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Users are annoyed by this Google Phone change, but it may be working as intended

Alex Walker-Todd / Android Authority TL;DR Google’s Phone app has historically forced a portrait orientation while making calls. Users have recently noticed that this no longer holds true, and some devices set to auto-rotate will turn even in calls. We’re not seeing this behavior consistently across devices, and it’s unclear if it’s truly intended. The vast majority of your smartphone usage probably takes place in portrait mode, ideal for one-handed operation. When we’re turning our phones f

AYANEO’s most affordable Android handheld ever costs less than a Switch 2 game

AYANEO TL;DR AYANEO has revealed specs and pricing for its first budget handheld, the Pocket AIR Mini. With a modest MediaTek G90T SoC, the cheapest configuration starts at just $70. The specs are weak, but AYANEO promises full compatibility with PS1, N64, and Dreamcast, plus some GameCube and PS2. After weeks of teasers, AYANEO has finally given us a full look at its upcoming budget handheld, the Pocket AIR Mini. And unlike its previous “value” releases like the $239 KONKR Pocket FIT, this

As Android developer verification gets ready to go, here’s a new reason to be worried

Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR Google is putting together its framework for Android developer verification, connecting dev names to even sideloaded apps. Recent additions to the Android SDK offer a little insight into how the system may ultimately operate. One variable suggests that users may not be able to sideload even verified apps without an active network connection. Android’s approach to software openness is changing in some fundamental ways right now, and the shift has not been

Google is bringing the fun of custom Androidify bots to your Wear OS watch face

TL;DR Google is updating its Androidify app with Wear OS support, letting users create custom watch faces with their personalized Android Bot. The new feature lets you select a watch face design and send your custom bot directly to your connected smartwatch from the phone app. This functionality requires Wear OS 6 because it uses a new API, and while it works, it has not officially rolled out to users yet. Earlier this month, Google brought its Androidify app back from the grave. The company

Samsung’s very expensive Family Hub fridges will now treat you to ads on their displays

If you’ve just shelled out thousands of dollars on one of Samsung’s smart fridges , you’d be forgiven for expecting it to leave you alone, rather than encouraging you to spend even more money. But that is no longer the case — following a recent update, you’ll start seeing ads on the fridge’s display. According to Android Authority , the new software update is being rolled out to Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerators in the US, and will now display ads and promotions while the display is idle. In a

Samsung’s Project Moohan headset has a new launch date, but what about tri-fold?

Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung will reportedly launch its Project Moohan headset on October 21. This will apparently be an online launch, but there’s no word on geographical availability. Samsung’s “tri-fold” device will reportedly launch at a separate event. Samsung has been working on an Android XR headset, codenamed Project Moohan, in partnership with Google for a while now. We’ve previously heard launch date rumors, but a reliable outlet has now revealed a different date.

Android 16 now makes a stronger Material 3 Expressive first impression with latest QPR beta

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Android 16 QPR2 Beta 2 adds a new Material 3 Expressive look to the Setup Wizard. The redesigned Setup Wizard includes thicker buttons and a cleaner card-like UI on certain screens. Most users are likely to miss the changes as the Setup Wizard only appears on new or wiped devices, but a refresh was much needed to make a strong first impression. Google recently rolled out Android 16 QPR2 Beta 2 for supported Pixel phones, packing in many key changes,

iOS 26 is another reminder of just how bad Android updates still are

Ryan Haines / Android Authority iOS 26 was released a couple of days ago, and I immediately got the notification to install it on my test iPhone 13 Pro Max. A four-year-old phone, which sits at my desk and doesn’t serve me most of the time, has the latest software available with all its Liquid Glass questionable glory. My iPad Mini also received iPadOS 26, and my Apple Watch Series 6 got watchOS 26. It’s the last update my watch will get, but that’s not a bad record for a watch launched in 2020

Nothing Ear 3 scores sweet audio upgrades but double-duty case is the low-key star

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority TL;DR Nothing has announced its newest in-ear earbuds, called the Ear 3. The Nothing Ear 3 features upgraded sound, improved microphones, and LDAC codec support. The case is constructed from recycled aluminum and features dual microphones, enabling it to function as a standalone microphone. After launching the Ear and Ear A last year, Nothing shifted its focus to experimenting with offbeat audio products, such as its open-ear earbuds and atypically shaped h

Japan’s Hayabusa2 Is Chasing an Asteroid for a 2031 Landing, but New Data Spells Trouble

On December 6, 2020, the Hayabusa2 spacecraft dropped off pristine samples from asteroid Ryugu in the Australian outback, becoming the world’s second asteroid sample return mission, after the first Hayabusa mission returned dusty samples from asteroid Itokawa in 2010. But Hayabusa2 still has more to offer. That same spacecraft is currently on its way to another distant space rock, aiming to snag more samples to help scientists compile the solar system’s origin story. Recent observations of the

I’d buy a BlackBerry reboot in 2025, but would you?

