract so much attention when I swipe-text in public, and people are always curious about it. I've even had strangers ask me to teach them how to use the feature on a train!

It is not the fastest or easiest trick right away; you might actually type slower at first. But once you get the hang of it, it's very hard to go back to the "usual" typing method on your smartphone.

Apple's Find My network has long been a compelling reason to pick up an iPhone. It uses hundreds of millions of devices to track your products using crowdsourced location data, and almost everyone chooses to participate. Google lacked a true alternative for a while, but we've had one for the past two years with Find Hub (formerly Find My Device). It's still relatively new, so many Android users forget to use Find Hub or aren't aware of everything it can do.

I don't even remember to check Find Hub when I can't find an Android phone, Wear OS watch, or Bluetooth earbuds — but I'm starting to change that. Google Find Hub is loaded with features that help you keep track of your gadgets and protect your data in a worst-case scenario. These are the five Find Hub features you need to know about.

Check your phone's Wi-Fi network and battery percentage

Most people probably know that Find Hub uses crowdsourcing to update a device's real-time location so you can find it. You may not know that Find Hub can provide additional information about your phone, and this remote data can help you locate it. Crucially, Find Hub lists your device's battery percentage in the app — this lets you know how much time you have to find it before the charge runs out.

More importantly, Find Hub will tell you whether your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network. It'll also let you know the strength of the connection signal. This only works when your device is online, but it can be very helpful. For example, if I see a phone in the Find Hub list connected to my home Wi-Fi network with a strong signal, I know it's in my apartment. If it's connected to my network with a weak signal, it could be in my car out front.

Sometimes, the information you get from a device's battery and connectivity status can be more helpful than the raw GPS coordinates. To try it for yourself, open Find Hub and tap a device in the Devices list. If it is online, you'll see when the device was last seen, its battery percentage, and network connection status under its name.

Find your device on a map, and get directions to it

If you can't remember where you left your device, its location data can help. I don't always turn to Find Hub location data first because, unless you're using a tracker with ultra-wideband (UWB) support, the app can't help you narrow down the device's location beyond providing GPS coordinates. Still, it can be useful if you can't remember whether you left your phone at home, at work, or at a coffee shop.

To check it, open Find Hub and tap the name of your device in the list. A map will open with a pin showing the device's last known location. You can tap the Get directions button to open Google Maps, view the coordinates on your device, and start navigating to them.

I use the Play sound feature in Find Hub more than the Get directions tool. If you think a device is lost near you, navigate to Find Hub > [Device Name] > Play sound to blare an alarm through your device if it is nearby and visible. It's really loud, and sounding the alarm gives you a great chance of locating your lost product.

Share ownership of a device with someone else

For accessories like earbuds, you can share ownership with a trusted friend or family member in the Find Hub app. The way it works is simple. Open the Find Hub app, find your device in the Devices list, and tap it. Then, press Share ownership and hit Continue. This will create a shareable link that can be sent to one person and expires after 24 hours.

When the person you share an accessory with accepts the invitation, they'll be able to see the device's location until you stop sharing it. This is helpful for devices you share with someone else, as both of you will be able to track their location. It isn't available for every device, though, and it's made for accessories. I used it with the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, sharing the location with my partner so we both can keep track of the earbuds.

Mark a device as lost, and get notified when it's found

Of course, there are times when you lose a device away from home and might not be able to easily locate it. Find Hub can help in this situation too, with a Mark as lost mode. In the Find Hub app, locate your lost device in the Devices list and tap its name. Then, hit Mark as lost and Continue.

You'll be able to add a contact phone number or message that appears on your lost device. It'll completely lock down your lost phone, showing a black screen with a shortcut that allows anyone who finds it to instantly call the owner (you). When you find it, you'll be able to unlock it from this screen, but you'll need to use two-factor authentication. Alternatively, you can remove the lost device lock remotely using the Find Hub app or the Find Hub web client at https://www.google.com/android/find/.

Factory reset your device when all hope is lost

If you can't regain access to your device, Find Hub can permanently erase it to ensure your data is never compromised. This should be your last resort, as erasing a lost device remotely will remove it from Find Hub, and you won't be able to see its location. To do this, open the Find Hub app, find your device in the list, and tap it. Then press the Settings gear icon next to your device's name. Then, tap either Factory reset or Remove device — the former is for phones, and the latter is for accessories.

Completing the factory reset process will remotely wipe your lost device, permanently deleting all its data. This certainly isn't an easy decision to make, but erasing your device could be better than letting your data potentially fall into the wrong hands.

Google Find Hub works with Android-powered devices, Wear OS watches, Bluetooth accessories, and item trackers. When you learn to master it, you'll have a much better chance of finding your lost devices and items.

What you need to know

• Google is rolling out Android 17 QPR1 Beta 7 to Pixel users with a Pixel 6 or newer phone.
• The patch is lighter; however, it features a trifecta of fixes for the Pixel Quick Settings menu for issues that have been reported since January.
• Beta 6 rolled out at the top of July, achieving the major milestone of Platform Stability.

Google is following up on a huge milestone for its first quarterly Android 17 update with a beta that fixes issues Pixel users have been vocal about.

