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Samsung’s newly released Galaxy Tab S12+ with 512GB of storage is already down to $1,399.99 at Amazon from $1,599.99, its lowest price ever, according to price trackers. This bundle also includes a $200 Amazon gift card through October 21, along with 90 free days of Amazon Music. CNET calls it a significant upgrade over the Tab S10+, with a body that slims down to 5.3mm from 5.6mm and weighs 553 grams while still carrying IP68 protection against dust and water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of one meter. It also manages to fit a slightly larger 12.6-inch screen (up from 12.4 inches) into its frame by trimming the bezels.
That screen is a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,600 nits—you’re unlikely to hit that number in everyday use, but it’s one of the brightest panels you’ll find on an Android tablet, making it well suited to watching movies, reading, or working across multiple apps. Powering it is an upgraded MediaTek Dimensity 9500 processor with enough headroom for demanding games and multitasking, especially if you plan to use Samsung DeX, which gives the tablet a more desktop-like interface.
That said, making the most of DeX usually means adding a keyboard, and Samsung’s options raise the overall cost considerably, from the $199 Book Cover Keyboard Slim to the $299 Pro Keyboard with its built-in trackpad. The S Pen, on the other hand, comes in the box, so you can jot down handwritten notes, sketch, or mark up a PDF, and Galaxy AI’s Note Assist can organize and summarize those notes afterward.
Beyond productivity, Samsung has upgraded the four-speaker system with four-channel spatial audio for a more immersive listening experience, while the 13MP rear camera and 12MP ultrawide front camera cover document scanning and video calls. And with seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates promised, the S12+ should remain supported for years to come.
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Rambler, Google's AI-powered dictation feature, seems genuinely useful. At its core, Rambler is like your phone's existing dictation tool, only much smarter. It can automatically edit your speech into a more polished end product. It'll eliminate your filler words like "um" and ah," shape up your grammar, and understand your intended meaning (e.g., if you say "we need to pick whole milk...I mean, oat milk," Rambler will type "we need to pick up oat milk.")
This is the type of feature most of us would like to have on our phones, there's only one problem: Despite developing the Android operating system, Google decided to make Rambler a Pixel 11-exclusive feature. As such, if you have a non-Pixel phone, like a Samsung or a Motorola, you're out of luck, unless you want to upgrade to one of Google's smartphones—or, as it turns out, download this third-party tool instead.
As reported by Android Authority, developer Akshay Kadam modded Google's Gboard app and uploaded it to GitHub under the name PixelBoard. Kadam advertises PixelBoard as a "supercharged Gboard mod" sporting features from the Pixel 11 series—including AI writing tools, and, notably, Rambler.
According to Kadam's GitHub page, PixelBoard runs side-by-side with the Gboard app on your phone. You don't need to replace the existing app or uninstall it, nor do you need to root your Android. Still, this is an unofficial port that requires sideloading onto your Android device. While the tool comes from a public GitHub page, exercise caution if you want to give it a shot.
If you do, Kadam's GitHub page has detailed instructions for downloading the app on your phone. It seems you have three options: You can download PixelBoard directly from GitHub, then install it from the notification drawer or File Manager on your phone; if you're a developer, you can sideload the app by connecting your phone via USB with USB Debugging enabled; and, finally, you can patch the stock Gboard APK using Morphe Manager. (Kadam recommends the first method.)
Once you do have PixelBoard on your phone, head to Settings > System > Languages & input > On-screen keyboard (or Manage Keyboards), then enable PixelBoard. Tap the keyboard switch button or spacebar selector, then choose PixelBoard as the input method. To use Rambler, choose "Rambler Dictation" from this settings page, choose "Voice typing," then, under "Dictation type," switch from "Standard" to "Rambler."
Hopefully, Google brings Rambler to more phones in due time. But, until then, you can use PixelBoard to bring the feature to your device on your own.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series is excellent, and its devices are perhaps the best foldable smartphones you can buy. (Though we'll see if the iPhone Duo stacks up later this month.) The very best of these devices, the Galaxy Z Fold Ultra, comes with everything Samsung has to offer in a folding smartphone, which doesn't come cheap. Samsung lists this device at $2,099.99, which could buy you two or three laptops, let alone one foldable. But during the even after October Prime Day, you can save 19% on this device and take advantage of big discounts on Samsung's other foldables.
When closed, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has a 6.5-inch 1080p display, perfectly usable as a typical smartphone experience. But once opened, you get an eight-inch 120Hz display with a much higher resolution of 2256 by 2504, effectively turning the Z Fold 8 Ultra into a small tablet. It comes with the same Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip as the Galaxy S26 line, which means performance is on par with Samsung's flagship smartphone lineup. You also get some of the benefits of the S26 Ultra's cameras: The Z Fold 8 Ultra has a 200MP wide lens, a 10MP telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultrawide lens. And since this is a foldable phone, you also get two selfie cameras: One 10MP ultrawide on the inside, and one 10MP side on the outer display.
Amazon's deal on the Z Fold 8 Ultra is great, but it's still expensive. You save $415, but you still need to put down $1,684.99. Alternatively, you could take advantage of Amazon's deal on the Galaxy Z Fold 8. This device is 18% off, down to $1,549.99 from $1,899.99. This is Samsung's "passport-shaped" foldable, with a smaller 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch 120Hz inner display. It, too, runs the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, though you miss out a bit on cameras: The Galaxy Z Fold 8 doesn't have a 200MP shooter, but has a 50MP wide and a 50MP ultrawide. It also comes with 10MP selfie cameras on the inner and outer displays.
If you're looking for the most affordable foldable Galaxy phone, you could consider the Galaxy Z Flip 8. As the name implies, the phone flips, not folds, meaning it has a much smaller footprint than Samsung's other devices. With it, you get a 4.1-inch cover display, which opens up to a 6.9-inch 120Hz 1080p inner display. It also runs the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, but it has the least powerful camera options yet: a 50MP wide lens and a 12MP ultrawide. There's only one 10MP selfie camera on this device. However, the Flip 8 is also Samsung's most affordable. Right now, Amazon has it 19% off, down to $974.99 from $1,199.99.
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Samsung makes a lot of devices, but if you want the best of its "traditional" smartphones, your only option is the Galaxy S series, including the current Galaxy S26 series. While these devices can get quite pricey—particularly the S26 Ultra—Amazon has discounted all of the smartphones in the line for the final hours of October Prime Day. You can save up to 32% right now, and the most expensive options have the biggest savings.
The cheapest of the bunch is the Galaxy S26 FE. This is the "budget" model of the Galaxy S26 line, but still a great phone in its own right. It comes with a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with three rear cameras: a 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, and an 8MP telephoto. (You also get a 12MP selfie camera.) It has a 4900mAh battery, runs the Exynos 2500 chip, and 8GB of RAM with either 128GB or 256GB of storage.
Samsung's standard S26 is probably the best balance for most people. It offers a smaller 6.3-inch AMOLED display with three rear cameras: 50MP, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP telephoto lens, with a 12MP selfie camera. Crucially, with the S26 you get the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, which offers better performance than the Exynos 2500. The smaller footprint gets a 4300mAh battery, with 12GB of RAM. While this model does come in 256GB, only the 512GB model is discounted, which is the case for the other phones here. For the S26's features with the FE's larger display, go with the Galaxy S26+. This option comes with a 6.7-inch AMOLED display, with a higher resolution than either of the previous devices. The rest of the features are the same, however, minus the 4900mAh battery.
