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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.
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.
Google disclosed that a vulnerability in Pixel phones' modem software, tracked as CVE-2026-58704, was exploited in a limited number of targeted attacks before being patched this week. The flaw allowed attackers to escalate privileges from the isolated modem component into the phone's broader system without any user interaction, a so-called zero-click exploit. Google has not identified who carried out the attacks.
Google is rolling out its Scam Detection feature to preview notifications on Pixel devices, extending the protection beyond just calls and messages to more countries. However, the most advanced version of the feature, which offers deeper analysis, remains limited to users in the United States.
Former TikTok employees Melody Chu and Jing Liu have launched Superpose, an iOS camera app that uses AI to generate four suggested poses for a selfie or photo of a friend. Users can save these AI-generated poses or use a match feature to align themselves within the frame, and the app has been downloaded over 22,000 times with more than 190,000 poses generated since its July launch.
An Android Authority writer who regularly switches between Galaxy and Pixel devices explains why he keeps returning to Samsung phones, citing superior built-in apps and features. He points to Secure Folder outperforming Private Space, Samsung DeX beating Pixel's barebones Desktop Mode, and Modes and Routines, Samsung Notes, and Samsung Gallery each surpassing their Google counterparts.
Google briefly published a Play Store listing for an app called Look Up, tied to its upcoming Googlebook laptop platform, before removing all screenshots and details. Some testers managed to sideload the app on Pixel phones running Android 17 even after it was pulled from public listing. The tool lets users highlight text and instantly query it through Search, Maps, and Flights, plus a chatbot box for follow-up questions.
Google published a memo detailing enforcement of new per-app memory limits introduced with Android 17, first rolling out on Pixel devices. Apps that exceed the thresholds will be slowed down or terminated, and starting in February 2027, non-compliant apps could face reduced visibility and publishing restrictions on the Play Store.
Multiple Pixel users are reporting on Reddit that apps like Google Photos, Spotify, and CapCut are randomly crashing or refusing to stay open, while music apps skip tracks. Reports span devices including the Pixel 9 and Pixel 11, suggesting the issue isn't limited to newer hardware. One user says joining Google's System Services beta and updating resolved the crashes on their device.
Google has started rolling out Motion Assist, a new Android 17 feature that displays motion cues on screen to help reduce motion sickness while using a phone in a moving vehicle. The feature, previously tested internally as Motion Cues, is appearing gradually on Pixel devices, with some units already showing it while others on the same Android version do not yet have it.