Compared to what Beta 6 achieved, Android 17 QPR1 Beta 7 might seem a little lackluster. However, what it does is roll out solutions to problems Pixel users have been reporting for months. Google shared its patch notes on Reddit this week, stating enrolled testers with a Pixel 6 or newer phone can begin downloading it. There are two issues that users have continued to report to Google. Both involve the Pixel Quick Settings menu.

Google states that it's rolling out a fix for "Battery Share from Quick Settings." Users have informed Google that Battery Share would "sometimes do nothing" or "sometimes it shows the wireless charging animation." Another round of Issue Tracker reports states that Battery Share wasn't working properly. The user says it would "turn off the second I try to turn it on." What's more, they state that the UI would incorrectly say their phone is wirelessly charging when "it's not connected physically to anything."

While Google has known about this problem since January, a fix is now rolling out for Pixel users in Beta 7 to solve a "failure to start charging" and "repeatedly displayed the charging animation." Two more fixes are rolling out for Pixel Quick Settings. Please read them below.

Quarterly update soon

• Turning off Wi-Fi created an empty gap between the battery and mobile data icons in the Quick Settings status bar
• A crash in the Quick Settings font size controller that prevented users from adjusting their text size from the quick access panel

The hope is that we're coming up on Google's first quarterly release for Android 17. Usually, this takes place around September. Google has been moving quickly with Android 17's development, so maybe the timeline has changed. Either way, QPR1 Beta 6 rolled out two weeks ago, achieving the major milestone of Platform Stability. This matters for both sides, but more so for developers. Better preparation for their apps to work with this new version can begin. For users, this means we're one (major) step closer to downloading it.

There was a Quick Settings-related issue in Beta 6, as well. Users reported that there was a visual glitch when "rapidly swiping" through the media carousel. The Quick Settings layout and settings icon were affected by this bug. Now, the company's rolling out even more fixes for Quick Settings.

What you need to know

• Google announced a Connected Apps expansion in AI Mode in Search, opening access to Instacart, YouTube Music, and Canva for U.S. users.
• These services let users lean on the AI for grocery shopping, as AI Mode asks for their preferred store before filling their Instacart bag ahead of checkout.
• Google states that it's working with other partners in preparation to add more services

Google's Connected Apps let users bring Gemini into their emails, Drive, and more. This experience is expanding this week, as AI Mode lends a helping hand.

Google announced this afternoon (July 16) that it's rolling out Connected Apps in AI Mode. The post states, "...we’re enabling you to directly connect your apps in Search." Connected Apps in AI Mode will roll out first for U.S. users, and it's adding three "go-to" services for users getting started. U.S. users can connect their YouTube Music account with AI Mode for playlist creation.

The company offers a brief example, stating users can prompt the AI to create a playlist for someone's birthday. Offering their age helps, as the AI rolls the time machine back to their birth year to create a playlist that blends the past and present. AI Mode will produce its results in your chat with it. Users will find the playlist's AI-generated title, number of songs, playlist length (mins/hours), and buttons to "add to library" or play.

Something to note is that AI Mode's playlists in YouTube Music will expire after a duration. Google recommends that users save their playlist to avoid losing it.

Instacart is another service users can let the AI leverage. If you're looking to get some groceries before a big party, you can tell the AI to "get me all the things I need for my BBQ and add them to my grocery cart." AI Mode will sift through your Google Account, Gmail, and more to gather the details, and since you mentioned "grocery cart," Instacart is where it'll lean to complete the process.

Users can select their preferred store, verify the items in their cart, and open Instacart to complete the transaction.

Let AI do the heavylifting

The final service arriving in AI Mode is Canva. You may know that this is a go-to app for creating flyers and other promotional material. Users can tell AI Mode to create a specific banner in Canva, alongside specific details, such as its theme, date/time for the event, and more. AI Mode will offer its results in chat. Users can tap on the individual AI creations to edit them in the Canva app.

Connected Apps in AI Mode are rolling out today (July 16) for U.S. users. Google says it's "working with a range of partners," teasing that there's more to come.

Personal Intelligence was a huge update for Gemini in January. This allowed users to bring Gemini into their personal lives by connecting Photos, Gmail, YouTube, and other apps. Users could ask Gemini to find dates from a recent string of emails or find replacement tires. The AI would look through emails and their photos to find their car's make and model before completing the search.

Google rolled this experience out in AI Mode, Gemini, and Gemini in Chrome for more U.S. users in March. It was confined to Google's apps, but this expansion gives users even more room to work with.

What you need to know

• Spotify announced that it's removing the Premium lock on Managed Account, making them free for all parents to create for kids under 13.
• Managed Accounts are a music-only experience, meaning kids' profiles will be private, non-discoverable in search, and parents can filter out explicit content and more.
• Kids will have access to popular playlists like Discover Weekly, Daylist, and Made for You.

Managed Accounts with parental controls are a good way for parents to get their kids into Spotify, but it was locked to Premium. Spotify's changing that this week, and it might be a huge win for parents.