🗣️ This is an open thread. We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below — your take might be featured in a future roundup. Even though the original company is no longer with us, I believe there are two ways to remember the BlackBerry brand. Either you grimace while recalling the final struggle of uninspired Android devices. Or, you’re like me, and smile back at the 2010s and the brand’s heyday with glee. One of my first “smartphones” was a Curve 8320

These 8 updates would transform Google Maps into an incredible road trip companion

Andy Walker / Android Authority Many believe in the idea that you should critique what you love. If that’s true, then I must have a strong affection for Google Maps. I use this navigation app on Android and Android Auto almost daily, and each day I’m reminded of its missing features. This is particularly evident when I’m on a longer drive. Google Maps isn’t the ideal road trip companion for all intents and purposes. Sure, it gets you from A to B (eventually), estimates travel time, and provide

Hayabusa2’s 2031 Landing Plan Faces an Unexpected Asteroid Nightmare

On December 6, 2020, the Hayabusa2 spacecraft dropped off pristine samples from asteroid Ryugu in the Australian outback, becoming the world’s second asteroid sample return mission, after the first Hayabusa mission returned dusty samples from asteroid Itokawa in 2010. But Hayabusa2 still has more to offer. That same spacecraft is currently on its way to another distant space rock, aiming to snag more samples to help scientists compile the solar system’s origin story. Recent observations of the

Android 16’s latest QPR2 beta finally lets you customize icon shapes

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Google is now rolling out Android 16 QPR2 Beta 2 to Pixel devices, which brings a long-awaited customization feature to the OS. This new beta build finally adds icon shape customization options, letting users change the look of their home screen icons. While this release focuses more on refinement, it notably does not include the flashlight brightness controls seen in earlier development builds. Google plans to roll out the second quarterly release of

Topics: 16 android beta new qpr2

Here’s every new feature for Pixels in Android 16 QPR2 Beta 2

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority In less than three months, Google will roll out the second quarterly release of Android 16 to Pixel devices, bringing major new features like an expanded dark theme, auto-themed app icons, an HDR/SDR brightness slider, and more. While Google previewed many of these features in last month’s QPR2 Beta 1 release, the beta program is far from over. Earlier today, Google rolled out Android 16 QPR2 Beta 2 to supported Pixel devices. It’s the second of three release

Health Connect can now track your steps using your Android phone

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR Google is officially adding native step tracking to Health Connect, as confirmed by Android 16 QPR2 Beta 2. The company announced the change today, and a new banner and “Devices” page within the app now explicitly state Health Connect will track your phone’s steps for other apps to use. This marks a significant shift for the platform, turning it from a simple data hub into a fitness tracking service. Last week, we reported that Google was bringing nat

Google Discover is making it easier to keep up with your favorite creators like Android Authority

Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR Google Discover will soon show more content, including posts from Instagram, X, and YouTube Shorts. You can now follow creators and publishers directly in Discover for a dedicated feed of their updates. Don’t forget to follow Android Authority when we pop up in your feed! For better or worse, Google Discover is about to feel a lot more like your social feeds. Google announced today that the service is getting new content types and a fresh way to follow y

Nothing OS 4.0 teaser hints at a sleeker UI, new clock styles, dashboard to track AI usage, more

Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR Nothing has shared another teaser for the upcoming Nothing OS 4.0. According to the announcement, Nothing OS 4.0 features a more minimalist design, camera enhancements, and a new AI dashboard to track usage across various AI apps. The launch date hasn’t been announced, but Nothing says an open beta is coming soon. Stable Android 16 has been available for months, but Samsung is the only brand to have released a stable Android 16-based update for its devic

Topics: 16 ai android based os

Survey shows these two phones are tied as top Android alternatives for the iPhone 17 Pro

Aamir Siddiqui / Android Authority With the iPhone 17 series now widely available, we recently explored which Android phones are the best alternatives to Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro. To get a clearer picture, we also asked our readers to vote for their top choices and share their thoughts in the comments. Our goal was to combine both popular opinion and firsthand experiences from Android users to see which devices stand out as serious alternatives to Apple’s most premium iPhone. After collecting over

Wallpaper Wednesday: More great phone wallpapers for all to share (September 17)

C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Welcome to Wallpaper Wednesday! In this weekly roundup, we’ll give you a handful of Android wallpapers you can download and use on your phone, tablet, or even your laptop/PC. The images will come from folks here at Android Authority as well as our readers. All are free to use and come without watermarks. File formats are JPG and PNG, and we’ll provide images in both landscape and portrait modes, so they’ll be optimized for various screens. For the newest wall

Pixel 10 series finally joins the Android Beta Program

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR The Pixel 10 series can now join the Android Beta Program. Pixel 10 phones now show up with an option to opt in to the Android 16 QPR2 Beta Program. Google has finally opened up the Pixel 10 series to the Android Beta Program. When the phones first launched, they weren’t eligible to enroll, but that’s now changing. If you own a Pixel 10, 10 Pro, or 10 Pro XL, it should now appear alongside your other supported phones on the Android Beta Program page.

