Category: Android

In a recent interview, Sameer Samat, Google’s president of Android ecosystem development, revealed the company’s intention to merge Chrome OS and Android into a single unified platform. Google wants to understand better how users interact with their devices, particularly laptops, and then build cross-device functionality based on real-world usage patterns.

Google has empowered the Gemini AI engine with the ability to interact with third-party applications such as WhatsApp, Messages, and Phone caller/dialer. The update enables this capability even on devices where such integrations were previously restricted.

Developers of CalyxOS, an Android firmware variant independent of Google services, have raised concerns over Google’s decision to exclude certain components related to Pixel device support from the Android 16 release in the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) repository.

Meta and Yandex secretly tracked users and bypassed privacy tools like incognito mode and cookie-clearing features. They used a technique called session deanonymization on Android devices when users visited websites that used Yandex Metrica or Facebook Pixel analytics.

Google has unveiled a new security option for the upcoming Android 16 release: Advanced Protection mode . This new enhancement aims at safeguarding devices against targeted attacks, unauthorized access, and potential compromises. The feature combines existing security options with several innovative mechanisms to provide users with an extra layer of protection.

Many people know that Xiaomi, Honor, Tecno, or Realme don’t actually make phones themselves. But what if I told you they don’t even develop them? Many budget models are only sold under these brands. Other companies handle the entire development and production process from start to finish. These companies remain unknown to most people, but without them, there would be no “top for your money.” Let’s break down what this means and how it happened.

Google is rolling out a new feature in Google Play Services update 25.14, set to release next week, that automatically reboots smartphones after three days of inactivity (no screen unlock). This functionality, inspired by the GrapheneOS Android platform, aims to enhance security by resetting decrypted user data sections to their original, encrypted state. After a reboot, user data remains encrypted until the owner unlocks the device with a password.

In early October, Microsoft's head of gaming Sarah Bond announced the launch of the Xbox game store for the Android platform in November. However, as of today, the launch has not taken place.

Google is inventing a special mechanism for app developers that will allow disabling APK sideloading for the app. If the feature is enabled for an app, it will refuse installing from any other source besides the Google Play store.

Android 15 is expected to introduce an innovative feature known as the Powered Off Finding API, enabling users to locate Pixel devices even when they are powered down. However, this advanced functionality will comes with hardware requirements available in Pixel 8 and later. Android 15 is expected to release in October alongside the Pixel 9 series.