Spotify announced this morning (July 15) that it's making Managed Accounts free for all parents on Spotify globally. It doesn't matter which Spotify plan you're on. Spotify says parents can "create a free Managed Account for their child in the U.S., UK, Australia, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, with many more countries either already live or following soon." It teases Canada, New Zealand, and multiple European countries are coming soon.

Setting up a Managed Account is fairly simple. Parents can open Spotify > (side menu) Add Account > Create a Managed Account. Ads will be present if you're on a free account; however, Spotify says these will offer "helpful information about how to get the most out of the app."

Managed Accounts are focused on kids under 13. The experience is purely music-based, providing access to Spotify's music library and playlists (including playlist creation). Since a Managed Account is music-only, Spotify says its videos and Canvas content are turned off by default.

A few music discovery playlists that users have on Spotify are available for Managed Accounts. Kids can receive their own Discover Weekly, Made for You mixes, and Daylist. It's worth mentioning that while these playlists lean on the kids' taste in music, they will also adhere to the settings their parents have chosen. Spotify Wrapped is a huge year-end celebration of your listening habits, and kids will get one, too.

Safety in mind

Spotify has become a little more social over the years. Managed Accounts take a step back from those features. The company states Managed Accounts will not have access to messages and cannot upload custom profile pictures. What's more, a Managed Account is immediately made private and cannot be discovered via search.

Parents will have a dashboard of parental controls for their child's account. Users can filter out certain content they'd rather keep their kids away from, such as explicit music. Parents will also find settings to "manually manage the playback of specific artists or songs." If parents need to change anything, they can easily return to their parental dashboard for a Managed Account and alter its settings.

Android Central's Take

This is management made easy for parents. I've got a few family members that I know would've loved this a few years earlier. Better late than never, right? I think that these Managed Accounts should've always been free. It's not a bad thing to have had free for parents, as I'm sure many let their child use their account. There are still parents that will continue to do so, but at least there's the option to give them their own "account."

What you need to know

• Google is said to be testing a redesigned Android Auto media card that prioritizes playback controls over oversized album art.
• The new layout adds quick-access buttons like Like, Shuffle, and Repeat, depending on the media app you're using.
• The expanded controls appear to be limited to vehicles with larger infotainment displays, leaving smaller screens with a simplified layout.

Google seems to be rolling out a major usability upgrade to the media player in Android Auto’s dashboard interface, swapping out the oversized album art for quicker access to playback controls.

Android Authority spotted the new media card in an APK teardown, which replaces the current layout with a more compact presentation. The card prominently displays the album art, with track information positioned below it. The background is still a blurred version of the album art, but the biggest difference is a larger set of playback controls.

In addition to the standard play/pause and track skip buttons, Android Auto could also show app-specific shortcuts such as Like, Shuffle, and Repeat. The exact controls appear to differ depending on which media app you’re using, so podcast players and other audio apps may show different actions.

That’s a welcome change from the current design, which can require opening the full app just to access commonly used features.

But there's another catch. Android Authority’s teardown suggests that not all cars will display the expanded controls. It appears that a larger display on the head unit has room for these additional buttons, while smaller screens might revert to a simpler design.

The company recently added swipeable media cards and has been slowly rolling out interface changes it announced at Google I/O 2026, such as the new Immersive Navigation experience in Google Maps. This potential change looks like it’s a logical addition to the overall experience.

For the time being, the new media player remains hidden within recent Android Auto builds, and there’s no official release date. As with many Google experiments, there’s no guarantee it will ship in its current form. That said, if this interface makes it to stable users, it could make controlling music in the car noticeably faster with fewer taps and less time hunting for the buttons you use most.

What you need to know

• Google Images celebrates 25 years, and it's rolling out a new "immersive, browseable gallery" in July.
• Users will find a gallery in Images that updates in real-time based on their interests, with an added option to save content into "Collections."
• AI Overviews receives Nano Banana, meaning users can ask the AI to generate images based on their prompt.

This week marks 25 years of Google Images, a part of the company's search experience that's often overlooked. That's changing with a complete redesign that updates in real-time.

Today (July 14), Google is celebrating 25 years of its image search experience with an update that's going to change the game. The company is starting to roll out a complete redesign of Images, calling it a "brand new browseable home." In a way, Google Images looks inspired by Keep or the Photos app. Users will find images spread out, almost like a collage. Google says this "dynamic, immersive gallery" will still display results from across the web.

However, it will also "update in real-time, intelligently tailored to your unique interests." Google Images features a series of tabs right above its results. These tabs go beyond hopping between other Google-related results. Users will find "Saves and For You" tabs. The first influences the rest: users can save photos they find on Google Images to a "Collection" and name it.

Your Collections will appear beside the For You, so you can "jump back in and continue exploring based on what inspires you." This redesign for Google Images will roll out over the next few weeks for English desktop users in the U.S. Users are encouraged to sign in to their Google Account once it arrives.

The second update brings AI Overviews into the mix. Google says this update is for users who "have a highly specific vision where an image doesn’t yet exist." Google's Nano Banana brings its image generation capabilities directly into AI Overviews. Text prompts telling the AI to "create a visual" or "help me visualize" will produce "high-quality, custom visuals." The top of your AI Overview will show the generated photo, along with a few ways to tell the bot to tweak it.

