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5 underrated Android features I use all the time, and you should too

Andy Walker / Android Authority Features like split-screen mode, Quick Share, and various battery optimizations are more or less common knowledge amongst Android users. But Google’s OS has so many features, it’s easy for some to fly under the radar — especially since they can be buried deep within the settings. A lot of the features I use regularly aren’t talked about as much as they should be, partly due to the fact not everyone is aware that they even exist. I want to change that by sharing

Android 16 is a mess right now

Joe Maring / Android Authority If you’re reading this article, chances are you love Android. Or, at the very least, have a fairly high interest in the OS. You probably like staying up-to-date with the latest features, new platform releases, and other happenings with Google’s operating system. Unfortunately for people like us, trying to keep up with new Android developments has never been more complicated. And this past week, Google just made it all the more obscure with the release of Android

Google targets cybercriminals behind massive Android malware scheme

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Google is suing the creators of BadBox 2.0, a botnet that infected 10 million off-brand Android devices. The malware often came pre-installed on cheap streaming boxes, tablets, and projectors, mostly made in China. Infected devices were used for ad fraud and to hide other cybercriminals’ activity behind your home network. Before they even turned it on, the device was already infected. That’s the reality for millions who unknowingly bought Android-powe

GrapheneOS makers take a knife to this ‘Google-free’ phone coming to the US (Updated)

Update, July 18, 2025 (04:40 PM ET): We have just heard back from Fairphone in response to our inquiry. In a statement, the company explains: Fairphone and Murena have a strong, proud partnership that offers many users around the world a secure, sustainable, and modular smartphone alternative – with a clear focus on longevity and lasting value. We’re committed to delivering operating systems that meet market-standard security expectations. While we respect that there are different approaches to

The best Android phones

is a reviewer with 10 years of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview. The Android ecosystem is all about choice. While iPhone owners have a smaller pool of new devices to pick from when it’s time to upgrade, there’s a wider range of choices on Android. Some Android phones even fold in half! Imagine. On the flip side, all that choice can make for some hard decisions. Here’s where I’d like to help;

I absolutely love and recommend these 5 Android games to play with one hand

Tushar Mehta / Android Authority Despite hundreds of thousands of games on the Play Store, very few become comforting escapes from the harsh reality. Games that you can play anywhere and without any special skillset, with one motive: feeling relaxed instead of getting all riled up. With this in mind, I have handpicked games that require no prior experience in mobile gaming and can be picked up immediately. They don’t need gaming chops and can be run on most Android phones or tablets. None of t

I tested a 'de-Googled' tablet without all the bloatware - and it was beyond refreshing

ZDNET's key takeaways The Murena Tablet is available starting at $549 for the 128GB version. This de-Googled Pixel Tablet runs on /e/OS, a custom version of Android 13 that removes all default Google services, trackers, and bloatware Getting a de-Googled Murena Tablet comes at a premium with no speaker dock, for $549, while the Google Pixel Tablet alone starts at $399 (currently $299) at $479 with a dock. View now at Murena Many tablet users, myself included, struggle to truly embrace an Andr

Italian YouTuber Faces Jail Time for Showing Android Handhelds With Emulated Games

There are countless Android-powered gaming handhelds, but they go beyond the usual slate of Android games by offering console emulation support. The problem is the game ROMs on these devices, which are not entirely legal. Italian YouTuber Once Were Nerd is learning how seriously some rights holders are taking game piracy after agents from the country's Guardia di Finanza showed up to confiscate his consoles. He now says the investigation could lead to criminal charges and the end of his channel

This physical Clicks keyboard is the Pixel 9 upgrade I didn't know I needed

ZDNET's key takeaways The Clicks Keyboard for Google Pixel 9 and 9 Pro is available for $139. The keyboard supports native Android shortcuts, has a dedicated Gemini button, and supports data pass-through However,it only comes in black, shortcuts can't be customized, and there is no Clicks for the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL. View now at Clicks In early 2024, a couple of my longtime buddies in the mobile tech world launched Clicks, a company that makes physical QWERTY keyboard accessories for the iP

Google rolls back Pixel’s controversial At a Glance change in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3

Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR Google has restored colorful weather icons to Pixel’s At a Glance widget in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3. The earlier all-white icon design faced criticism for reducing readability. The update also includes larger weather text and various other Pixel improvements. Google is walking back a recent design change in the Pixel Launcher’s At a Glance widget. With the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 update, colorful weather icons are returning after the company briefly switche

Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 is here to install with Google’s latest bug fixes

Google just changed the way we’re going to be looking at new Android features with the introduction of its public Canary program, and while that’s going have a major impact on how Android 17 reveals itself to us, the company’s existing Beta programs are rolling right on like always. This summer we’ve already seen lots of progress towards what we’ll be getting from the next Pixel Drop in the form of Google’s Android 16 QPR1 releases, first with Beta 1 in May, and then Beta 2 in early June. Now it

How Android phones became an earthquake warning system

If you're the owner of an Android phone and live in a seismically active region, there's a chance your phone has popped up an unusual warning. Not one that asks for permission to share personal information, or potential malware, but something far more serious: There's an earthquake nearby, and you have up to a minute or two to get to a safer location. Starting in the US in 2020 and expanding internationally since, the system is called Android Earthquake Alert (AEA), and it's on by default in mo

Android’s Linux Terminal arrives on the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but Z Fold 7 users are left out

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 7 is the first non-Pixel phone to support Google’s Linux Terminal app, but the feature is curiously missing from the Z Fold 7. The app requires a non-protected virtual machine, which the Z Flip 7’s Exynos chip supports but the Z Fold 7’s Snapdragon chip currently does not. The Terminal app runs a Linux VM and is part of Android 16, but it probably won’t be available on many other devices. Back in March, Google rolled out a

Here are the new features for Pixels in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Google has released the third and final beta for Android 16’s first quarterly platform release (QPR1). Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3 is available without a detailed changelog, which is typical for these releases. We’ve already started digging into the build to find out what’s new, though, and here’s what we’ve discovered so far. Note: At the time of this article’s publication, Google has only released the Generic System Images (GSIs) for Android 16 QPR1 Beta 3. The

Pixel Watch 4 upgrades could include a repair-friendly design and new emergency tools

Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority TL;DR With the Pixel Watch 4, Google may finally introduce a new construction that’s more conducive to hardware repairs. A new Breathing Emergencies tool could detect with your oxygen levels fall too low. Google may also bring satellite support to the Pixel Watch 4 for communication during emergencies. When you’re thinking about picking up a premium smartwatch, durability is a major concern. After all, a good watch can easily go for as much as a phone itsel

Is AI the New Android Bloatware? Why Phone-Makers Are Scrambling for Your Attention

If you've bought an Android phone in the past year, you've likely noticed that it's packed with AI features. Maybe you knew about them before you hit purchase, maybe you assumed (safely as it turns out) that there would be some kind of AI on your new phone, or maybe they took you totally by surprise. If you bought a Samsung Galaxy S25, for example, you'll have had Gemini, Circle to Search, Bixby and Galaxy AI at your fingertips -- all before you even thought about downloading the ChatGPT app. I

Why Android-Makers Should Focus on the Phone and Leave AI to Google

If you've bought an Android phone in the past year, you've likely noticed that it's packed with AI features. Maybe you knew about them before you hit purchase, maybe you assumed (safely as it turns out) that there would be some kind of AI on your new phone, or maybe they took you totally by surprise. If you bought a Samsung Galaxy S25, for example, you'll have had Gemini, Circle to Search, Bixby and Galaxy AI at your fingertips -- all before you even thought about downloading the ChatGPT app. I

How to make Android look like iOS 26, for better or for worse

Apple debuted its new design language for iOS 26, dubbed Liquid Glass, to a mixed reception in June. While some people enjoyed the new transparent icons and light refraction effects, others — including Android Authority‘s Robert Triggs — criticized it as an “accessibility nightmare.” But that hasn’t stopped many Android users from trying to emulate the new design on their own smartphones. And thanks to the customization features of Android and the ability to choose a different launcher, getting

Google could revamp Android’s backup settings with a sleek new look (Updated: Rolling out)

Damien Wilde / Android Authority TL;DR Google Play Services v25.11.32 beta contains code for a redesigned Backup page, simplifying the interface by removing unnecessary details. Update, July 17, 2025 (06:38 AM ET): Google is rolling out the new Backup UI in Google Play Services. We’ve received the update across devices with Android 15 and Android Canary. Original article, March 20, 2025 (09:02 AM ET): Google has a decently robust backup and restore solution through Google One. This system taps

