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Android Authority found a new settings option in Google Recorder version 4.2.2 called "Access recordings in other apps." When turned on, future audio recordings would be saved automatically to a Recordings folder accessible through Files by Google or other file manager apps, rather than being locked inside the app's sandboxed storage. The change would only apply to new recordings, not files already saved.
Android Authority ran side-by-side tests comparing the Pixel 11 Pro's new MediaTek modem against the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, covering signal strength, cellular data speeds, and battery drain while streaming. Both phones used identical SIM cards, software, and starting battery levels, disconnected from Wi-Fi, to keep the comparison controlled. Google switched from Samsung's Exynos modem to MediaTek for the Pixel 11 series, following reported gains over last year's Pixel 10 Pro in speed, reception, and efficiency.
Android Authority found evidence in My Pixel app version 8.9.1 that Google is developing color-matched app icons for Pixel 9 devices, a feature already launched with the Pixel 11 series. The update currently covers several Pixel 9 color variants like Hazel, Rose Quartz, and Obsidian, but excludes the Pixel 9a, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and all Pixel 10 models. Testers were also unable to trigger the new icon on a Porcelain-colored Pixel 9.
Google has published guidance on configuring Android phones so they can be tracked if lost, including keeping software updated, verifying the linked Google account, and enabling Location services. Users are directed to enable settings under Security such as Find Hub or Find My Mobile, along with an Offline Finding option that requires a device PIN, pattern, or password.
Google recently pulled the Pixel Tablet and its entire tablet section from its online store, and reports indicated a follow-up model had been scrapped. Yet multiple current Google Careers postings, including roles for Pixel Core USB and Pixel Display engineering, explicitly mention work spanning Pixel phones, foldables, and tablets, including references to 'upcoming' tablet hardware.
Best Buy is offering a free pair of Pixel Buds 2A in hazel to customers who preorder any qualifying Googlebook laptop through October 25th, 2026. Models from Acer, Lenovo, Asus, HP, and Dell are eligible, with some units shipping as early as October 5th, 2026. The cheapest option, the Acer Googlebook 14, starts at $899 with an Intel Core 5 Ultra chip, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage.
Google's Play Services v26.37 update, released September 21, extends the Motion Assist feature beyond Pixel devices to any Android phone running Android 17 or later. The tool displays small visual bubbles along screen edges that move in sync with a vehicle's motion, using the phone's sensors to help reduce motion sickness. Users can customize the bubbles' appearance and choose automatic or manual activation.
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.
Android Authority found beta code in the Phone by Google app referencing a feature codenamed 'Hedwig,' publicly labeled 'Call for me.' The Gemini-powered tool would let the Phone app dial customer support lines, navigate automated voice menus, and hold your place in queue until a human agent is available.
Android Authority traced worsening game performance on the Pixel 11 series—stuttering and freezing in titles like Genshin Impact—to Google quietly making ANGLE the default OpenGL ES implementation on the new phones. ANGLE translates OpenGL ES calls into Vulkan commands, and testing showed it activating in popular games on the Pixel 11 Pro XL where it wasn't used on the Pixel 10 Pro XL.
Reddit testing suggests certain routers, not the Pixel 11 itself, may be responsible for reports of excessive idle battery drain on Google's new phones. One user found their Pixel 11 Pro XL was being woken roughly 135 times per minute by Wi-Fi while connected to a Tenda mesh router on Wi-Fi 6, and that switching to Wi-Fi 5 or a different router brand cut both wakeups and battery loss dramatically. Other testers saw normal results on different Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 hardware, so the exact trigger remains unclear.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports Apple is testing a smart home display, internally coded J490/J491, in employee homes ahead of a possible launch as soon as next month. The device reportedly combines elements of iOS, tvOS, and watchOS, with its own home screen, widgets, and clock faces, and leans heavily on an upgraded Siri to handle tasks across apps like Notes and Reminders.