Moreover, Google Images will appear beneath it with a few real-world examples that fit your prompt to help.

25 years of Image Search

Since this is a birthday bash, Google is walking back 25 years, back to where its image search started. The company recalled an update in 2001 after Jennifer Lopez's captivating green Versace dress stunned the world a year prior. Google said, "People didn’t just want to read about the dress — they wanted to see it. So in July 2001, we launched Google Images, making it possible for the first time to search and instantly explore visual content from across the web."

Eight years later, in 2009, Similar Images debuted. Web searches can often turn up results that you're not interested in. With "find similar images," users could ensure they got the results they wanted (i.e., bow and arrows, not a hair bow). Circle to Search in 2024 was a major milestone for Google after Lens took over in 2018 (then multi-search for Lens in 2022). Now, in 2026, Google has relied on its "intelligent search box" to help carry user queries for text-based and image searches.

Android Central's Take

I don't use Google Images that often. It's been like that for years. I use it occasionally for looking up cities in different countries, or for snapshots of movies. Google's trying to change that. This update makes Google Images a better assistant for inspiration or ideas if you're going to travel. The real-time updating aspect is another important aspect of this new sentiment that looks pretty good. Here's to another 25, Google Images.

What you need to know

• Opera says its monthly active users on Android grew 66% in the UK and 40% in the US year over year in Q2.
• Opera credits its growth to features Chrome lacks out of the box, like a free VPN, ad blocker, and built-in AI tools.
• The company says its European momentum has continued following the EU's Digital Markets Act, boosting both new users and retention.

Chrome may come preinstalled on almost every Android phone, but Opera says more users are actively choosing its browser instead.

Google has been working hard to add more and more features to Chrome on Android. We recently saw Chrome rolling out Gemini features to more countries, but it seems that still isn't enough to keep everyone on board. As it turns out, more and more users are switching to, or at least trying, third-party browsers, including Opera.

In its latest report, Opera says a growing number of users are making the move to its browser. According to the company, monthly active users of Opera on Android grew 66% in the U.K. and 40% in the U.S. year over year in the second quarter this year, suggesting that plenty of people are looking beyond the default browser on their phones.

More people are ditching Chrome than you'd think

The company says this isn't limited to the U.S. and U.K. either. Opera reports that its momentum across Europe has continued following the European Union's Digital Markets Act. It also notes that this isn't just about acquiring new users, but retaining them too, thanks to the kind of features Opera offers on Android.

The company credits its growth to features Chrome doesn't offer out of the box, including a free unlimited VPN, a built-in ad blocker, AI tools, and more.

Opera also says recent additions, like a dedicated football hub on its Android browser, have made it easier for users to check World Cup stats and details, which is bringing even more people to its browser.

Android Central's Take

I'm still firmly a Chrome-first user on my Pixel 10 Pro, but I've been giving Opera a shot over the past few months, and it's become my go-to second browser, if you will. Do you use different browsers for different tasks on your Android phone? Let us know in the comments below.

What you need to know

• Samsung Health's new AI consent comes with a major catch: Opt out of AI training, and you could lose cloud syncing and Samsung account backups for your health data.
• Samsung wants access to a wide range of sensitive information, including sleep, activity, nutrition, medical records, medications, body measurements, and menstrual cycle data to improve its AI models.
• Declining consent doesn't just disable AI features. Samsung warns it will stop syncing your health data and may delete previously backed-up records unless it's legally required to retain them.

Samsung is quietly rolling out a new AI consent prompt in Samsung Health, but its approach to user choice is already raising eyebrows. The company doesn't just offer users a choice to opt in or out of AI training; it ties the choice to cloud syncing, so if you opt out, you could lose Samsung account backups of your health data.

The folks at How-To Geek report seeing a new notice labeled "Consent to the Use of Health Data for AI Training and Modelling." According to the notice, Samsung requires permission to use a broad spectrum of health data to improve its AI models and health algorithms. That includes activity metrics like steps, sleep, nutrition, and body measurements; medication details; medical records; and menstrual cycle tracking data. Samsung also says some of this data may be reviewed by humans during AI training.

The controversial part isn’t Samsung asking for consent; it’s what happens if you don’t. If you disable the AI training option, you’ll get a warning that Samsung Health will no longer sync data to your Samsung account.

The notice also says that any health data that has been synced previously will be deleted, unless Samsung is legally required to keep it. That is, you can only get cloud backup in exchange for helping train Samsung’s AI.

The company seems to be promoting the collected info as fuel for smarter health features, saying the data will help improve health analysis algorithms and AI-powered experiences inside Samsung Health.

Privacy advocates and users are unlikely to object to AI improvements alone. The bigger problem is that a core feature — keeping your health history in sync across devices — now depends on an unrelated decision about consent. If you just want your fitness records backed up – without being part of the AI development process – Samsung’s current implementation doesn’t offer much room for compromise.

