Samsung is shutting down its standalone Samsung Sound app, which launched on Android and iOS only months ago for setting up and controlling its soundbars and Wi-Fi speakers. A notice in the app's latest update tells users it will be merged into SmartThings, and that they can keep their existing settings by registering their sound device there. Samsung says Samsung Sound will keep working until March 31, 2027, after which SmartThings becomes the only option.
Teardown of Google Play Store version 53.3.21-34 uncovered code strings referencing a new 'playlist' feature that would let users group at least three games into a custom collection. The strings suggest users could name, describe, and color-code these playlists, plus add, remove, or delete games from them later. Google has not confirmed the feature publicly.
Android Authority ran a two-week reader poll asking Pixel owners whether Android 17 QPR1, which began rolling out this month, introduced new problems. Of 1,458 respondents, about 68% reported some new issue, with performance (19%), UI behavior (16%), display glitches (14%) and connectivity (11%) as the top complaints, while nearly a third said they saw no new problems.
Android Authority released its latest 'Wallpaper Wednesday' collection, featuring six reader-submitted images and three from its own team. The wallpapers are free, watermark-free, and available in both landscape and portrait formats as JPG or PNG files via a shared Drive link.
Android Authority ran a reader poll asking how often people upgrade their smartwatch, offering options ranging from yearly upgrades to waiting until the device stops working. With seven votes recorded so far, 57% said they upgrade only when their smartwatch malfunctions, while 43% said they replace it every three to five years; no respondents chose annual, biennial upgrades, or not using a smartwatch at all.
Android Authority found evidence in a recent Google Photos build of a new plus-shaped button that would let users add clothing to their virtual Wardrobe without resetting it entirely. Currently, tapping the button causes the app to crash, but the outlet also found hints of upcoming options to try on eyewear and regenerate outfits that don't render properly.
A teardown of Google Photos for Android (v7.95) by Android Authority uncovered a hidden 'Delete all' button for the Remember List, a feature tied to Ask Photos that stores information users share to improve search and editing. Currently the Remember List only allows deleting entries one at a time, and the new option would include a confirmation prompt before wiping everything at once.
Google Photos is developing a 'Regenerate image' feature that lets users redo AI-generated pictures of clothing and accessories in their digital wardrobe. Android Authority found the option in version 7.95 by enabling it manually; it appears via a three-dot menu on an item's details page and runs in the background once started.
Google confirmed it has resolved a bug that caused the Google Photos app to freeze after users interacted with its editing tools. The company says the fix is included in the latest app update, version 7.94.0.988717361, available now on the Play Store.
Google is bringing the Contacts tab back to the bottom navigation bar of its Phone by Google app, reversing a change made last year that moved it into a sidebar menu. The change is currently visible only to some beta users running version 240.0.98, and it did not appear consistently across all devices tested by Android Authority.
An unofficial Android app called MotoKey Plus reprograms Motorola's dedicated AI key into a customizable button, assigning distinct functions to single press, double press, and press-and-hold. Users can set actions like flashlight, screenshots, media controls, notifications, Quick Settings, Gemini, or any installed app, with adjustable timing for taps and holds. The app is currently sideload-only, though its developer says a Google Play release is planned.
Android Authority's Jerry Hildenbrand bought a Pixel 11 for $300 via Google Fi loyalty discounts but hit a boot loop during initial setup, taking nearly an hour to reach the home screen. He says the device then struggled to maintain a stable network connection, and a colleague reported similar boot loop problems on a Pixel 11 Pro roughly a month earlier.
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