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Android Authority outlines methods already available on most Android phones for sharing a user's real-time location with contacts, including Google Maps, Google Messages, and Find Hub. The guide walks through enabling location sharing in Google Maps via the profile menu, where users can set a time limit or share indefinitely until manually stopped.
A new Android home screen app called Victoria Launcher has surfaced, closely mirroring the design and feature set of the popular Niagara Launcher. Unlike Niagara, which charges a subscription or lifetime fee for its Pro tier, Victoria Launcher is open-source and free to use. The app was highlighted by an Android Authority writer who has used Niagara Launcher extensively.
Google rolled out chat themes to Google Messages in late August 2026, allowing users to set custom colors and wallpapers for individual conversations, a feature long available in other messaging apps. An Android Authority writer shared ten custom themes built from the app's included wallpaper collections, such as texture and space-photo backgrounds, paired with various accent color options.
An Android Authority writer says the OPPO Enco X4 true wireless earbuds solved a persistent fit problem he had with Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2. He notes the Pixel Buds Pro 2 eartips never created a secure seal for him, often requiring third-party eartip swaps to work properly, while he still credits the Pixel Buds Pro 2 for compact design, sound quality and live Gemini chat integration.
Some YouTube users say videos are randomly dropping out of full-screen mode into the floating mini player, with audio cutting out entirely. Restoring sound reportedly requires restarting the video or the app, though one user said even that workaround failed. The issue was first reported on Reddit roughly two weeks ago and appears to still be ongoing.
Google is developing two upgrades to Chrome's Find in Page tool, spotted in Chrome Canary by X user @Leopeva64. One adds a Match case button so searches can distinguish capitalization, while the other adds Previous and Next outside view buttons that skip matches already visible on screen and jump to results elsewhere on the page.
Code found in a Google Phone app beta (version 245.0.1006864670) reveals a new component called BeeslyTransitModeService, linking the Take a Message feature to Transit mode. Strings in the release reference automatically starting Take a Message when Transit mode is enabled and show a new notification reading 'Taking a message - In Transit Mode.'
Android Authority found hidden strings in the Google app (v17.71.17) referencing an 'Offline mode' for Gemini Live, with subtitle text reading 'Use Gemini Live without an internet connection.' The feature appears tied to the account switcher menu based on its naming, but it is not yet live for users.
Google has begun pushing an updated Gemini overlay design to all Android devices via a Google app update, following its earlier debut on Pixel 11 phones. The refresh applies Google's Neural Expressive design language, adding sparkle effects and small dots around the Ask Gemini text box, plus shaded, more three-dimensional edges on the box, particularly visible in dark mode.
Google has updated Gemini to let users edit AI-generated documents directly within the app, offering interactive previews alongside text-based revision requests. The web version supports a wide range of file types, including spreadsheets, presentations, code, and Workspace files, while the mobile app currently only handles PDFs.
Amazon is currently discounting Nothing's Headphone (a) over-ear ANC headphones by $70. The model features 40mm titanium-coated drivers, LDAC and Hi-Res Audio support, Bluetooth 5.4, IP52 water resistance, and physical controls, with battery life up to 135 hours without ANC or 75 hours with it enabled.
An Android Authority contributor details Pixel settings he routinely turns off after setup, including auto-adding new app icons to the home screen, the always-listening 'Now Playing' song-recognition feature, and the camera's Top Shot mode. He cites clutter, battery drain, and privacy concerns around constant listening as reasons for disabling these defaults.