Android Central's Take

I’m all for AI getting smarter if it actually helps deliver better health insights, more accurate wellness recommendations, or earlier warnings about possible problems. Those are benefits to which most of us can relate. But the choice between contributing sensitive health data or keeping cloud backups seems an unnecessary trade-off. Consent only exists when it's freely given, not when one of your app's core features is held hostage.

What you need to know

• Gemini in Chrome is expanding to the UK, bringing Google's AI-powered browsing assistant to more desktop users.
• The AI works directly inside Chrome, letting you summarize long articles, compare information across tabs, and complete tasks without switching apps.
• Smarter AI features are coming , including conversation memory for personalized responses and Nano Banana 2-powered image editing from simple text prompts.

Google is expanding the reach of Gemini in Chrome, with its AI-powered browsing assistant now beginning to roll out to desktop users in the UK, a significant expansion for a feature that has been limited to fewer markets thus far.

So what do you get? This isn’t some dumb chatbot tacked onto your browser. Google says Gemini in Chrome is your own personal assistant, integrated deeply into your day-to-day workflow. It’s designed to quickly summarize super dense articles or compare specs across multiple shopping tabs without you having to change screens.

Google is also tightly tying the experience into its own ecosystem. You can schedule meetings through Google Calendar, look up locations in Maps, draft emails in Gmail, and even ask questions about YouTube videos without leaving the page.

Persistent context is another addition. Gemini in Chrome can remember information from earlier conversations so it can offer more tailored responses as you move forward. Google is also adding Nano Banana 2 capabilities to the experience, allowing users to transform images found on the web with a simple text prompt, rather than having to go to a separate AI image editor.

Of course, the deeper access that an AI assistant has to your browsing also raises security questions. Google says it’s built in safeguards for the experience, including protections against known prompt injection attacks and confirmation prompts before Gemini performs sensitive actions.

Android Central's Take

It makes a lot more sense to keep AI inside the browser than to jump between tabs, apps, and chatbots. If Gemini can reliably summarize pages, compare information and deal with quick tasks without slowing me down, that’s a real productivity win for users. That said, Google still has to demonstrate that this is more than just a flashy AI demo. Browsers are cluttered enough, and the last thing anyone needs is an assistant popping up everywhere just because it can.

What you need to know

• Meta has been pushed to remove Muse Image's capabilities in its AI chatbot on Instagram following user unrest.
• The AI could snag images of people from public Instagram accounts, turning them into unknown creations based on another user's prompt.
• Meta grappled with another privacy concern on its smart glasses, as an update now disables the camera if the privacy light is tampered with.

Meta announced the next step for its "people first" AI era last week, but it didn't sit well with users who saw its intentions for Instagram.

Meta came forward with a statement about its Muse Image AI after extreme user backlash hit the company. Reuters reports that Meta is now "discontinuing" the feature. According to the publication, Meta said, "We've ​heard the feedback that this feature missed the mark, so ⁠it's no longer available," when referring to Muse Image on Instagram. The company adds that it intended to deliver "a useful creative tool" and to give users "control" over their public imagery.

It's this last part—the user's "control"—that's caused an uproar in its own right. This feature quickly arrived on Instagram last week, but users were opted in for their public content to be used by others, prompting Muse Image in Meta AI. This was done without the knowledge of many, and when they found it, word quickly spread on social media to disable it.

Reuters quotes SAG-AFTRA, the union for actors and more, who said, "Anything other than a clear and conspicuous opt-in for these types of uses of Instagram users' images ​is unacceptable..." The union then highlighted the dangers of "nonconsensual digital ​replicas" as anyone can prompt Muse Image in Meta AI to take someone's photo and turn them into... anything.

What's unclear now is how Meta will proceed with Muse Image. The feature is gone from Instagram, but whether we could see it return in a different, perhaps, more acceptable capacity, isn't clear.

A lack of privacy

There's one thing to have an AI image generator that "creates" something based on the user's prompt. But users have been quick to tell Meta that the alternative, using real people's photos, is a line they're not willing to cross with it. Muse Image was launched last week and was quickly positioned as an image generator built on Muse Spark—new AI for a new era. One aspect that Meta kept pushing was that Muse Image can be "rooted" in your social circles.

This meant that people chatting with Meta AI on Instagram could @-mention their friend (or anyone with a public profile) and tell it to make something. It's not necessarily that the person consented to their photos being used. It's more that, well, their profile is public (or they haven't opted out), so Muse Image can snag it.

This wasn't the only privacy concern Meta had to deal with. Last week, the company rolled out a mandatory update that disabled its smart glasses' camera if the privacy light was tampered with. This update was the result of continued misuse of smart glasses technology, as the public detested "this creepy behavior."

Android Central's Take

I'd say I'm surprised. But I'm not. Right off the bat, the feature seemed strange. This is a big feature to opt everyone into. Most people didn't even realize it was there, or Muse Image's capabilities. Now that they do, it hasn't sat well with them. It's a privacy issue. It's the feeling you get knowing that someone can take your photo and make you look how they want. It's unsettling, and now Meta knows it.

