Android Authority found code in ChatGPT's latest Android app build (v1.2026.300) referencing several Health Connect permissions, including reading historical health data and background data access. The permissions also cover metrics like body weight, basal metabolic rate, body fat, lean muscle mass, and bone mass, suggesting OpenAI is preparing to link ChatGPT Health with Google Health on Android. ChatGPT Health already supports Apple Health on iOS, but no equivalent Android integration currently exists.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-11-02
Security researcher Robert Wiggins found a hardcoded database password buried in the source code of Applebee's Android app, which has over a million downloads. The credential granted access to a customer database containing names, emails, birth dates, phone numbers, ZIP codes and veteran status. Applebee's confirmed to TechCrunch it has fixed the issue, and TechCrunch verified the flaw before publishing.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-30
Google has begun certifying registered app stores that distribute Android applications outside its own Play Store. The certification process is intended to let alternative app marketplaces meet a set of standards defined by Google before being recognized as approved distributors.
tech.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-28
Amazon has extended its handwritten annotation feature, first introduced on its new Alexa Tablets, to the Kindle app for Android phones and tablets. The feature lets readers write directly on ebook pages using adjustable pen styles, sizes, and colors, with surrounding text reflowing around the handwritten notes. Users have reported seeing the option on devices including the Galaxy Tab S10 FE, Galaxy S24, Galaxy S23, XP-Pen Magic Note Pad, and BOOX Go 7.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-23
Google has introduced a feature in Google Play that lets users build simple apps using AI prompting tools, often called 'vibe coding,' and distribute them privately to specific people rather than publishing them publicly. The apps run natively on Android devices through Play's existing distribution infrastructure, without requiring a full public store listing.
tech.slashdot.org
· 2026-10-14
Apple has released version 7.0 of its Apple Music beta for Android, introducing a new floating, translucent navigation bar and redesigned artist pages with large artwork. The update also moves artist bios behind a single tap on an 'i' icon next to the play button, rather than requiring users to scroll to the bottom of the page. The changes were first spotted by user Sumanta Das on X and confirmed by Android Authority through the beta program.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-30
A newly released Android app called Pixel Clock, roughly two weeks old, provides alarm, timer, stopwatch and world clock functions with a Material 3 Expressive design that adapts to the user's chosen system color. Android Authority's Andy Walker reports it replaced several other timing apps on his device after he had also tried an app called Chrono as an alternative to Google Clock.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-30
Google has rolled out a new setting in its Recorder app for Pixel devices called 'Allow recordings in other apps,' which is enabled by default. With it on, audio recordings now appear directly in a Recordings folder accessible through any file manager, rather than being sandboxed within the app.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-28
Conversations, the federated Android messaging app launched in 2014 by its solo developer, is ending its paid Google Play Store distribution model. The developer says Play Store sales had served as a steady, dependable income stream for over a decade, supplementing project-based development contracts, consulting work and grants.
gultsch.de
· 2026-09-26
Android Authority highlights C2PA Verify, an Android app that reads C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) metadata embedded in images to show details like the signer, creator, and editing timeline. The app is free and open source, but it cannot determine authenticity if that metadata has been stripped from a file.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-25
Android Authority found Spotify developing a 'Cache Limit' feature for its Android app, letting users set a maximum size for the app's temporary storage cache. The tool would warn that smaller limits increase mobile data use and could affect playback, while suggesting a default size for balance. Downloaded music and podcasts stored offline would remain unaffected by this cache limit.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-23
Adobe has released its Premiere video-editing app for Android devices, roughly a year after it debuted on iOS. The free app includes a multitrack timeline, templates, transitions, and generative AI tools powered by Adobe's Firefly models, with some AI features requiring a subscription once free credits run out.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-22
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