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An Android Authority writer detailed how his family, after briefly trying an iPad, ended up adopting Walmart's Onn tablet lineup, including the Onn Core 7-inch and Onn 11 Pro models. He found the devices, priced between roughly $97 and $388, offer aluminum builds and solid performance rarely seen in that budget range from other unbranded competitors.
Google has started sending automated texts to Google Messages users through the app's business chat feature, promoting new app features like RCS photo and video quality. The messages appear as a verified conversation from 'Google Messages' but only allow pre-set replies, not user responses. Users can opt out by declining a prompt that appears before the texts begin, or unsubscribe later if they've already accepted.
Code found in Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5 references an 'Unlock with Google Account' feature that would let users regain access to a locked phone using their linked Google credentials instead of performing a factory reset. Google offered a similar pattern-unlock recovery option through Android 4.4 before removing it, leaving users locked out of forgotten PINs with no option but a full wipe. The feature appears unreleased and possibly optional, suggesting Google is still testing how to implement it.
An APK teardown of a recent Google Messages beta build reveals an unreleased interface change that relocates the Gemini shortcut to the top header, replacing the current search icon there. The Start Chat button shifts from the bottom-right corner to the bottom-center of the screen, and a new Search button joins it at the bottom, both expanding and collapsing based on user scrolling behavior.
Android Authority found code in Google app version 17.60.13.sa.arm64 showing an early redesign of Gemini's Settings screen. The new layout groups options in a style similar to the current account switcher, building on previously spotted plans to move settings out of that switcher and into categorized sub-screens like Preferences, Data & privacy, and others.
A link-building agency analyzed pricing data from 16,625 publisher sites across 53 languages and found that the most expensive, high-authority publishers increasingly decline to sell traditional dofollow SEO backlinks. Instead, these premium sites charge based on audience size and brand credibility, with prices ranging from under $100 to over $2,500 per placement depending on domain authority and traffic.
Google has officially unveiled Googlebook, a new laptop platform built on Android and Chrome OS foundations, previously known internally as Aluminium OS. Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo have all announced flagship Googlebook laptops starting at $899, with US sales beginning October 4 and pre-orders already open at the Google Store, Best Buy, and select retailers.
Google is launching a new laptop family called Googlebook, paired with what it calls an 'intelligence system' rather than a traditional OS, built to integrate with Android devices and offer AI-driven productivity features. Five initial models from partners including Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo will be available, with pre-orders starting September 21 and retail launches on October 4-5 across the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, and Australia. Prices for the lineup range from $899 to $1,299 depending on the model.
Google has officially launched Googlebook, its Android-powered laptop platform built with Android, ChromeOS, Gemini, and partner hardware makers, starting at $899. Alongside the launch, Google is bringing Rambler, the smart dictation feature debuted on the Pixel 11, to every Googlebook, letting users clean up rambling speech into organized notes and action items.
Google is rolling out a new 'Copy code' shortcut in Gmail that appears beneath the subject line of verification emails, letting users copy a 2FA code straight to their clipboard without opening the message. The feature is live on Gmail for Android version 2026.09.07.x and iOS version 6.0.260907, though it hasn't reached the web version yet.
Android Authority writer Khamosh Pathak explains how he made his Pixel 9a feel like a distraction-free dumbphone without buying a $500 device like the Light Phone or Wisephone. He disabled most app notifications and used Switchly, a free open-source app blocker that supports QR codes and NFC tags, to block addictive features like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. He also paired it with BlockAds, a VPN-based ad blocker, to remove intrusive full-screen ads from free apps.
A tip circulating on Reddit shows that installing Duolingo's website as a web app rather than using the native mobile app brings back the classic hearts-based mistake system and removes advertisements entirely, according to Android Authority. The report says the workaround works for both free and Super Duolingo subscribers, cutting down on gamified prompts and extra taps between lessons.