GoKawiil
Tech News
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.
Multiple Pixel owners across the 8, 9, 10, and 11 series say contactless payments and transit passes have been working inconsistently since last week, with a restart being the only apparent fix. The cause remains unidentified, and reports include devices running the latest Android and Google Play Services builds.
Google's September software update extends its newer, more dimensional 3D emoji design to the Pixel Watch 2, 3, and 4, matching the look already shipped on the Pixel Watch 5 and on phones running Android 17. The redesign adds shading and depth to emoji faces and objects, replacing the flatter previous style, according to 9to5Google.
Google confirmed via a Help Center post that many of its newest Chromebook models will be eligible to transition to Googlebook OS, the new Android-based laptop operating system unveiled this month. The company hasn't specified which devices qualify or when the switch will be possible, saying details on migration paths and eligibility will come later. Existing Chromebooks will keep receiving updates through their normal support window, and the first Googlebooks are set to go on sale next week.
Android Authority found code in a Google Messages beta build enabling voice notes to start with a single tap on the waveform icon, replacing the current two-step process of tapping and then hitting a microphone icon. The feature is reportedly in limited testing and not yet widely rolled out.
Google has acknowledged a bug in its Photos app that leaves the Share, Edit, Add to, and Trash buttons unresponsive after a user edits a photo. A company spokesperson told Android Authority the Photos team is working on a fix, and in the meantime recommended saving edits as a copy or using photos.google.com to share or delete affected images. Reports of the issue span multiple Pixel phone generations as well as at least one Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Google has confirmed it is sunsetting Gemini Gems, with migration to its newer Skills feature beginning November 17. Existing Gems will remain usable until they're converted, and users will retain their customizations in the form of Skills afterward. A banner in the Gems manager announced the change, though Google's linked support page explaining details isn't yet live.
Android Authority polled nearly 5,000 readers on their preferred alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S26 FE, which costs $50 more than its predecessor with few added features. The Motorola Edge (2026) narrowly won with 25.6% of votes, edging out the Samsung Galaxy S26 at 25.4%, while the Pixel 11 placed third with 20.3%.