What you need to know

• Google is rolling out AI labels for ads across Search, YouTube, and Discover to make AI-generated or AI-edited advertising more transparent.
• The new "Created or edited with AI" disclosure appears in My Ad Center under the new "How this ad was made" section, with the rollout happening globally.
• Ads made with Google's AI tools are labeled automatically, while advertisers using third-party AI tools must disclose AI use themselves.

Google is finally adding another layer of transparency to AI-generated advertising, giving people a better idea of when the ads they're seeing were created or edited with artificial intelligence.

The company announced in a blog post that ads across Google Search, YouTube, and Discover will now feature a new disclosure in My Ad Center that says “Created or edited with AI.”

To see it, tap the three-dot menu or info icon on an ad and go to the new “How this ad was made” section, which explains whether AI was used to create the ad. Google says the rollout is happening worldwide.

The labels work differently depending on how the ad was created. If advertisers use Google’s own generative AI tools, the disclosure will be automatically added by the company.

However, if they use third-party AI tools, they are expected to self-report by manually applying the label. In some markets those disclosures might even show up directly on the ad, rather than tucked away in the information panel.

Google says the update aims to help users better understand the content they’re seeing and give advertisers clear tools to meet evolving transparency standards.

The company has already made disclosures mandatory for digitally altered political ads and has broadened technologies such as SynthID and C2PA to help improve AI content identification. The broader rollout takes these transparency efforts beyond election ads and into everyday commercial campaigns.

That said, the system isn't foolproof. Only content created with Google’s AI products is automatically labeled; everything else is up to advertisers being honest about their use of AI. That leaves room for bad actors to slip through unless Google develops stronger detection methods down the road.

The latest version of Wear OS has landed, just in time for Android 17 to start rolling out on Pixel smartphones. Wear OS 7 is not a huge departure from Wear OS 6, but the update brings a handful of new features that are either available now or coming soon.

It's not immediately clear what's new with Wear OS 7 when you update your smartwatch. Fortunately, we're going to highlight the biggest changes coming to your smartwatch that you'll want to take advantage of.

Wear OS 7: Devices and availability

Right now, Wear OS 7 is rolling out to smartwatches running Wear OS 6. However, future Wear OS models, such as the Galaxy Watch 9, could arrive with the new update preloaded out of the box. The current devices eligible for the update include:

• Google Pixel Watch 4
• Google Pixel Watch 3
• Google Pixel Watch 2

In addition to the Pixel Watch series, we expect Wear OS 7 to appear on older Galaxy Watch models, including the latest Galaxy Watch 8 series. OnePlus watches, such as the OnePlus Watch 3, will likely also be updated, though it's unclear when they will arrive on Wear OS outside the Pixel Watch series.

We will update this section when companies announce their Wear OS 7 release schedules.

Wear OS 7: New features

Visually, Wear OS 7 is not a huge departure from Wear OS 6 and still employs Google's Material Expressive design language. However, the company made notable under-the-hood changes and introduced new features that are either available now or will arrive later.

Live Updates

Android's Live Update notifications are a useful way to keep an eye on the status of things like deliveries, sports scores and more. These are coming to Wear OS 7 devices, and will be accessible via the notifications view, which you can access by tapping the notification icon.

Remote Media routing and per-app auto launch

Changes to how your watch handles media are coming. With Wear OS 7, you can choose which apps auto-launch the media player, including YouTube, YouTube Music, and Spotify.

Additionally, when playing media, users can route the audio output directly from the watch. If you're playing music on your phone, you can use the watch to instead have audio played from another connected device, such as a smart speaker.

Android XR control

Android XR devices are coming later this year, and with Wear OS 7, you'll be able to control these wearables directly from your wrist. Google highlights one example in which, when you take a photo with connected Android XR glasses, the preview appears on the watch. It's unclear at the moment what other ways Wear OS 7 watches will connect to Android XR glasses.

Gemini updates

Gemini is getting some noteworthy changes, starting with the new Neural Expressive design language for a more fluid UI. But beyond looks, Gemini becomes more functional with the help of Gemini Intelligence. Users on Wear OS 7 can trigger automated tasks on their phones directly from Gemini on their wrists, and they can track the progress and completion of these processes on the watch.

Additionally, with Personal Intelligence, Gemini on your watch will be able to take your personal context from connected apps like Gmail, Search, and Messages to make more informed decisions and suggestions, providing more relevant responses.

Widgets

Widgets are the new evolution of Wear OS tiles, allowing developers to create more flexible and dynamic dashboards for your favorite apps to match those on your phones. Furthermore, using Gemini Intelligence, you can create your own widgets by telling Gemini what you want using natural language, allowing you to get the type of glanceable information you want.

Google Contact app updates

The Google Contacts app is getting some quality-of-life updates to make it more functional. When searching for a contact in the Google Messages app, there is now a three-button layout with the keyboard and voice text to make it easier to find the contact you're looking for.

Additionally, improvements have been made to the UI, including an updated Favorites list, new quick action buttons, and a larger contact photo.

Emergency Sharing updates

Loss of Pulse, Car Crash, and Fall Detection features in the Safety & Emergency settings now have the option to toggle on Emergency sharing. This will share your location and other information with emergency services if there is no response from you and the phone detects a fall, car crash, or loss of pulse.

