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Android Authority highlights lesser-known Google Lens features, including identifying items for purchase by pointing a camera at them and returning direct shopping links, and decoding laundry care symbols on clothing tags. The tool also works for interpreting car dashboard icons, nutrition labels, and troubleshooting device issues, aided by its integration with Gemini for follow-up questions.
An Android Authority reviewer highlights Face Unlock on the Pixel 11 Pro, noting it can authenticate not just the lock screen but also sensitive apps and mobile payments, thanks to security processing on Google's Tensor chip. This capability has existed since the Pixel 8 series in 2023 and remains largely unchanged, while competitors like Samsung and Motorola limit face unlock to lock-screen access only.
Google Health version 5.09 is rolling out on Android and iOS, bringing the newly announced Pixel Watch Health Guardian features—blood pressure tracking, insulin resistance trend charts, and sleep breathing quality data—to Pixel Watch 3, 4 and 5 owners. The update also lets Garmin and Apple Watch users sync workouts into Cardio Load calculations, adds new activity-logging options, fixes a step streak display bug, and improves how custom food items handle serving units and meal times.
Amazon is currently selling Samsung's Galaxy A57 5G for $449.99, down from its $549.99 list price, an 18% discount. The phone features a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, a triple-camera system, and a 5,000mAh battery, and carries a 4.4-star customer rating.
Users are reporting that the Google Photos editor's Share, Edit, Add to, and Trash buttons stop responding once a photo has been cropped or rotated. The issue appears across multiple Pixel generations, including the 8, 9, 10 and 11 series, and does not occur if the photo hasn't been edited. Google has been contacted for comment but has not yet responded publicly.
Android Authority found new code strings in Pixel Buds app version 1.0.981607934 referencing a 'Mute & unmute' feature. The strings describe a single tap on either earbud to mute or unmute during a call, with a footer noting the feature would be limited to Pixel devices using the Phone and Google Meet apps.
Android Authority found hidden code in Snapseed version 4.1.9 pointing to a new collage-creation interface, offering multiple aspect ratios, grid layouts, background customization, and slide management tools. The build also references a feature for sharing collage templates with other users via QR code or link.
Google Messages is widely rolling out a redesigned long-press menu to users on the stable app, moving action items like Reply, Forward, Copy, Star, Delete and Info into a floating list near the selected message instead of a top toolbar. The update also adds selective text copying, letting users drag selection handles to copy only part of a message rather than the whole thing. The feature had previously been available only to beta testers since August, and reports suggest it now appears on both Pixel and Samsung devices.
Users continue reporting that alarms on Google Pixel phones fail to sound, with the Clock app displaying a message that the alarm 'didn't fire for an unknown reason.' The problem has been documented since at least 2021, and though Google previously said it addressed the issue, new reports keep surfacing, including one case where an overheated device blocked the alarm and another where alarms fired silently despite the phone not being on silent mode.
Google has rolled out a Play services update that lets many Android 12+ phones show their IMEI number on the lock screen alongside emergency info like contacts and medical details. The feature is optional and can help prove ownership if a device is lost, especially as newer phones like the Pixel 11 series drop physical SIM trays that once displayed the number.
F-Droid, the open-source Android app store, has released version 2.0 with a rebuilt interface using Google's Material Design and a full rewrite of the codebase in Kotlin. The update reorganizes navigation into three sections—Discover, Search, and My Apps—and overhauls search to include app descriptions, tags, and translated terms rather than tracking user behavior.
Leaker Evan Blass posted new high-resolution images of an unreleased Lenovo Googlebook 2-in-1, showing a tablet-style design with a kickstand, detachable slim keyboard, a Bluetooth toggle switch, and a rear camera with the lineup's signature glow-bar. This device was reportedly among several Lenovo Googlebook models planned but not included when Google launched five Googlebook laptops earlier in the week.