But for the best Samsung has to offer, choose the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This option comes with Samsung's biggest and best display, a 6.9-inch AMOLED with the same solution as the Galaxy S26+. It has Samsung's best cameras, too: a 200MP wide lens, a 10MP telephoto lens, a 50MP periscope lens, and a 50MP ultrawide. It has a 5000mAh battery and either 12GB or 16GB of RAM—if you opt for the 1TB model.
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Amazon’s October Prime Day sale has brought the latest Google Pixel Watch 5 (45mm, LTE) down to $444.99 from $529.99, its lowest price ever, according to price trackers. PCMag calls it the best smartwatch for Android users, largely because Gemini is built in so deeply—the assistant works proactively, so it can surface your flight details on the way to the airport or suggest a contact's number while you text about dinner plans, and a new AI-powered Health Coach reviews your workouts with tailored feedback, though some of its fitness advice sits behind a paid subscription.
Helping all of those AI features along is a faster Qualcomm processor that Google says improves the overall performance of this smartwatch by 20%, while RAM increases from 2GB to 3GB and storage doubles to 64GB compared with the Pixel Watch 4. As for its health hardware, Google left it largely untouched, so you still get heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring, ECG readings, skin temperature, GPS, and sleep tracking, with reportedly accurate findings. The catch is that this remains an Android-only watch, requiring Android 12 or newer, and some of the better AI features work best with a newer Pixel phone.
Physically, the Watch 5 doesn’t stray far from its predecessor, keeping the familiar domed display under 3D Corning Gorilla Glass while adding new watch faces that curve around its edges—with the screen reaching up to 3,000 nits and adjusting to ambient light, so it should remain easy to read during a sunny afternoon run or in a dim room. As for its durability, its IP68 and 5ATM ratings mean you can wear it through a workout, at the beach, or in the pool without worrying about dust or water. And charging shouldn’t necessarily be a nightly routine, either, with the watch lasting up to 56.5 hours in testing. Heavier use will cut into that figure, but you should still have a good chance of making it through two full days with enough power left to track your sleep overnight.
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Amazon’s October Prime Day is in full swing, and the Sony WH-1000XM6s have dropped to $378 from $459.99, taking about $82 off Sony’s current flagship over-ear headphones and bringing them to their lowest price to date, according to price trackers. Released in 2025, the XM6 builds on an already strong formula with better noise cancellation, more microphones, and plenty of control over how your music sounds. Lifehacker Shopping Editor Daniel Oropeza called them the best over-ear headphones he tested in 2025, a title they still hold, and he singled out both their audio performance and noise cancellation for praise.
That noise cancellation is helped by one of the bigger upgrades Sony made with the XM6 over the previous model—increasing the microphone count from eight on the XM5 to 12. Those microphones help power the active noise cancellation, Ambient Sound mode, and Adaptive Sound Control, so the headphones can respond to what's happening around you and automatically adjust how much outside sound gets through as your environment changes. There’s also plenty to tinker with in Sony’s companion app, including a customizable EQ for dialing in the sound to your preferences. You can even see which Bluetooth codec is currently being used—the XM6 supports LDAC alongside AAC, SBC, and LC3.
Battery life is another reason the XM6 works well as an everyday pair—it can last up to 30 hours with ANC enabled and 40 hours with it switched off, although your actual runtime will vary depending on how you use them. That should comfortably cover a few days of commuting or work, as well as most long-haul flights. Sony has also kept the 3.5mm headphone jack for times when a wired connection makes more sense, such as plugging into an airplane entertainment system or an older audio device.
October Prime Day begins Oct. 6 and runs through Oct. 7. It happens every year during October.
October Prime Day ends on Oct. 7, 2026. It’s a two-day online sale.
No. Prime Day is a legitimate online sale from arguably the biggest and most reputable online retailer in the world.
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Ads are everywhere on Android. For most of us, the answer is either to sit through the ad, or pay up for a service's "premium" tier. While services like YouTube Premium can genuinely be worth it, they aren't for every app. Thankfully, there are options: All you need are free apps or extensions, easily available from the Play Store or alternative app stores, including one option that can block virtually all ads on Android.
If you want a single app that blocks everything, start with the aptly named "BlockAds." It’s a free, open-source app you can install directly from GitHub or via the F-Droid store. It’s not available on the Play Store, so the installation method will depend on where you live and when you’re installing it. If Google’s new rules are in place, you’ll need a 24-hour cooling-off period before you can sideload apps.
Once installed, activate BlockAds, giving it permission to add a VPN profile. When enabled, BlockAds will activate its own VPN profile that will stay enabled in the background. While it uses a VPN profile, it’s not a VPN service like Proton VPN in the traditional sense. Instead, it’s a local VPN that filters the traffic on your device itself. It uses DNS filtering to automatically block traffic to ad servers and trackers, quietly disabling them in the background. All your regular activity continues, but the annoying ads in any app disappear, without needing to root your device. There is one downside to using this method: Android only lets you enable one VPN profile at a time, so if BlockAds is taking up the VPN slot, you can’t use an actual VPN to protect your internet usage or to spoof your location.
If you don't want to use a VPN profile, or a third-party app, DNS filtering is another path. This method blocks known advertiser domains, effectively blocking most ads you encounter on the web. Android OS comes with a built-in option that lets you change the DNS server to whatever you like, but there are also services that use DNS filtering to remove ads and trackers as you browse the internet, like AdGuard's free DNS filtering. All you have to do is change the DNS address. Go to Settings > Network and Internet > Private DNS and switch to the Private DNS provider hostname option, then enter the hostname. In this case, to use the free service, enter "dns.adguard-dns.co" and hit the Save button.
It's important to note that DNS filtering might break some sites or apps with full-screen ads. This is where a more flexible option like NextDNS can help. Once you create a NextDNS account, you get a personal DNS hostname URL, where you can customize which filters to use and add websites to a whitelist as well. Plus, you can enable or disable protection as needed. After you sign up for NextDNS, go to the Setup section to find your URL. NextDNS, though, isn't completely free. You get up to 300,000 queries for free per month, and the unlimited Pro plan costs $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year.
After Google’s new Manifest V3 changes, getting a full-fledged ad-blocker that updates in real time is becoming more difficult, even on desktop. On Mac and Windows, Firefox is perhaps the biggest champion of ad blockers, supporting the full uBlock Origin extension natively.
It’s the same story on Android as well. Firefox is the best way to run the full uBlock Origin extension, with its dynamic blocking and customizable filter support. If you want to use it, install the Firefox app on Android, tap the Menu button, and go to Extensions. Here, search for and install uBlock Origin. Once it’s installed, ads from websites will disappear automatically. The default setup is enough for most users. But if you want to customize it, you can go to uBlock Origin extension’s settings page to add extra filters.
The most reliable way to block ads on YouTube these days is to pay for Premium, as Google makes it quite hard to block ads for free. That said, there are plenty of workarounds. The best way is to get out of Google’s system altogether using the NewPipe app, an alternative YouTube client that’s hosted on the open-source F-Droid app store (similar to the BlockAds app we discussed above). The app plays YouTube videos ad-free, and you can also access features like background playback and offline downloads (usually reserved for YouTube Premium subscribers). You can search for and play videos, but you can also subscribe to channels and build your own YouTube feed in the NewPipe app.
If you don’t want to install an app from third-party app stores, try using DuckDuckGo's browser. It has a built-in YouTube ad blocker, which uses the robust filters from the uBlock Origin extension discussed above. Just load up a YouTube video in the browser, and you should be good to go. If you still see ads, make sure that the feature is enabled from Menu > Ad Blocking > Block Ads on YouTube.