Wear Workout Tracker

Wear OS watches often offer their own fitness and workout apps, but to help reduce development time and resources, Wear OS 7 now has a built-in Workout Tracker. Later this year, fitness apps like ASICS Runkeeper can tap into the heart rate monitor, media controls, and more, which can help standardize the fitness tracking experience across Wear OS devices.

Battery life improvements

Perhaps one of the most important improvements coming with Wear OS 7 is the boost in battery life. According to Google, users can expect up to a 10% improvement in battery life thanks to system-level power optimizations. This could mean at least a few hours of additional battery life, which is a lot for smartwatches.

One UI 9 Watch

Samsung's version of Wear OS is built with its own One UI skin on top, which it calls One UI Watch. With Wear OS 7, we expect Samsung to roll out One UI 9 Watch, which should bring new features and changes compared to One UI 8 Watch.

We don't know much about One UI 9 Watch at the moment, but it is expected to feature a similar, yet refreshed, interface. We can also expect new features and customizations, with Samsung set to release new Blood Pressure Trends with the update to replace Vascular Load.

One UI 9 Watch firmware has reportedly been spotted on Galaxy Watch 8 models, which suggests it's likely close to landing on our smartwatches.

We can expect One UI 9 Watch to arrive with the Galaxy Watch 9 series, which is expected in July alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 8. The update will likely arrive soon after on eligible Galaxy smartwatches.

What you need to know

• Google Photos received another reimagining tool called "Video Remix."
• Similar to its other Remix option, Video Remix lets users reimagine a video with new lighting, an entirely different theme or style, and more.
• The Create tab's Remix was our introduction to this for photos in 2025, and a Remix option as since hit Google TV.

New AI capabilities are rolling out in Google Photos. Reality can be nice, but there are times when you wish you could remix it into something better.

This afternoon (July 8), Google Photos announced a new feature rolling out called "Video Remix." The Create tab in the Photos app is where you can get started. Google states Video Remix "transforms ordinary videos into share-worthy moments in just a few taps." The feature leans on Google's Gemini Omni model to handle the user's editing prompt.

On one hand, users can leverage Video Remix's easy templates for quick edits. However, you can also tell the AI what you'd like to change, such as lighting or style/theme. Video Remix can also reimagine your video's background. In an example, Google says users can take their video from out on the street to a greenhouse.

Video Remix is rolling out today (July 8) for eligible Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra subscribers. The following countries will see this: U.S., Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Turkey.

Create tab welcomes videos

We're no strangers to remixing things in Google Photos. After all, the Create tab was the main event in the app's update last summer. Google Photos received the same photo-to-video capabilities that Gemini did. "Remix" only concerned images at the time. Users could upload a photo and tell the AI to turn it into a Christmas party or a still straight from a comic book or anime.

At the time, Google said Remix and the other features in the Create tab were experimental. They only rolled out to U.S. users initially before others. Now, it seems Google has learned some lessons about how its remixing feature can help users, so we're seeing better availability.

AI creations have expanded this year, as Google TV got in on the AI hype. Photos that you've stored in your Google account can be turned into a "dynamic slideshow" for your TV's screensaver. What's more, even TVs got a Remix option. This works like all the rest: capable of reimaging images with totally wacky and fun styles.

What you need to know

• Meta AI announced Muse Image, its newest image generator that builds off what it started with Muse Spark.
• Muse Image is "rooted" in the user's social circle (or anyone publicly on Instagram), able of adding people into an image if they're @-mentioned.
• The latest AI also brings image generation to WhatsApp chats and 30 new effects for Instagram Stories.

Meta AI introduced us to its new direction with Muse Spark, and now the company's unveiling an AI model for image generation.

Meta got off to a fast start, stating Muse Image is capable of producing "precise edits and more personalized creations through Instagram." What's more, Muse Image pairs well with Muse Spark from its Superintelligent Labs. Muse Spark featured some hefty reasoning capabilities for user prompts, and Meta says the same tech is available in Muse Image. Its image generator understands complex prompts, and it can browse the web for context.

What truly stands out for Muse Image is how Meta says this AI is "rooted in your world." In Meta AI, users can @-mention someone they know from Instagram. The company says Muse Image will bring those profiles' images directly into your AI creations. The AI can only grab publicly available photos. Meta says it's giving users an easy way to manage how their content can be used for AI.

Once Muse Image is done, users can share what the AI created in Instagram Stories and group chat. Speaking of Stories, Meta says Muse Image brings 30 new AI effects for this feature, as well as image generation capabilities in chats on WhatsApp; however, this is starting "in limited countries with more on the way."

The AI's ability to understand the user's prompt is an important aspect. To make this as painless as possible, Meta says Muse Image can understand "simple, conversational language." Other than "high-quality" images, Muse Image can create infographics or how-to guides with fully rendered, legible text. Additionally, Meta says this text will be "styled to match" whatever you're going for, but users can likely tweak this further if necessary.

