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Google has quietly updated its Find Hub app with a new 'Remembered' tab that uses Gemini AI to help users track items that can't carry a physical Bluetooth tracker. Users can tag an item, add a note and photo, and later recall where they placed it. The feature was highlighted by an Android Authority writer who has been using it for several weeks.
Google confirmed via a support page that Gemini Skills, previously limited to AI Pro or Ultra subscribers, are now available to all personal Google account users aged 18 and up. The change comes as Google prepares to migrate Gems into Skills starting November 17, addressing concerns about free-tier access after the switch. Google also plans to add features to Skills, including file imports from Google Drive and Gemini Notebook, and the ability to share Skills with other users.
Google's Gboard keyboard includes native features like translation, clipboard history, quick text-case switching, and a personal dictionary that replicate functions previously requiring separate downloaded apps such as Google Translate. A writer at Android Authority describes replacing four apps entirely by using these built-in Gboard tools instead, accessible through the keyboard's toolbar menu.
Google and five hardware partners launched Googlebook, an Android-based laptop line priced from $899 to $1,299, positioned as a premium alternative to Chrome OS devices. The machines run Android apps, Chrome, a Linux terminal, and Gemini, but early reactions from readers and Reddit users have been largely critical since launch.
Google has begun phasing out Google Assistant on mobile devices, replacing it with Gemini. Users report that the 'Switch to Google Assistant' option has disappeared from the Gemini app's account menu, following a company email last month announcing the rollout would begin September 4.
Opera has added travel eSIM functionality directly into its Android browser, letting users buy, install, and manage data plans without a separate app. The eSIM covers the whole device, works in 47 destinations, supports 5G where available, and offers 3GB, 5GB, or 10GB plans valid for 30 days after activation. Users in 11 launch markets can also claim 3GB of free data for three days without entering payment details.
Opera has integrated a free eSIM into its Android browser, giving users 3GB of 5G data that activates without requiring payment details. The eSIM works across 47 countries, though the free data allotment is limited to users based in ten countries and expires three days after activation. Paid top-up plans of 3GB, 5GB and 10GB are available once the free data runs out.
Developer Chainfire has released version 2.0 of Sideload Launcher, a free third-party Android TV launcher that displays sideloaded, unofficial-source, and phone/tablet apps alongside standard ones. The update introduces a redesigned interface, a cleaner app list, and new customization and sorting options, while keeping the app free of ads and tracking and functional without internet access.
Xtream Player has released version 1.7.50, adding Plex Live TV streaming and better movie/TV categorization for premium users, plus a full-screen mirror mode for the car display. The update also fixes M3U streaming bugs, improves YouTube playback quality, and resolves an issue where the ad-skip feature left videos stuck on a gray screen. According to Reddit comments, the new Plex Live TV feature is currently broken, though the developer says a fix is coming soon.
Google has filed appeals with the EU's General Court challenging binding instructions issued under the bloc's rules, which required it to open up Android to rivals and share search data with competing search engines. The company confirmed the appeals target obligations tied to interoperability and data-access requirements imposed by EU regulators.
A new guide addresses common causes of Android phones losing charge quickly, pointing to factors like overly bright displays, apps refreshing in the background, poor charging habits, and power-hungry apps running unchecked. It suggests targeted adjustments—rather than drastic measures like airplane mode or dimming screens unusably low—can meaningfully extend battery life without disrupting daily use.
Google says it will keep issuing ChromeOS updates and security patches through mid-2034 for enterprise and education users, according to a company support page. The disclosure comes as Google prepares to launch Googlebooks, laptops running an Android-based Googlebook OS, with devices arriving October 4.