If you just want an ad-free browsing experience without the need for installing and updating third-party extensions, try the Brave browser. It’s one of the best privacy-focused browsers out there, and the Android app is quite easy to use. It blocks trackers and ads by default. There are no switches to flip, and no extensions to enable. The default ad-blocking works for YouTube videos as well.
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For a flagship smartphone that launched just over a year ago in July 2025, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has held its price well, which makes the current discount worth a look. The 256GB unlocked model in Mint is down to $1,349.99 on Amazon from its $1,499.99 list price, a $150 cut that price trackers show is the lowest the Fold 7 has reached so far. Anyone who would rather have the newest Galaxy on the market can step up to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 for about $300 more—you're spending serious money either way, so it's worth making the most of One UI with these settings and hacks that help you get the most out of whichever one you pick.
As for the phone itself, its eight-inch AMOLED screen (when unfolded) gives you the extra space that makes split-screen multitasking genuinely useful, while its 120Hz refresh rate and 2,600-nit peak brightness keep scrolling smooth and the display readable outdoors. And when you fold it shut, the 6.5-inch cover screen with its wider 21:9 aspect ratio gives you enough room for a comfortable on-screen keyboard, meaning you can handle quick replies without constantly unfolding the phone. Samsung also refined the hinge with the Fold 7, slimming the body to 4.2mm when unfolded and trimming the weight to 215 grams, and the result is a phone that feels better balanced and less unwieldy over a full day of use (to learn more, check out our in-depth review here).
That improved handling is backed by the hardware inside, where a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 12GB of RAM keep heavy multitasking smooth, while the camera system, built around a 200MP main sensor alongside a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP 3x telephoto, holds up across lighting conditions. That said, its 4,400mAh battery is modest for a screen this large, and while its IP48 protection covers water immersion, it does not resist dust, so beach and trail use calls for some care. For anyone still weighing their options, our roundup of the best Android phones you can buy in 2026 covers the alternatives.
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Google Photos doesn't have to be one of those things that you set up and forget. Despite its initial simplicity, Google Photos is full of settings and features you can configure to make the app work better for you. With these hacks, you can manage a massive photo library, reduce cloud storage, hide pictures of your ex, and disable AI in search.
If you feel like you’re going to run out of cloud storage space, and you don’t care about backing up photos and videos at the best quality possible, try Google’s Storage saver mode. When backing up, it automatically scales down photos and videos to help you save cloud storage space at a respectable quality level. Photos get scaled down to 16MP, and videos stay at 1080p. This only works for new uploads, though, so the sooner you enable this feature, the better off you’ll be. Go to Settings > Backup > Photo and Video Quality and switch to Storage Saver.
Google Photos' Memories feature surfaces old photos and videos, and stitches them together in slideshows and videos. But this can also backfire if it shows you photos of people (say, an ex) you'd rather not see randomly in notifications when you're trying to work. Memories is thankfully highly customizable. You can tell Google Photos to show you more photos of your partner, kids, or pets, and ask it to show fewer photos of specific people. You can even block people from ever surfacing in suggestions. Go to Photos settings > Preferences > Memories > Hide Faces. Then, choose the faces that you want to block.
You can use the Locked Folder in Google Photos to save sensitive photos or documents in a secure folder. Only a PIN or biometrics can get you through. But by default, the Locked Folder contents are local-only. Even if your entire Google Photos library is backed up, you might lose all that secured media if you lose your phone.
There is a hidden setting that does let you back up and sync locked photos securely. Even after they are synced to the cloud and other devices, they will continue to stay in the Locked Folder. If it's not already set up, go to the Collections tab, swipe all the way to the bottom, and choose Locked Folder. During setup, you can enable the cloud backup feature. Alternatively, open the Locked Folder, tap the Cloud icon on the top toolbar, and enable Back up Locked Folder.
The days of unlimited media backup on Google Photos are long gone. If you’re on the free 15GB Google plan, you might run out of storage entirely by backing up your entire photo library—which then leads to interruptions in services like Gmail and Google Drive. If you want to make do with the free storage that you have (or you don’t want to upgrade to a more expensive plan), try "Recover Storage" first. It sifts through the photos and videos that you've already uploaded and compresses them to the same quality as the Storage Saver mode I talked about above. For this to work, you'll need to visit the Google Photos website. From the sidebar, choose Storage, and click Learn More under Recover Storage. Tick the I Understand checkbox and click Compress existing photos & videos to get started.
Google Photos on Android can go beyond backing up your camera roll. Because Google Photos has direct access to the Android file system, it can upload photos and videos from any folder. This includes the Downloads folder for Chrome, or WhatsApp’s media folder. That said, you should audit exactly which folders are being uploaded. You might want it to upload photos from the Downloads folder, but exclude WhatsApp media (which is already uploaded to Google Drive, if you have online backup enabled). From Photos Settings, go to Backup Settings > Default backup > Device folders, choose the folders you want to back up, and deselect ones you want to skip.
Google Photos has a storage management tool that can help you get rid of photos and videos that are unnecessarily taking up too much space on your plan. From Photos settings, go to Backup > Manage storage. This opens up the Google One storage management screen where you can get rid of large attachments and files as well. But what I find more interesting is the Google Photos option in the "Clean up by service" section. Here, Google will intelligently suggest photos and videos to delete, categorized in tabs on top. This includes large video files, duplicate photos, screenshots that you don’t need, and more. Choose the photos you want to delete, and then tap Delete at the top.
If you’re purging your Google Photos library to reclaim some space, you might be stumped. You just deleted a bunch of photos and videos, but your cloud storage numbers haven't dropped. That’s because deleting a photo or video doesn’t actually remove it from your account, at least not yet. Google stores media for up to 30 days, in case you want to retrieve it later on. To completely get rid of deleted media, scroll to the bottom, find the Collections section, and choose Trash (or Bin). Here, tap the three-dot menu button, choose Empty Bin, and confirm using the Delete Permanently option.
Google is trying to stuff AI editing features and Gemini into the Google Photos app. Most of it lives in the Create tab, which is easy enough to ignore. But Ask Photos is not. When you go to Search, it now integrates AI search directly into the results. This means that quickly searching for photos of a location, person, or a stored album takes a bit more time, and it might get influenced by an AI suggestion. Thankfully, there is a toggle that removes all the AI features from Search. Go to Photos Settings > Preferences > Gemini features in Photos and disable the Ask Photos feature. And while you’re here, you can choose to disable all Gemini features in Google Photos as well.
Google offers a service called Google Takeout, where you can download an offline copy of all the data that Google has, including all your emails, files, and photos. Offline backups should be a part of every cohesive backup strategy, which makes Takeout a useful feature. But there’s always been an issue with Takeout: Every time you make a request, the feature downloads all the data, even if you only wanted to see what was new.
Now, Google has introduced incremental exports. This means that only data created since the last export will be downloaded. Go to the Google Takeout website, sign in with your account, and only select Google Photos from the list. Then, choose the albums and media to export and hit Next. In the Frequency section, choose the Export every month for 1 year, or the Export every 2 months for 1 year option. Make sure to switch to the Only new and updated items option to turn on the incremental feature.
If you’re paying for the $20 per month Google AI Pro plan, you get 5TB of cloud storage space included in the price. This is great for backing up your photo library and all the files on your computer. If you’re a photo or video professional, or you just like backing up photos via your Mac (after editing them), Google used to have a perfect solution with its Google Photos desktop backup. It would monitor a folder and automatically upload new items to the cloud. Sadly, that feature is no longer available.