All about people

The ideas won't flow every day, and that's where Meta AI's "suggested presets" come into play. If you've uploaded a photo, Muse Image will have a few suggestions on what you can do with it. Perhaps you want to restore its former glory or reimagine it with a wacky theme. Elsewhere, Muse Image in Meta AI can help users redesign rooms with products sourced from the web and the Facebook Marketplace.

Moreover, users can edit photos directly in Meta AI, thanks to Muse Image.

While Muse Image's availability is limited for now, the company is preparing to roll it out to more countries and users who have Meta AI. Also, Muse Image is eyeing a home on Facebook and Messenger with additional updates for Instagram and WhatsApp.

Muse Image is the next step for Meta AI after it debuted Muse Spark in April. The company said this AI model was to bring us into a "people first" era. Muse Spark leverages multiple AI agents to handle user tasks with speed and accuracy. Muse Spark can help people create a small minigame and find answers for troubleshooting problems. More than that, Meta says that it wants to bring health assistance to the AI.

The company states that it's been working with over 1,000 physicians to provide curated training data.

What you need to know

• Meta is rolling out a mandatory update that disables the camera entirely if the glasses' privacy light is tampered with or covered.
• Earlier glasses only showed a prompt when the LED was covered, but users bypassed it by drilling holes or using mods.
• Meta will also remove ads and posts promoting tampering services and take action against any accounts linked to them.
• The change follows growing misuse of Meta's AI glasses and public backlash over the company ignoring the issue for so long.

Something that should've been here from day one has finally happened. Meta is rolling out an update that blocks users from recording with its smart glasses if they tamper with the privacy light.

Smart glasses are inherently a privacy nightmare. To this day, plenty of people don't realize that the glowing LED on Meta's AI glasses means they're being recorded, and Meta has finally taken a step to curb this creepy behavior.

The company has started rolling out a mandatory update for all Ray-Ban Meta and Meta's new glasses that will now disable the camera entirely if the privacy light is destroyed or tampered with.

Starting with its second-generation glasses, Meta tried to stop users from covering the LED with tape or other objects by showing a prompt asking them to uncover the recording light before continuing.

Tampering with the privacy light now kills the camera

Even then, users found workarounds like drilling into the holes, and modders came up with more sophisticated methods, but that shouldn't be possible anymore.

In its latest FAQ, Meta explains that the camera will now be physically disabled if the glasses detect that the privacy light has been tampered with or covered.

The company also says it's working across its platforms to remove ads and posts advertising these kinds of tampering services, and that it will take action against any accounts tied to them.

There's been growing misuse of Meta's AI glasses, along with plenty of public backlash over the company failing to address this creepy behavior sooner. It seems Meta has finally listened, and this is an important privacy change.

It's also worth noting that the update will be mandatory for all Meta and Ray-Ban Meta users.

Android Central's Take

About time, honestly. Meta let this creepy behavior slide for far too long, and it took public backlash to force a fix. I'm glad it's here, but I can't help wondering why it wasn't baked in from the start.

Google pulled a Google on Pixel Studio image generation, meaning the feature was killed just like countless other projects before it. Now that the AI image-generating feature is gone, there are still quite a few ways to create custom stickers on a Pixel phone.

Of the many ways, the easiest is as quick as a long press, whereas the other options require a few more steps. So, here are some ways I like to create custom stickers on my Pixel 10 Pro without Pixel Studio.

Note that my Pixel is running Android 17, but Pixels running Android 16 with recent updates should also have access to the same features. Make sure you update your phone and apps to the latest available versions in case you still don't see these features on your Pixel phone.

How to create custom stickers on Pixel phones with Google Photos

Google Photos is the native image gallery app on every single Pixel phone. Many Android phones also use it as the native image viewer.

To create a custom sticker from a preexisting image, first find the picture you want in Google Photos.

After that, simply press and hold the subject you want to make into a sticker. I usually use my cat, but this works with other animals and people too.

From there, you can past your sticker in other apps, including chats. You can also find them in the Collections tab on Google Photos.

How to create custom stickers on Pixel phones with Google Messages

Little did I know that Google Messages already has a sticker creator built into it. Now that I have found it, I am happy to share that it is incredibly easy to use.

If you want to create custom stickers from your photos, just open a chat in Google Messages and tap the smiley face icon next to the photo attachment icon in the text box. Then, choose the Photomoji option.

After that, either take a picture with the camera or select a picture from your device to create a sticker. Simply tap the send button to send the newly created sticker to the chat.

You can also use this sticker as a reaction image as opposed to the preloaded emojis, as a way to spice up your reactions ot messages.

There are still so many other ways to create your own custom stickers for messaging apps

Although we can no longer use Pixel Studio to reimagine our photos into fun stickers or simply create basic ones, there are plenty of alternatives to do so.

The simplest way to access the same image-generation feature Pixel Studio had is to open Gemini. Attach the picture you want to turn into a sticker, give Gemini the instructions, and it'll spit out what you need. However, the result will be a picture with an opaque background.

WhatsApp users will find that creating stickers in the app is child's play. Simply select the stickers option in the app, then tap the "create sticker" button to convert any image from your photo gallery into a sticker. There's no AI reimagination feature, however, so you'll have to rely on AI like Gemini for that.