Get Apple’s one-tap Ambient Music playlists on Android with this free new app

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR A new third-party app brings Apple’s Ambient Music feature to Android, letting you start playlists to help you relax, focus, or sleep. Called Ambient Music, the app adds Quick Settings tiles that launch curated streams of music designed for specific activities. The free, open-source app is available on GitHub, requires Android 14+, and caches songs for offline listening. While Android and iOS often borrow features from each other, you don’t always hav

This 9-inch tablet singlehandedly changed my mind about gaming on Android

ZDNET's key takeaways The RedMagic Astra gaming tablet is available on Amazon starting at $700. The tablet offers unmatched performance for an Android tablet. When the fan is in use on the Astra, the battery does drain a bit faster, and the price is up there for a tablet. $699 at Amazon As far as gaming is concerned, I'm not ashamed to say that I've done it all: consoles, PCs, handhelds, phones, and now, tablets. For the most part, I've found Android devices to offer less than stellar results

I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone (2022)

I want an iPhone Mini-sized Android phone! My name is Eric Migicovsky and I love small phones. It’s weird because I am 6'6" but I never enjoyed using a large phone. I loved the Sony Xperia Compact series. RIP... I love small phones because they fit nicely in pocket are much lighter are easy to use one-handed without dropping won't fall out of my pocket while bicycling And of course, some people with smaller hands hate how big phones feel! The drawbacks of a small phone (smaller screen, s

I Usually Find Android Phones Too Complicated, but the Pixel 9 Pro Is Different

CNET's key takeaways I've been using Google's Pixel 9 Pro for months. I like its solid overall performance and quirky new AI skills. The element that stands out most is how easy it is to use. Android phones often get a bad rap for being overly convoluted. And to be fair, that's often well justified. Samsung's Galaxy S25 range, for example, has deep menu systems for messing about with nearly every aspect of the phone, along with features like the Edge Panel sidebar and a variety of Samsung's

Galaxy Watch users might want to stay away from testing QPR1 betas

Ryan Haines / Android Authority TL;DR Galaxy Watch owners are reporting problems when using Samsung’s wearables with Android 16 QPR1 beta releases. Issues include failure to pair, connections dropping, and Samsung apps repeatedly crashing. For the moment, the only permanent solution seems to be going back to Android 16 stable. Getting early access to in-development software can be a lot of fun. Plenty of us participate in testing programs for some of our favorite apps, both in the interest o

YouTuber faces jail time for showing off Android-based gaming handhelds

There are countless Android-powered gaming handhelds, but they go beyond the usual slate of Android games by offering console emulation support. The problem is the game ROMs on these devices, which are not entirely legal. Italian YouTuber Once Were Nerd is learning how seriously some rightsholders are taking game piracy after agents from the country's Guardia di Finanza showed up to confiscate his consoles. He now says the investigation could lead to criminal charges and the end of his channel.

The best emulation frontend just added native Android game and app support

Nick Fernandez / Android Authority TL;DR ES-DE Frontend just launched version 3.3.0, with native Android game and app support. Previously workarounds required a separate file and a few extra steps. The update also added support for new emulators and four additional languages. When it comes to retro emulators on Android, organizing your files and emulators can be a nightmare. Even with a properly formatted microSD card stacked with your legally-ripped ROMs, it’s still a pain to browse your ga

This Android 16 feature finally saves me from notification overload - how to try it

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Have you ever been relaxing when, out of nowhere, your phone blows up with notifications? I've been there too many times, which led me to keep my phone on silent mode 24/7. Then Google teased a new feature in Android 15 called Notification Cooldown that promised to change everything. Notification Cooldown didn't exactly hit the mark in Android 15, but it has made a comeback in the latest iteration (Android 16) to ensure that it works exactly as expect

Wallpaper Wednesday: More great phone wallpapers for all to share (July 16)

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

Is Chrome OS and Android’s merger just hot air or a new era of personal computing?

🗣️ 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. [/highlight] Google is set to merge two of its mobile computing platforms into one unified system. According to confirmation by Google’s president of Android ecosystem, Sameer Samat, the company will combine Chrome OS and Android “into a single platform.” No timeline was given, but this nod confirms a report we published in Nove

Your favorite wallpaper app is prettier than ever thanks to its Material 3 Expressive update

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR Backdrops has been updated to version 6.0, integrating Google’s Material 3 Expressive design language. UI enhancements include improved carousel, better loading animations, refreshed progress indicators, rounded corners, new icons, and diverse color palette pairings. The facelift improves the visual experience for users who regularly search for wallpapers within the app. Material 3 Expressive is the flavor of the season. We’ve seen plenty of Google ap