If you want the feature, switch to Amazon Photos on your computer instead. The dedicated desktop app uploads photos and videos from any folder, in the background. If you have Amazon Prime, you can upload unlimited photos for free, as well as 5GB of videos.
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 with 512GB of storage is currently $1,849.99, down from $2,099.99. That saves you $250, or about 12%, and price trackers indicate that this is its lowest price yet. Samsung introduced it at its Galaxy Unpacked event in July alongside the now discounted Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Z Flip 8, with the standard Fold 8 taking a slightly different approach than the taller Ultra—it uses a shorter and wider shape that makes its 7.6-inch inner screen more comfortable for things like watching videos, reading ebooks, browsing webpages, or working through documents.
That larger 1,848 by 2,448 pixel folding display also uses a more media-friendly aspect ratio than earlier Fold models, which helps reduce the thick black bars that can appear around videos. PCMag highlighted that improvement in its “excellent” review of the Z Fold 8 and also noted that Samsung has made the crease less noticeable. Inside, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor is paired with 12GB of memory and Android 17, giving the phone enough power for games and the kind of multitasking that makes a foldable genuinely useful—you could keep a video call open beside a document, for example, or compare two shopping apps without constantly jumping between them.
As for its battery life, the 4,800mAh battery lasted 16 hours and 30 minutes in PCMag’s testing, which is a strong showing for a foldable. The camera system, however, is less convincing: its two 50-megapixel rear cameras are fine for everyday photos, but the overall results are reportedly fairly average for such an expensive phone, and it lacks a telephoto lens for optical zoom. Also, while Samsung has now made switching from an iPhone more streamlined, iPhone users may want to weigh that against Apple’s newly announced foldable (with preorders now available following the company’s September hardware event) before moving ecosystems. Still, Android users who want a compact phone/tablet hybrid may find the Fold 8 appealing at this record-low price.
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Another month, another "Drop." Google announced its latest crop of features for Android devices this week, all coming as part of its September Android Drop. While the list is relatively small, these five new features all actually seem pretty useful. In fact, with this update, Google is kind of making the case to avoid buying one of its newest products.
Google is funny. The company finally rolls out its own competitor to the AirTag, the Pixel Tag, then immediately undercuts it with a new Find Hub feature. "Soon," Google says, you'll have the ability to ask Gemini to remember where you put your stuff, making it possible to keep tabs on those items without needing a dedicated tracker.
Google says the feature is for "things you don't put a tracker tag on," like, perhaps, your passport or a spare key, but there aren't any rules here. You can simply ask Gemini to remember that you put your keys in your bedside drawer, and it'll store that location for you. You can even choose to add a photo if you want the extra assistance. When you can't find something, you can ask Gemini where it is, or check the new "remembered items" tab in Find Hub. Google doesn't have a specific timeline for when this feature will roll out, but it does say that it'll work with Android 16 and newer in countries that support both Gemini and Find Hub.
With iOS 18, Apple introduced "Vehicle Motion Cues," a feature that aims to reduce motion sickness by placing a series of dots on your screen. As the vehicle moves, so do the dots. That way, your brain doesn't get "confused" by looking at a stationary screen in a moving vehicle; it thinks the screen is moving as well, hopefully keeping your senses in equilibrium.
While developers brought this concept to Android devices through third-party apps, Google now has a version of the feature of its own. Google's take is called "Motion Assist," and it works just about the same way as Apple's. Like Vehicle Motion Cues, you can customize how these dots actually look; in this case, you can control their shape, color, and opacity. You can choose to have the feature kick on automatically, or pin it as a Quick Setting tile to access it whenever you want. Google says this feature is coming to all phones running Android 17.
Just about every tech company with an AI platform offers a "Live" feature, which lets the AI "see" through your device's camera to help answer questions about your surroundings. For Google, that's Gemini Live.
Now, Google is adding "Guided vision" to Gemini Live, a feature designed for blind and low-vision users. Guided vision uses Gemini Live to help you navigate your surroundings in a more accessible way: Rather than simply answering questions about "what type of plant is this" or "when was this building built," Google says Guided vision can help with reading fine print on a nutrition label, or discerning the different dishes on a menu in a restaurant with low light. Furthermore, Guided vision can help you line up your camera if you aren't pointing it in the right spot. This feature is actually coming to a larger number of devices than some other features, as Google says you'll be able to use it with Android 9 and newer devices where Gemini is available.
If you have a friend or a group chat that frequently collaborates on lists (think grocery lists or vacation planning), Google Messages is getting a helpful upgrade. Following this Pixel Drop, Google Messages users will notice a new Google Keep icon in the (+) menu. Once activated, you'll be able to create and edit new notes directly in your chats. Rather than jumping between Google Keep and Google Messages, you can chat and collaborate in one app. As someone on the iOS side of things, I hope Apple—ahem—takes notes here.
Google Messages is also getting some new chat customization options. Now, you can change the background of a chat to whatever you want, including photos from your library. When you do, the text bubbles automatically change to match that image's color scheme. That said, you can adjust the colors to whatever you like, or customize the bubbles without changing the background.
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For Android users, Google Wallet is an obvious way to carry digital payment cards and passes for everything from tap-to-pay to boarding flights. But there's a lot more to the app than storing cards and making transactions. Here are the hacks you need to know to get the most out of Google Wallet.
If you have loyalty cards, gym passes, or other location-specific items saved in your Google Wallet, you can set up permissions that allow the app to suggest them to you as soon as you're in proximity. This time-saving shortcut means you don't have to go searching for the relevant card or pass when it's needed. You'll need to ensure Google Wallet has access to your device location via Settings > Apps > Google Wallet > Permissions. Then select the card in Google Wallet, tap the three-dot menu, and toggle on Get notifications for this card.
If your pass or ticket is already digital, you can simply tap "Add to Google Wallet" to store it. But for those that aren't—library cards, gym passes, parking passes, etc.—Google can digitize them for you as long as there's a barcode or QR code on the card. All you have to do is take a photo of the pass with your Android device, then tap Add to Google Wallet > Photo, select the image of your pass, add a name and description, and hit Add. From there, you can use the digital version the same way as the hard copy.
If you buy a plane or concert ticket and receive an email confirmation to your Gmail account, Google Wallet can automatically pull those passes in and organize them so you don't have to search for them later or add them manually. Smart features must be enabled for Gmail for this to work. In Google Wallet, tap your profile icon, go to Settings > Add passes from Gmail, and select your email account. On the next screen, ensure Smart features is checked.
Google Wallet also plays nice with Google Maps: If you have a transit card saved in your Wallet, Maps will recognize your pass and show you which legs of your trip are covered. For certain transit systems, it'll check your balance against route fare and prompt you to reload if needed. You'll need to enable pass sharing permissions in Google Wallet by tapping your profile photo > Your data in Wallet > Manage pass data. Toggle on Use passes across Google. You'll also need to ensure NFC is enabled in your device settings and that Google Wallet is the default contactless payment option.
Google Family Link allows parents to set up supervised Google Wallets for their kids, which gives them access to tap-to-pay on their own Android device wherever Google Pay or contactless payments are accepted. This allows them to pay for certain purchases without you present or without having to carry a physical card. Note that kids must be the cardholder or authorized users on any card added to their Google Wallet. Supervised wallets also support loyalty passes, gift cards, boarding passes, and event tickets (but not keys, IDs, transit cards, or health records), as well as "secure balances," which are similar to a digital allowance.
