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Google's November 2026 System Services release notes confirm a feature that automatically backs up photos and videos from Android phones to Windows PCs using Quick Share, shipping with Google Play services v26.43. The update is rolling out gradually, and earlier teardowns indicated Samsung phones and PCs would initially be excluded from support.
Google announced at its Android Dev Summit that it will release a Quick Share SDK in the first half of 2027, letting developers embed peer-to-peer file sharing and Tap to Share directly within their Android and iOS apps. The SDK would let users share files through a bottom-sheet interface inside an app rather than opening the full-screen Quick Share experience via the system share sheet.
Google is developing a feature for Google Maps on Android that would greet users with a 'Welcome to [city]' notification upon landing at an airport. The message encourages travelers to use the app's Ask Maps tool for help getting into town, finding a meal, and discovering local events, and even includes a pre-written query to simplify the process. Code for the feature, found in a recent app update, references support for more than 90 airports worldwide.
Android Authority found code in version 17.72.13.sa.arm64 of the Google app showing a new 'Answer type' settings entry, letting users set Chat or Task as their default Gemini mode instead of choosing each time. The feature appears unreleased and it's unclear if Google will ship it.
Google has officially begun rolling out redesigned icons for its Contacts, Messages, and Phone by Google apps, the company confirmed in a blog post. The new icons feature gradient coloring and more rounded curvature, moving away from the apps' previous flat designs.
Code found in the latest Google app build suggests Google is developing a feature letting parents set daily usage limits for Gemini on supervised accounts. Strings found in version 17.72.13.sa.arm64 reference a notification telling kids their parent set a time limit, and a lockout screen showing when access resumes. Currently, Family Link only allows parents to fully allow or block Gemini access, with no option for partial restrictions.
Microsoft's new Insider Experimental Preview Build (26340.9843) allows users to type an app's name into Windows 11's taskbar Search and launch it directly on a connected Android phone, mirroring it on the PC via Phone Link. The same build adds the ability to call, text, or trigger phone actions like Do Not Disturb from Search, currently for Android with iPhone support promised early next year. The feature works with select phones from Samsung, HONOR, OPPO, ASUS, vivo, Xiaomi, iQOO, and Realme.
Amazon is currently selling the Google Pixel 11 Pro for $799, a $300 reduction from its $1,099 list price. The discount marks the lowest price the phone has reached since its launch, surpassing an earlier 2024 low of $899, and the device carries a 4.4-star rating on Amazon.
The ARMSX3 PS3 emulator for Android released version 1.6, adding an optional XMB Mode that recreates the PlayStation 3's XrossMediaBar interface as a home screen. The mode pulls icons, fonts, and startup sounds from the user's downloaded PS3 firmware and supports custom PS3 theme files, with nearly all emulator settings accessible from within it.
Google Messages beta version v20261030 introduces a redesigned app icon that replaces the current flat, interlocking pill design with a rounded speech bubble rendered in a blue gradient. A smaller, darker blue bubble sits behind it, echoing the old icon's conversation motif. The new icon is also appearing on Wear OS in the same beta release, though Google hasn't said when it will reach stable channels.
Google has released an updated Wear OS emulator built on unreleased Wear OS 7.1 software, based on Android 17. The emulator introduces a persistent system status bar that appears over app windows at the top of circular watch displays, showing the time and system icons after a few seconds of inactivity. Google says the feature currently only displays a placeholder star icon and won't be present when Wear OS 7.1 actually ships to devices.
A newly spotted Google Wallet app version (26.43.1009867093) includes a working 'Tap to pay' setting in the verification menu, which Android Authority enabled after it previously crashed. The setting appears to let users adjust how often they must re-verify identity for contactless payments, but still requires unlocking the phone.