Latest Tech News

Stay updated with the latest in technology, AI, cybersecurity, and more

Filtered by: apps Clear Filter

You’re not alone: This email from Google’s Gemini team is concerning

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google is notifying users that, starting July 7, 2025, Gemini will be able to assist with apps like Phone, Messages, and WhatsApp, regardless of whether Gemini Apps Activity is turned on or off. The vague wording in the email has raised privacy concerns, with users unclear if Gemini will still access these apps even after opting out. While the email says users can disable these features in the “App settings,” it offers no specific steps to do so. Goo

Windows 11’s indicators for volume and brightness can soon be moved out of the way

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft is testing a new feature in Windows 11 that will let you move hardware indicators pop-ups like volume and screen brightness to the top-left and top-center positions of a display. The customization feature is part of a new Dev Channel build of Windows 11 that also includes a new Recall homepage that lists the top three apps and websites you’ve used in a 24-hour period.

This hidden Android feature lets me hit pause on distracting apps - how it works

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Every so often, an Android app decides it wants to distract me from what I'm doing. I might like that app, might even use it quite often, but in that moment, it's bothersome. I could mute my phone or even turn it off, but there might be other apps that I need to use. I could also uninstall the app, knowing I'd have to reinstall it later. Why go through all of that when you can temporarily disable that distracting Android app? Also: 6 hidden Android features that m

Topics: android app apps ll pixel

Microsoft’s Xbox UI update lets you pin games and customize your homescreen

is a senior editor and author of Notepad , who has been covering all things Microsoft, PC, and tech for over 20 years. Microsoft is rolling out a new update to its Xbox Home UI that allows Xbox owners to pin apps and games on the homescreen. It’s part of a number of customization changes to the Xbox Home UI, including the ability to hide system apps and reduce the number of apps and games listed in the most recently used section. You can pin up to three of your recently launched games or apps

I changed 10 settings on my Fire TV for better performance and fewer distractions

Why is my Fire TV running so slow? That's a complex question to answer. It could be the age of your device. Older hardware might struggle to load the latest apps and services. But it could also be a combination of outdated software, too many background processes, and accumulated temporary files. All these things can make your Fire TV or Fire TV Stick lag. Fortunately, the tips above address most of these problems. Are there any other Fire TV features I can disable? Amazon's Fire TV has a surp

Topics: apps data disable slow tv

Here’s how I extend my Samsung Galaxy’s battery life

Saeed Wazir / Android Authority I spend hours on my Samsung phone daily testing apps, browsing the internet, and working on productivity software. Many of these are resource-hungry or silently drain my battery while running in the background. That’s why I optimize my battery settings to prevent my phone from running out of power when I need it the most. Samsung includes several handy tools to squeeze extra life out of my battery. They don’t affect performance and can even help extend my phone’

6 things I always do when setting up a new phone

Megan Ellis / Android Authority I set up a new phone fairly often — whether it’s moving to a new daily driver or secondary phone, or setting up one of the new best Android phones to review. Since I’m a creature of habit, I like to ensure that switching devices isn’t too jarring, so I have created a bit of a routine when it comes to setting up a new device. While I may tweak my approach depending on whether I plan to use the phone as my new daily driver or as a secondary device (such as a camer

Rose-Gold-Tinted Liquid Glasses

This could’ve easily been 12 blog posts, but I opted for one that comprehensively captures how I feel about design on Apple platforms right now. The Pendulum Swing There was immediate criticism of iOS 7’s visual design. Concerns mounted pretty quickly about both style and accessibility. Some people remarked, “It’s only the beta,” implying significant change during the beta release phase was not just possible but probable. Yet, after it was released to the public largely the same as it was intr

How to clear your Android phone cache (and why you should do it before installing Android 16)

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Google recently released Android 16 to Pixel devices and select OEMs, bringing performance improvements, new Material You changes, and more upgrades. If you want to try this update but are hesitant because you've noticed your Android phone or tablet already feels too sluggish, clearing app and browser caches can give it a fresh boost and free up some storage space. Over time, cached data can accumulate, become corrupted, or simply get outdated, which may slow down