A recent update to Google Wallet is Touchless ID access for travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck. If you add your passport to Google Wallet and go through the verification process, you'll be able to access expedited TSA security screening at a long list of airports and across dozens of airlines. Previously, Touchless ID was only available to travelers flying on a handful of airlines who opted in via that airline-specific profile. Tap Add to Google Wallet > ID > ID Pass > Continue and follow the prompts.
If you buy airline, concert, or event tickets for multiple travelers or attendees on a single transaction, you can share a scannable version of the pass directly to another user's Google Wallet, allowing them to gain entry even if you're not together. If your item is shareable, you'll see a Share icon above the pass details. Quick Share lets you send the pass or card to a nearby device. Note that not all passes are shareable for security reasons, and once you share with a recipient, you can't unsend it, and they can forward it to anyone.
You may already have your passport, driver's license, and other types of IDs (considered "private passes") in Google Wallet, and you can use that information to autofill forms in Google Chrome—similar to password manager functionality. Open the pass in Google Wallet, tap the three vertical dots, and toggle on Use private pass across Google. If that information isn't already in Google Wallet, Chrome will ask if you want to save it there the first time you enter it in your browser.
Google Wallet recently added detailed order tracking built on an integration with Gmail, so you can see itemized receipts, tracking numbers, and shipping status all within the Google Wallet app. You'll need to enable Smart features and package tracking in Gmail for this integration to work. In the Gmail app, go to Menu > Settings > General > Manage Workspace Smart features settings and turn on Smart features in other Google products. In the same section, check the box next to Package tracking. Back in Google Wallet, you'll see orders arriving soon on the home screen—tap View more > View more transactions to open a more detailed view.
Google Wallet makes it easy to track transactions made with payment methods and linked accounts in the app, but you may want these data in a different format for household budgeting or record-keeping. You can't export directly from the Google Wallet app, but Google Takeout allows you to download your transaction history as a JSON, which can be converted into a CSV or Excel file. On your computer, go to takeout.google.com and select Google Wallet. Click All Google Wallet data included to change the type of data, click Next step, select the type, frequency, and duration, and click Create export.
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Part of the fun of upgrading your phone is digging into all the new features and functions it offers, and it's no different with Google's recently unveiled Pixel 11 series. While there are hardware bumps in these phones, many of the most notable selling points are on the software side, with a bunch of upgrades related to AI and Android 17.
If you've invested in a Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, or Pixel 11 Pro Fold, then these are the best tricks to try out first. All of these hacks are exclusive to the 2026 flagships, though we might see some of them trickle down to older handsets over time (for now, Google isn't saying one way or the other).
HiLight is new to the Pixel 11, and uses a rear LED light to alert you to incoming calls from the most important people in your life—the idea being that it helps you cut out the rest of the noise associated with owning a smartphone in 2026.
You can configure HiLight from Settings by choosing System > HiLight, but there's not actually much configuring to do. It only works for Gemini chats and calls from contacts marked as favorites, with a simple toggle switch in both instances. You can choose different colors for different contacts, but that's about it.
To do more with HiLight, though, you can install HiLight Studio. This third-party tool unlocks HiLight for use with more apps on your phone, and gives you full control over the colors displayed, making HiLight much more useful.
One of the Pixel 11 exclusives in the Camera app is what Google is calling Camera Looks. They work like subtle filters, similar to the Photographic Styles on iOS, with gentle adjustments to contrast and colors that give your images a different feel (and can remove the ultra-clean, over-processed vibe of Pixel photos in general).
Open the Camera and tap the controls button (lower right), then Looks. This gives you access to the four different options you can apply by default when snapping images: Original (the usual Pixel processing), Natural (for "relaxed details"), Shadows (for "deeper contrast"), and Vanilla (for "a warm, golden glow").
Here's a tip about not using a Pixel 11 feature. If you have the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold you can go up to 30x with Super Zoom, while on the Pixel 11 Pro and the Pixel 11 Pro XL there's Pro Zoom up to an incredible 120x.
The Pro Zoom levels get you closer to the action, sure, but they also use generative AI to enhance what's in the photo. It's not just sharpening and enhancing; it's actually inventing new details based on the pixels that are already there (which is why you have to download a generative AI model the first time you use Pro Zoom).
The 30x Super Zoom uses AI too, but of a different type: Rather than generating details, it's combining photo frames and analyzing colors to sharpen up an image, like a traditional image editor filter. This applies up to a 30x zoom level, Google says, so you know where to stop if you don't want any AI elements being added in.
With Pro Zoom shots, Google Photos will save both the AI-enhanced version and the raw digital zoom version—you can switch between them in the app and choose the one you like best.
It's the perennial problem of the modern age: How do you make sure you've got photo memories of an event while still staying present in the moment? Of course you'd like snaps of your kid's birthday party, but you don't want to spend the whole time glued to your phone.
This is where Magic Capture comes in: You can enable it from the Camera app by tapping the icon to the left of the photo icon, just under the main shutter button. You then tap the shutter button to start a video capture, and then let it record. You can focus on what's happening rather than looking at the Camera app and taking individual photos.
When you stop the recording, AI swings into action to pick out still images that look like highlights from the footage—so presumably someone blowing their candles out, raising a toast, or reaching the crest of a wave, depending on the scenario.
Every phone maker has come up with multiple ways to try and keep us from getting too addicted to our devices, and the latest digital well-being idea from Google is the Pause Point feature for the Pixel 11 phones.
It's pretty simple, which means it just might work: For the apps you specify, you get a mindfulness prompt every time you open them up. Those few seconds of thought and self-reflection could help you realize that no, you don't actually need to open up Instagram or X again today.
To set this up, go to Settings, tap Digital Wellbeing, and then Pause Point to pick the apps you'd like it to apply to. This doesn't seem to be live yet, however, despite Google announcing it and including it in its official support documentation. Keep an eye out for it appearing in updates over the next few weeks.
Another way to reduce screen time is to create unique alerts for each contact, so you know who's getting in touch with you just from the way your phone pings or buzzes. The Pixel 11 phones help with this by letting you customize vibrations in a couple of handy ways.
First, you can set specific vibrations for specific contacts, as well as specific audible ringtones (which has long been an option). From the Contacts app, tap on a name, then Contact ringtone, and you can choose a vibration pattern as well as a sound.
You can also change the default vibration patterns for calls and notifications, which you couldn't before—though not on a per-app or per-contact basis. From Settings, pick Sound and vibration, then Ringtone or Notification.
Attention, content creators! If you're using your Pixel 11 to record video for public consumption, you can make use of a built-in teleprompter to read your scripts—no third-party app required.
From the Camera app, tap the video icon (to the right of the photo icon, under the shutter button), then tap the settings button up in the top left corner. If you switch to the Creator tab, you'll see there's a Teleprompter toggle switch you can turn on.
Once it's enabled, tap the Teleprompter icon on the capture window to enter your text (you can of course paste it in from somewhere else if you want). When the video recording starts, as you begin to talk through the script, it'll automatically advance for you.
This is one of the more well-hidden new features on the Pixel 11 phones. Pixel Search is designed to make it easier to find stuff on your phone (like messages and files) from a single search bar, but it's not the search bar on the home screen.
Instead, it's the one above the app grid. Swipe up on the home screen to get to the app grid, then tap in the search box at the top. The first time you do this on your Pixel 11, you'll see an introduction to the feature, together with a Go to Settings link.
Follow that link, then Apps in search results, and you can choose the content that Pixel Search will dive into—across Google Calendar, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Photos, and Settings, for example.