Nothing OS 4.0 teaser cues a sleeker UI, new clock styles, dashboard to track AI usage, more

Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR Nothing has shared another teaser for the upcoming Nothing OS 4.0. According to the announcement, Nothing OS 4.0 features a more minimalist design, camera enhancements, and a new AI dashboard to track usage across various AI apps. The launch date hasn’t been announced, but Nothing says an open beta is coming soon. Stable Android 16 has been available for months, but Samsung is the only brand to have released a stable Android 16-based update for its devic

Topics: 16 ai android based os

This popular Android Auto feature might be coming back - here's why

ZDNET | Charlie Osborne Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Google appears to be reverting to an older Android Auto display. A recent upgrade to Material You changed the background colors. A recent beta version shows code that gives users a choice. Android Auto is scrapping a controversial feature. Last month, the Android in-car infotainment system rolled out a small change -- an update to the Material You design. The upgrade didn't add or take away

Google’s latest Play System Update makes it easier to find and share photos on Android

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Google is rolling out an updated Photo Picker with a much-needed search bar, making it easier to find specific photos and videos to share with apps. The new search functionality works for local media and integrates with Google Photos to search your cloud library and offer suggestions for people or places. The “Albums” tab is also being renamed to “Collections” and now groups folders to better organize your media and separate personal albums from app-ge

Here’s How to Deflect a Dangerous Asteroid Without It Totally Backfiring

In September 2022, NASA deliberately crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid, successfully altering the space rock’s trajectory. The orbital shove demonstrated an asteroid deflection technique that could come in handy if a massive rock were headed in Earth’s direction. As it turns out, however, deflecting a potentially threatening asteroid is only half the battle. Striking an asteroid for deflection purposes could send it back on a collision course with Earth, merely delaying the planet-shatterin

BlackBerry Passport getting set to follow Classic with a new life on Android

Blackberry The original BlackBerry Passport TL;DR The team behind BlackBerry Classic’s Android revival is now working on a similar project for the BlackBerry Passport. Zinwa Technologies, the team behind the project, plans to sell DIY kits that will allow users to run Android on the Passport. The kits aren’t available immediately, but will be available sometime in 2026, which is slightly disappointing. Old, discarded BlackBerry phones are having a renaissance moment. We recently witnessed an

Google may shift to risk-based Android security patch rollouts - what that means for you

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Google may change how Android security updates work. But larger patch cycles might give hackers more time. 'High-risk first' model could streamline OEM patches. Google is considering an overhaul of security patch update rollouts in a bid to improve Android security. Risk-based update system According to Android Authority, the new system -- dubbed the "Risk-Based Update System" (RBUS)

Duolingo Chess Players Soon Can Play Matches With Others

Android, it's your move. Language-learning app Duolingo announced Tuesday that it is launching its chess instruction to Android phones, three months after introducing the game to iOS devices. The company also said that it will be bringing a player-versus-player mode to iOS in the coming weeks. Duolingo announced the news Tuesday at its flagship conference Duocon, which is being held virtually on the Duolingo website. The company said a "very small percentage" of Duolingo customers had early ac

Survey shows Android 16’s Expressive redesign is a big hit

Google launched the stable Android 16 update back in June, but we had to wait a few months for the promised Material 3 Expressive redesign to appear. Fortunately, this visual overhaul landed in early September, giving us a fresh coat of paint. Don’t want to miss the best from Android Authority? We recently asked what you thought of this visual redesign. Now that the dust has settled and you’ve had time to explore the update, here’s how you answered that question. Over 3,000 votes were tallied

This upcoming Android flagship will offer a video feature not even the iPhone has

Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR Vivo has confirmed that the upcoming X300 series of phones will offer 4K/60fps Cinematic Portrait video capture. By contrast, the latest iPhones support 4K/30fps Cinematic video recording. Vivo claims this is a first for both Android and Apple devices. Apple’s iPhones are widely considered to be the best phones for video capture, but they’ve played catch-up to Android when it comes to some features. This includes 4K/120fps video capture, multi-camera r