Project Gameface launches on Android (developers.googleblog.com)
Google Podcasts shutting down internationally in June (9to5google.com)
Following the US depreciation in April, Google Podcasts is shutting down for international users this June....
Google's new 'Platform and Devices' team puts Android, Chrome, Pixel, more under Rick Osterloh (9to5google.com)
Google has announced a major internal reorganization which forms the “Platform and Devices” team that, under Rick Osterloh, will oversee Pixel, Nest, Android, Chrome, and more....
Epic wants a judge to open up the Google Play Store for good (www.androidcentral.com)
After suing Google years ago for its alleged monopolistic practices regarding Android and the Google Play Store, Epic won in a surprise jury verdict last year....
Samsung takes back #1 spot in global smartphone shipments from Apple, at least for now (9to5google.com)
In 2023, for the first time, Apple managed to ship more smartphones than Samsung had on a global scale. It wasn’t exactly a crushing defect, with Apple taking the edge by just 4%, but it was certainly notable. It also came on the back of Q4 performance where Apple had much better sales compared to Samsung....
Meta's AI chatbot is reaching more WhatsApp users worldwide (www.androidcentral.com)
WhatsApp is apparently enhancing its search functionality with Meta AI, initially rolling out to English-speaking users worldwide....
Android to grow at 'twice the pace of iOS' in 2024, IDC says (9to5google.com)
According to the IDC, though, Android is set to grow considerably faster than iOS over the course of 2024....
Need testers for my newly created Mastodon app
Hello everyone....
Alphabet, Apple, and Meta are under investigation in Europe for non-compliance with the Digital Markets Act (www.androidcentral.com)
The European Commission is investigating Alphabet, Apple and Meta for potential non-compliance with the Digital Markets Act....
Spotify breaks into the learning space, starts testing video courses (www.androidauthority.com)
Spotify is testing video-based learning courses in the UK....
Android 15 could allow devices to be tracked even when switched off (www.androidcentral.com)
Android 15 is expected to introduce a Powered Off Finder API....
Microsoft is ending support for the Windows Subsystem for Android (WSA)! (androiddev.social)
Google wants you to text Gemini in Google Messages (www.androidcentral.com)
Google made Gemini in Google Messages official this week, announcing the feature amidst a slew of other MWC Barcelona news....
Oppo is returning to Europe after resolving patent disputes (www.androidcentral.com)
Oppo was forced to pull out of key European markets, such as Germany, due to patent disputes with Nokia....
Fewer Android users switched to iOS last year, but it's still a problem (www.androidcentral.com)
The percentage of Android users that switched to iOS decreased in 2023, but the five-year trend is steady....
Google rebrands Bard as Gemini, and it finally knows where it's going with AI (www.androidcentral.com)
Google is rebranding Bard as Gemini across its AI suite and is seemingly dropping the Gemini name from its AI models, which will now be called Pro 1.0 and Ultra 1.0....
WhatsApp explains how it will work with other messaging apps under the DMA (www.androidcentral.com)
WhatsApp will be required to make its platform interoperable under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act....
Google Play Protect testing enhanced financial fraud protection (9to5google.com)
Last year, Google announced that Play Protect would prompt you to scan unknown Android apps before sideloading. Google is now piloting enhanced financial fraud protection for Play Protect....
Google’s Pixel storage issue fix requires developer tools and a terminal (arstechnica.com)
Google has another fix for the second major storage bug Pixel phones have seen in the last four months. Last week, reports surfaced that some Pixel owners were being locked out of their phone’s local storage, creating a nearly useless phone with all sorts of issues. Many blamed the January 2024 Google Play system update for...
Unattended updates for everyone, 1.19 is here | F-Droid - Free and Open Source Android App Repository (f-droid.org)
Beeper drops iMessage integration after Apple bans linked Macs (www.androidcentral.com)
Beeper says that it received and verified reports of 30 users of Beeper Cloud or Mini that had their Macs banned from using iMessage by Apple....
A Google Assistant shortcut is disappearing from the Pixel Launcher (www.androidcentral.com)
The microphone icon, which is found in the search bar on the Pixel Launcher home screen, has now been re-mapped....
Google might be considering another name for Assistant with Bard: Gemini (9to5google.com)
We spotted two weeks ago that Google might rebrand “Assistant with Bard” to just “Bard.” The company might not have decided on a new Assistant with Bard name yet as the latest version of the Google app introduces “Gemini” as a candidate.
Alleged Pixel 9 Pro renders give us an early look at a bold redesign (androidcentral.com)
A leaked set of renderings seemingly spills what Google has planned for the Pixel 9 Pro....
Google might rebrand 'Assistant with Bard' before launch (9to5google.com)
During the Pixel 8 event, “Assistant with Bard” was announced for 2024. Before it launches on Android, Google might be dropping the “Assistant” moniker and rebrand to just “Bard.”
