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Teardown of Google Play Store version 53.3.21-34 uncovered code strings referencing a new 'playlist' feature that would let users group at least three games into a custom collection. The strings suggest users could name, describe, and color-code these playlists, plus add, remove, or delete games from them later. Google has not confirmed the feature publicly.
A Reddit user named PartiallyFrozen bought a first-generation Amazon Echo Spot for $4 and converted it into a custom dashboard by rooting the device, installing LineageOS, and building an Android-based interface. The AI coding tool Claude Code guided the entire process, and the finished device now displays market data, PC usage stats, speech-to-text output, and task updates by communicating with a small AI agent running on the user's computer.
Android Authority ran a two-week reader poll asking Pixel owners whether Android 17 QPR1, which began rolling out this month, introduced new problems. Of 1,458 respondents, about 68% reported some new issue, with performance (19%), UI behavior (16%), display glitches (14%) and connectivity (11%) as the top complaints, while nearly a third said they saw no new problems.
Android Authority released its latest 'Wallpaper Wednesday' collection, featuring six reader-submitted images and three from its own team. The wallpapers are free, watermark-free, and available in both landscape and portrait formats as JPG or PNG files via a shared Drive link.
Valve released an Arm version of SteamOS following its Snapdragon-powered Steam Frame headset, and developers hashtagbasit and MaSieS4Fun quickly adapted it to run on Android handhelds. The port can be installed from a microSD card on devices including the AYN Odin 2 family, AYN Thor, Retroid Pocket 6, and several AYANEO Pocket models, letting users try SteamOS without wiping internal storage. Android Authority tested the MaSieS4Fun build on an AYN Odin 2 Portal and reported it booted and set up successfully after first installing the Rocknix ABL bootloader.
Android Authority ran a reader poll asking how often people upgrade their smartwatch, offering options ranging from yearly upgrades to waiting until the device stops working. With seven votes recorded so far, 57% said they upgrade only when their smartwatch malfunctions, while 43% said they replace it every three to five years; no respondents chose annual, biennial upgrades, or not using a smartwatch at all.
Samsung has released its third-generation SmartTag item tracker, adding improvements to range and battery life over previous models. Unlike earlier versions, SmartTag 3 works with iPhones as well as Android phones from brands other than Samsung.
A review of Samsung's Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra highlights its 14.6-inch OLED screen, 1,600-nit peak brightness, 120Hz refresh rate, and an under-display fingerprint sensor, all housed in a 5.1mm-thick, 692-gram aluminum body. The reviewer notes the tablet has only a single USB-C port, calling it a limitation for a device positioned as a laptop replacement.
Android Authority found evidence in a recent Google Photos build of a new plus-shaped button that would let users add clothing to their virtual Wardrobe without resetting it entirely. Currently, tapping the button causes the app to crash, but the outlet also found hints of upcoming options to try on eyewear and regenerate outfits that don't render properly.
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.
A teardown of Google Photos for Android (v7.95) by Android Authority uncovered a hidden 'Delete all' button for the Remember List, a feature tied to Ask Photos that stores information users share to improve search and editing. Currently the Remember List only allows deleting entries one at a time, and the new option would include a confirmation prompt before wiping everything at once.
Google Photos is developing a 'Regenerate image' feature that lets users redo AI-generated pictures of clothing and accessories in their digital wardrobe. Android Authority found the option in version 7.95 by enabling it manually; it appears via a three-dot menu on an item's details page and runs in the background once started.