There's an exclusive Gboard add-on for Pixel 11 devices called Rambler, which Google has positioned as a super-smart upgrade on voice dictation. Phones have been able to turn speech into text for a long while now, but Rambler is better at dealing with natural speech rhythms, filler words, and pauses.
It's also better at editing. If you say "the meeting at 2pm... or rather 3pm" in your ramble, the "3pm" will make the finished transcript. If you're reviewing text Rambler has transcribed, you can launch Rambler again to make edits to it with natural prompts, too—something like "change the day from Friday to Saturday."
Load up Gboard on your Pixel 11 (any text input box will do), tap the microphone button, then read through the Rambler introduction and tap Get started. Once it's set up, it can be launched at any time through the microphone button.
You can go back to the standard voice dictation at any point, if you prefer it: From Gboard tap the menu button (the four squares on the left), then pick Settings > Voice typing.
You can use StandBy mode to turn an iPhone into a bedside clock, and the Pixel 11 handsets have something similar—sort of. From Settings, choose Display and touch > Screen saver, and you'll see there's a new Charge option there.
This displays a progress bar showing charge status, and a clock. Enable it, and if you hook your Pixel up to a magnetic wireless charger overnight, you've got a decent, minimal bedside display that works in portrait or landscape orientations.
If you keep tabs on your Android app updates in the Play Store, you might have noticed something odd: You have an app called "Android Pulse" on your phone. Most of us have way too many apps on our phones, and it's easy to forget that we downloaded some of them—especially when we install them once and never use them again. But I'd wager that not only do you have no recollection of downloading Android Pulse, but you have no idea what Android Pulse even is.
I had certainly never heard of Android Pulse before Monday morning, though I admit I spend far more time on iOS than on Android. Luckily, I don't think any level of Android knowledge or use would prime one to know about the app, as it appears Android Pulse is only three days old. As reported by 9to5Google, Android Pulse started appearing in Play Store updates as early as Saturday morning. In fact, its Play Store listing shows that it was released on August 21 of this year by none other than Google itself. And yet, after only three days on the Play Store, Android Pulse has over 10 million downloads.
As it turns out, Google didn't silently install a random app on tens of millions of Android users' devices. Rather, it's the Play Store listing itself that's new, not Android Pulse. According to its Play Store description, Android Pulse "facilitates rule distribution for anomaly detection in critical system resource consumption by the Android operating system and installed applications."
In layman's terms? Android Pulse keeps a virtual eye out for any suspicious processes that consume excessive system resources in both Android and your phone's apps. There are many possibilities there: It may be that Android Pulse looks for apps that put an unnecessary strain on the CPU or GPU, or system processes that drain your battery more than usual. Whatever the case, Android Pulse monitors for unusual activity affecting your phone and how it functions. And despite its new "app," there isn't much you can do with it. It isn't even clear if Android Pulse helps Android OS fix itself, or if Google simply receives the reports to help with future stability updates.
Interestingly, while the Play Store says the app is three days old, APKMirror says its first iteration dropped in March. Whatever the case, Android Pulse only made itself known this weekend, so it's news to most—if not all—of us.
The short answer? Nothing. Android Pulse appears to be a background system resource that just so happens to appear in app form. In fact, based on screenshots from Android Authority, it doesn't even appear that you can uninstall it. You might be able to disable or force stop Pulse, but I'm not sure you'd want to. The "app" is designed to root out system hogs; I suspect it won't become one itself.
Many of us don't think twice about the OS our smartphones are running. On the surface, it really seems like there are only two options: iOS, for those of us with iPhones, and Android, for all other phones. But the conversation is much more nuanced than that: Many non-Apple smartphone manufacturers have their own takes on Android that make for a slightly different experience. Samsung has One UI, OnePlus (RIP) has OxygenOS, and Nothing has Nothing OS, for example. (Pixel ships with stock Android, as Google makes both the hardware and the software.)
However, the mobile OS rabbit hole goes even deeper. If you're particularly technical (and you don't have an iPhone) you can install a new OS on your smartphone to give you added control or features you won't find on Android. GrapheneOS just so happens to be one of those custom OSes, and its list of supported devices is about to grow.
GrapheneOS is an open-source mobile OS designed with privacy and security in mind. While the OS is built on the Android Open Source Project, it employs a number of privacy and security features to both thwart common security vulnerabilities and block invasive trackers from scraping your data. Because it's built on Android, it supports Android apps, but won't include Google apps or services by default. It won't block Google Play outright, however: Users can choose to install Google Play in a "sandbox," which limits the elements of your phone Google's apps and services can access.
Crucially, GrapheneOS has a long list of requirements manufacturers must meet before it decides to support new devices. Some of those key prerequisites include the ability to run alternate OSes with full hardware security access, commitments for at least five years of updates, secure element integration, and hardware memory tagging, among many others. If you want to run this custom OS that prioritizes privacy and security, you either need to pick your new smartphone carefully, or hope your preferred manufacturer creates a device in the future that meets these specifications.
As of this article, only Google's Pixel phones currently support GrapheneOS—though GrapheneOS doesn't necessarily recommend using all supported Pixels at this time. The OS will run on Pixel 6 and newer (minus Pixel 11) but GrapheneOS recommends at least Pixel 8 or newer, because of Google's minimum seven years support, and Pixel 8's hardware memory tagging.
However, Pixels won't be the exclusive choice for GrapheneOS for long. The OS maker has been working with Motorola to bring support to its phones. And, as reported by The Verge, GrapheneOS recently announced some key updates on this front. Of note, Motorola's 2027 lineup of "slab" phones (non-folding, in other words) are currently planned to be the first to support GrapheneOS, which should support Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Elite chips. GrapheneOS explained its thought process in a Mastodon thread: It says that Motorola's current-generation phones, including the Motorola Signature, Razr Fold, and Razr Ultra, "are very close" to meeting its aforementioned security requirements, but are missing some crucial features coming to Motorola's 2027 lineup, including adequate secure element integration.
GrapheneOS also emphasizes its enthusiasm for Snapdragon chips, which it says provide better CPU and GPU performance as well as isolated components (such as cellular, wifi, Bluetooth), over Google's proprietary Tensor chip. GrapheneOS says that Tensor has been a "sidegrade or downgrade" from Snapdragon in many ways, but came with security advantages that Snapdragon hasn't caught up to yet—though that now appears to be changing. While GrapheneOS has found it harder to work with Pixel in recent years, the company says that Motorola has done much of the work in bringing GrapheneOS to its devices, which is encouraging: My guess is users who choose to install GrapheneOS should find it well-optimized.
GrapheneOS says it plans to support Motorola's foldable and flippable phones as well. The company says that it already supports the Pixel Fold, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold, so the foldable form factor is nothing new. However, a "flip" phone is a new design for the company. In addition, GrapheneOS is working on support for the 11th-generation Pixel devices.
If you're ever in an emergency situation, your can use your Google Pixel to get more information about what's going on and receive the help you need. While some emergency features are enabled by default, you do have to set most of them up before a crisis actually occurs.
It's worth noting that emergency settings aren't consistent across all Android devices. Many of Android's emergency features live within the Personal Safety app, which is automatically installed on all Pixel phones (4a and later). A version of this app is available to other Android users through the Google Play Store, though it may be labeled just "Safety" in your app list once downloaded and have different functionality across non-Pixel devices.
If you're ever out alone and want to ensure that someone knows where you are, Safety Check can prompt you to confirm that you're OK and notify your emergency contacts (with a link to your location) if you don't. This is especially useful during activities that present some risk, such as running at night, going to a party, or taking a ride share.