These apps are quietly draining your phone battery - how to find and shut them down

Lance Whitney / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Running low on battery power is a common complaint among mobile phone users. Beyond complaining, you want to preserve the juice before it runs out. One way to do that is to determine which apps are draining your battery the most. Here's one expert who can steer you in the right direction. Blame the cloud In an analysis shared with ZDNET, Thomas Davy, CEO and co-founder of cloud optimization firm Cloud ExMachina, blames one particular factor for bat

Godfather Android malware now uses virtualization to hijack banking apps

A new version of the Android malware "Godfather" creates isolated virtual environments on mobile devices to steal account data and transactions from legitimate banking apps. These malicious apps are executed inside a controlled virtual environment on the device, enabling real-time spying, credential theft, and transaction manipulation while maintaining perfect visual deception. The tactic resembles that seen in the FjordPhantom Android malware in late 2023, which also used virtualization to ex

7 Ways to Limit Your Endless Doomscrolling

If you actually measure the amount of time you spend scrolling through algorithm-led social media feeds each day, it will probably add up to more hours and minutes than you’d guess. Time can quickly slip away while you're checking up on friends, celebrities, the news, and the viral memes of the day. The term doomscrolling has sprung up to describe this behavior, which, let's face it, isn't usually the most edifying or the best for our mood. It's no surprise that the word began to gain traction

Scrappy – Make little apps for you and your friends

UPDATE: Hello Hacker News! Here’s an FAQ for common questions not addressed in the article. We’ll keep updating it and eventually add it at the bottom of this page. Software is important to people. Most of us spend our workdays in front of computers. We use the computer in our pocket tens if not hundreds of times every day. The apps we use are almost exclusively mass-market, sold on an app-store, made for thousands if not millions of users. Or they are enterprise apps that are custom-built for

Move over Open Canvas, this could be the best way to multitask on a foldable

TL;DR vivo’s upcoming X Fold 5 features a new multitasking system called “Atomic Workbench” capable of running up to five active apps simultaneously. “Atomic Workbench” enables one dominant app view while keeping others minimized but live, improving upon OnePlus’ Open Canvas approach with a better layout for engaging more apps. The vivo X Fold 5 launches on June 25 in China. OnePlus pioneered the Open Canvas feature with the OnePlus Open foldable, allowing users to open three apps simultaneou

Scrappy - make little apps for you and your friends

Software is important to people. Most of us spend our workdays in front of computers. We use the computer in our pocket tens if not hundreds of times every day. The apps we use are almost exclusively mass-market, sold on an app-store, made for thousands if not millions of users. Or they are enterprise apps that are custom-built for hundreds of thousands of dollars. But there isn’t really any equivalent of home-made software — apps made lovingly by you for your friends and family. Apps that aren

Make little apps for you and your friends

Software is important to people. Most of us spend our workdays in front of computers. We use the computer in our pocket tens if not hundreds of times every day. The apps we use are almost exclusively mass-market, sold on an app-store, made for thousands if not millions of users. Or they are enterprise apps that are custom-built for hundreds of thousands of dollars. But there isn’t really any equivalent of home-made software — apps made lovingly by you for your friends and family. Apps that aren

Microsoft Office Pro 2021 Is 77% Off, and an Extra Discount With Our Code Makes It Nearly Free

We’re all about cutting a corner or two in most cases, but one place you really can’t afford to skimp is on the productivity software you use to create the emails, spreadsheets, and other essential items you use every day. Budget-friendly alternatives to Microsoft’s suite of apps do exist, but they can be unreliable, to say the least. Now, however, Microsoft Office Pro 2021 itself is budget-friendly — 77% off, just $45 for a lifetime license when you hit up this StackSocial deal and use the code