In Personal Safety, go to Safety Check, select the reason and duration for your check-in, and hit Next. Choose the contacts you want notified in case of emergency, and hit Start. You can notify your emergency contacts upfront—they'll receive a text with your name as well as Safety Check reason and duration. When you get the Safety Check prompt, choose from I'm OK. Don't Share, Start sharing now, or Call 911.
The Personal Safety app is also the hub for any information first responders might need in an emergency. Tap Your info > Medical information to add allergies, medications, blood type, and other health data, and Your info > Emergency contacts > Add contact to pull from your existing contact list. Then tap Emergency info access > Show when locked to make this information available from your Pixel lock screen. All someone has to do is swipe up on your lock screen and tap Emergency > View emergency info.
If you want to be able to send your location to emergency contacts, you must turn on Emergency Sharing in the Personal Safety app and select which individuals you want to notify. Note that your location is shared automatically through Android Emergency Location Service (ELS) when you call 911 unless you disable this feature in Settings > Location > Location services > Emergency Location Service or Google Emergency Location Service.
Emergency SOS is actually a collection of features that you can activate in an emergency, such as calling emergency services, sharing your location with your emergency contacts, and recording video. In Settings, go to Safety & emergency > Emergency SOS > Start setup. From here, you can add an emergency services number, turn on assisted calling, select contacts to share information with, and enable emergency video recording. Tap Done when you're finished. You can also select the activation method: either Touch & hold to start actions or Start actions automatically. (In an emergency, these options are activated after you press the power button quickly five times or more.)
Android has several settings for emergency alerts, which push a notification to your device in the event of severe weather, a natural disaster, or other local crisis. Government-issued emergency broadcasts also include AMBER alerts. You can manage how you want to receive these under Settings > Notifications > Wireless emergency alerts. Crisis alerts, meanwhile, provide localized information with links to Google Search results about the emergency. These are on by default, but you can adjust them under Settings > Safety & emergency > Crisis alerts. Finally, Android can provide earthquake alerts in certain areas (California, Oregon, and Washington in the U.S.) if you enable them under Settings > Safety & emergency > Earthquake alerts.
Pixel devices can detect severe car crashes—using data like your phone's location, motion sensors, and nearby sounds—and call emergency services for help. You do have to grant several permissions in order for detection to work, and it's not available in every country. To turn it on, open Personal Safety and go to Features > Car Crash Detection > Set up. You'll need to allow location sharing when the app is in use and allow microphone and physical activity sharing at all times. If your device does detect a crash, it'll send a prompt asking if you need help and automatically call emergency services if you don't respond.
In addition to making your medical information and contacts available when your phone is locked, you can add a lock screen message, which is visible to anyone who has access to your device. This can be useful for sharing a secondary contact in case your phone gets lost, but you can also put critical health alerts here, such as severe allergies or medical conditions that someone assisting you in an emergency might need to know without having to navigate any further.
Like on iOS, Android allows you to connect to emergency services via satellite if you don't have cellular data or wifi. This is available on Pixel 9 and later (except Pixel 9a) and works only with Google Messages as the default messaging app. When you attempt to dial 911 (or the emergency number in your area) when you're out of service, you'll see a Satellite SOS button. Tap and select Use Satellite SOS > Start. Follow the prompts to answer questions about your situation, notify emergency contacts, connect to a satellite, and open a text conversation with first responders.
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When Google announced the Pixel 11 series last week, it showed off a new "upgrade" for its Pro devices—including the Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. "HiLight" is a small light circle that rests on the camera bar of these Pro Pixels, and is designed to passively clue users into alerts while their phones are face down. If HiLight glows red, perhaps you have an incoming call from your friend; if it glows blue, perhaps Gemini is processing your request. The color that glows is up to you, but the core idea is the same: If HiLight is glowing, it's because someone is calling you, or Gemini is working.
Unfortunately, there's nothing else HiLight can do out of the box, which seems like a big missed opportunity for a brand-new hardware feature. Google wants customers to spend more for a Pro device, only to give them two things to do with this Pixel 11 Pro exclusive. And while there's certainly some utility in assigning contacts different colors, to silently know who's calling without needing to pick up your Pixel, there are so many other possibilities for HiLight that the current iteration feels way underbaked.
Enter: HiLight Studio, a new app from developer DhananjayBhosale. DhanajayBhosale's announcement appeared on my X feed, and it immediately caught my attention. The developer designed the app to take full advantage of Google's new hardware, even if Google isn't taking advantage itself. With HiLight Studio, you can assign colors and effects for notifications from any app on your Pixel, not just contacts. Chrome alerts can be blue, WhatsApp alerts can be green, and so on. In addition, you can effectively choose any shade of any color that Android allows, down to saturation and intensity levels.
There are also five lighting effects you can choose from: "Rainbow," "Comet," "Pulse," "Breathe," and "Wave," plus "Random" if you want to be surprised. These effects go beyond choosing a solid color: An alert could light up HiLight rainbow, or pulse in red. You can choose how long the colors and effects stay on for after each notification, and when to prevent HiLight from activating (e.g. while the screen is off, during Do Not Disturb, or when the battery hits a percentage you designate). You can save your presets and export them to other apps, and you can access your settings through a Quick Settings tile.
To be clear, this is not an app you can download from the Play Store. Instead, you need to install the APK from GitHub, which in turn needs shell-level access to your Pixel's lights service. That involves either setting up through Shizuku or ADB. DhanajayBhosale has instructions for each method, but keep in mind that this is a more technical approach than a simple app download. Luckily, there's no need to root your Pixel for this to work.
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Amazon currently has the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro in silver with 128GB of storage for $449, down from $499, and price trackers show that as its lowest price so far—helping it make a stronger case for itself against more conventional midrange Android phones, especially if you want something that feels a little less generic. That said, the Pixel 10a is the alternative I would look at if you want something more conventional. It costs $499, has a smaller 6.3-inch 120Hz display, and does not have the same visual personality, but it offers broader U.S. carrier support, Google’s more established camera processing, and seven years of software and security updates.
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro’s 6.83-inch AMOLED display is one of the highlights, with a 1,260-by-2,800 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate that makes scrolling and animations feel especially smooth. Nothing also claims up to 5,000 nits of peak brightness, so the screen should hold up well outdoors. Around back, the updated Glyph Matrix uses micro-LEDs for visual alerts and other information, while the aluminum unibody gives the phone a more premium feel than the plastic-heavy builds you typically still see in this price range. The tradeoff is that the unibody design hurts repairability, and there is no wireless charging, notes this PCMag review.
For everyday performance, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 and 8GB of RAM of the (4a) Pro should comfortably handle messaging, streaming, navigation, social apps, and regular multitasking. I would not choose it specifically for demanding mobile games, but that is unlikely to be a problem for most people shopping in this price range. As for its camera setup, it gives you a 50MP main camera, another 50MP camera, an 8MP ultrawide, and a 32MP front camera, so there is enough flexibility for travel, family photos, and everyday shooting without making this a camera-first phone. Battery life is also one of its stronger points, with PCMag’s testing showing more than 15 hours of use, which should make getting through a normal day fairly easy. You also get dual-SIM support with eSIM, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and IP65 resistance against dust and water.
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The Galaxy A57 5G is Samsung’s latest midrange phone, and Amazon currently has the 256GB model for $509.99, down from $609.99. At that price, it becomes a more reasonable alternative to Samsung’s pricier Galaxy S phones, particularly if you care more about a good screen, long battery life, and plenty of storage than having the fastest processor or top-end performance available.