Root raises $9M to launch its social platform with customizable apps

Root announced today that it has raised $9 million in seed funding to build a next-gen social platform, which offers customizable apps designed towards building and maintaining large communities. Headline Ventures and Konvoy Ventures led the round, with Day One Ventures, Untamed Ventures, Crunchyroll founder Kun Gao, Clark Valberg and Jack Dunlop among others participating. The company plans to launch the closed beta for the app soon. Root as a platform is notable for its customizability and ap

Android Automotive now lets apps show your food order status and more on your car’s home screen

Polestar TL;DR Android Automotive OS is getting a new feature called AppCard, which allows apps to display their most relevant data and functions on the home screen. AppCards can display information like the status of a food order, but the visual styling of these cards is controlled by carmakers, not app developers. It’s unclear whether the feature will require the latest version of Android Automotive, though. When you’re driving, your focus should be on the road, but sometimes you need to g

Fossify – A suite of open-source, ad-free apps

👋 Welcome to Fossify! Fossify is a group of privacy-focused, open-source, and ad-free mobile apps. It emerged as a fork of the discontinued SimpleMobileTools to continue its legacy, bringing simple and private tech to everyone. Get Involved For issues affecting multiple apps, check out general issues. Engage in discussions or share ideas at general discussions. To help with code or translations, visit this link. Questions or Feedback? If you have questions or want to learn more, start a

With iOS 26, Apple is solving one of the biggest passkey headaches

Apple’s next round of OS updates will introduce a long-overdue feature for anyone trying to live in a world without passwords: a seamless, secure way to export and import passkeys across platforms and apps. Here’s how it’s going to work. As noted by Ars Technica’s Dan Goodin (via SixColors), the new capability, which Apple demonstrated during WWDC25, addresses one of the biggest pain points with passkeys to date. Until now, passkeys created on a Mac, iPhone, or iPad were largely trapped inside

I changed these 6 TV settings to instantly make the system feel like new again

Kerry Wan/ZDNET Is your smart TV slow to respond or stuttering during scenes? You're not alone -- many people experience laggy performance and choppy playback. The good news? A few simple fixes can get things running smoothly again. Also: Don't cancel Netflix yet: I used these secret codes to unlock the full catalog of shows Modern TVs have plenty of features and apps (and services that run in the background) that can slow them down over time. Fortunately, some simple actions can rectify your

I turned my Pixel 9 into a desktop PC and it actually works great

Android 16 is finally here, but unfortunately, some of the best features are still on the horizon. One upcoming tool that I’ve been keeping a particularly close eye on is Android 16’s Desktop Mode, currently available in the QPR1 Beta 2. It’s been a while since I gave Samsung’s equivalent Dex setup a go, so I’m very keen to see what’s different, what’s new, and how far things have come. Eager to try it out, I grabbed my Pixel 9 Pro XL, installed the latest beta, and decided to try working on my

Apple will let third party music apps show animated artwork on the iPhone lock screen, not just Apple Music

One of the stylish visual changes to the iPhone on iOS 26 is a new layout for the lock screen when music is playing. Artwork can now be animated and shown full-screen on the iPhone display, with playback controls resting on a platter of a liquid glass. You can try this out right now with Apple Music. Play a song that has animated album art, and lock the phone. But users of third-party music streaming apps like Spotify will also be pleased to know that Apple is opening up this capability as an A

These are the 10 open source Android apps I install on every new phone

Andy Walker / Android Authority There are a few apps I must install on any new Android phone. Without them, using my handset would be quite challenging. These include the usual suspects like shopping and banking apps, browsers, AI search tools, and WhatsApp. Surprisingly, I also rely heavily on open-source apps. A quick count shows that over a dozen of my apps are open source, many of which enhance my phone experience. How many open source apps do you have on your phone? 324 votes None. 24 % 1

How to clear your Android phone's cache and make it feel like new

Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Google recently released Android 16 to Pixel devices and select OEMs, bringing performance improvements, new Material You changes, and more upgrades. If you want to try this update but are hesitant because you've noticed your Android phone or tablet already feels too sluggish, clearing app and browser caches can give it a fresh boost and free up some storage space. Over time, cached data can accumulate, become corrupted, or simply get outdated, which may slow down