Its 6.7-inch AMOLED display has a 120Hz refresh rate, so scrolling through apps, browsing the web, and moving around Android should all feel fluid, while the Full HD+ resolution is plenty sharp for streaming, reading, and everyday use. Samsung has also kept the phone fairly slim despite the large screen, and its IP68 rating gives you some reassurance around dust, rain, and accidental splashes.
Performance-wise, its Exynos 1680 chip and 8GB of RAM are enough for messaging, social media, streaming, navigation, and regular multitasking, but this is not the phone I would buy for demanding games or heavy performance workloads. On the other hand, its battery life is easier to get excited about, since the 5,000mAh battery should comfortably last through a typical day.
You also get a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilization, joined by a 12MP ultrawide and 5MP macro camera, giving you enough flexibility for everyday photos without positioning the A57 as a camera-first phone (though photography is not the reason I would choose this over something like a Pixel). Samsung’s long support window adds more value if you plan to keep the phone for several years, with six generations of operating-system upgrades and six years of security updates promised for the A57, according to this PCMag review.
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Gboard is the default keyboard option for a staggering number of Android smartphones across the globe, and it's not just limited to Pixels. If you have an Android device, you've probably used Gboard for years without giving it a second look. The default setup is good, the predictive text suggestions work, and in a pinch, you can swipe to type.
But like other seemingly basic Android apps and features, a lot more is hiding behind Gboard's surface simplicity. Explore the menus, tweak the settings, and learn some gestures, and you'll uncover a ton of useful features that can make it faster and easier to use—without switching to an entirely new keyboard. Here are my favorite tips, tricks, and hacks for Gboard.
You don’t need to go looking for ad-filled clipboard manager apps on Android: Gboard is hiding a capable clipboard manager in plain sight, but it’s not enabled by default. In the Gboard app, tap the Menu button and choose the Clipboard option. On your first try, enable the feature. Now you will see all your copied items here in a handy list. Gboard automatically deletes clipboard entries every hour (a nice security feature), but you can pin any and every entry in the clipboard using the long-press menu. Once pinned, the entry will stay put. You can use this feature to copy and paste items you use frequently, like email templates or your mailing address.
If you’re an Android power user, or if you manage your business or college work via your Android smartphone, you might want a faster way to input long strings of text. On Mac and Windows, you might be familiar with text expansion features and apps. Gboard for Android offers something similar, only it’s called Personal Dictionary for some reason.
Here, you can add any custom phrase and an associated shortcut. The shortcut, when entered, will show the expanded phrase in the suggestion bar. Go to Gboard Settings > Dictionary > Personal Dictionary and tap the Plus button to add a new phrase.
The Backspace (or Delete) key on the Pixel isn’t static. If you swipe left from the backspace key, you’ll start to delete entire words, instead of just letters. Similarly, you can move the cursor around using the space bar: Hold the space bar and move your finger left or right to precisely move the cursor around. And if you want to avoid switching views to enter symbols, just hold the Period (dot) key to reveal the full symbols keyboard. Swipe to the symbol you wish to enter, let go, and you're done.
If you need to enter numbers on Gboard, you can go two ways about it. First, there is a hidden gesture, where you flick keys to enter alternative symbols. So if you swipe down on the letter “e”, it will type in the number “3” instead. Super handy, and can be enabled from Settings > Preferences > Flick keys to enter symbols.
But if you type numbers all the time, nothing can beat a dedicated numbers row to Gboard (though that will take up extra space). From Preferences, you can enable the Number row to get quick access to the number keys.
Tap the Menu button in the Gboard keyboard, and choose the One-handed option. You will now see a smaller keyboard, tucked to one edge. You can tap the Arrow button to change the docking position. You can also tap the Edit button to freely move and resize the keyboard (make it smaller or bring it closer to the bottom edge).
If you don’t like the default size for the Gboard keyboard, you can shorten it, or choose to have it take up half of the screen, with larger keys. Tap the Menu button in the Gboard toolbar, and choose the Resize option. Now, you can drag the handlebar to make the keyboard taller or shorter (you can’t change the width in this feature).
On a big-screen phone or an Android tablet, trying to enter text while seeing what's under the keyboard can be a hassle, especially if you're using multi-app view. But Gboard doesn't have to be docked to the bottom of the screen. From the Gboard Menu, tap the Floating button to detach the keyboard. Now, you can grab the handlebar to move it across the screen to wherever you want. You can also resize the keyboard to make it smaller.
On a computer, text editing is easier and faster. You have arrow keys to move around, a mouse for precise selection, and shortcuts for copying and pasting. Google might have realized this gap on smartphones and tablets, which is why the Text Editing feature in Gboard's Menu exists: When triggered, it replaces the keyboard with big buttons dedicated to selecting and manipulating text.
The new keyboard features a big directional pad with arrows, and a Select button right in the middle. You can use the arrow to move the cursor letter by letter, or press and hold to jump between words. Once the text is selected, use the Cut, Copy, and Paste buttons to manipulate text without ever having to fiddle with long-press gestures or swipes on the screen.
Emojis are kind of boring in 2026, and picking the right GIF feels like an enormous task. Gboard's Emoji Kitchen is somewhere in between. Go to the Emoji tab in Gboard, select two emojis, and Google combines them into a unique emoji sticker. You'll see multiple pairing options so you can choose the one you like.
Pasted in some text that you now need to delete? Don't do the text selection dance. Instead, use Gboard's built-in Undo button. Tap the Menu button, and you should see Undo in the features list. To make this habit stick, add the button to the toolbar by tapping the Edit button, and dragging the Undo button to the top toolbar. Save the arrangement, and now you have a dedicated undo/redo button in easy reach.
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At first glance, you might think Google's new Pixel Watch 5 was actually the Pixel Watch 4. That's because it has the same "Actua 360 display" at an identical 320 PPI with up to 3,000 nits of brightness. And, just like the Pixel Watch 4, you can get the Pixel Watch 5 in either 41mm or 45mm models. If not for the new colors, you might think this year's watch is just like last year's watch.
It doesn't help that many of the newest software features that Google announced along with the Pixel Watch 5 are compatible with older watches, too. Things like "Health Guardian," which tracks trends in insulin resistance, blood pressure, and sleep breathing, will be available on Pixel Watch 4 when they launch, just as they will be on Pixel Watch 5. But while the Pixel Watch 5 is a small update to the Pixel Watch 4, it is an update: There are six new features exclusive to the watch that you won't find on older models.
The Pixel Watch 4 runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip; the Pixel Watch 5 runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated chip. That might not sound like a big difference, and, indeed, we don't have benchmarks at this time to say just how much faster the Pixel Watch 5 is than its predecessor.
However, according to Google, the Pixel 5's "Accelerated" chip is powering on-device AI features faster than before. That includes Google's "Raise to Talk" feature, which lets you interact with Gemini by raising your wrist. The company says these features on Pixel Watch 5 now process "instantly with low latency," even when you aren't connected to the internet.
The chip also powers Gemini Intelligence Proactive Suggestions (Google previously called this Magic Cue). These are new suggestions that automatically appear based on the context of what you're doing: If someone asks you for your flight info, Gemini can use your Pixel Watch 5's chip to dig through your apps to surface that info by presenting it as an option to share with a tap. Google says the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated chip has 50% more RAM than the previous generation, as well as a 12% CPU boost, which makes the whole chip 20% faster overall.
Google has some bold claims for the Pixel Watch 5. Not only does the company claim that its newest watch has the most accurate GPS route tracking of any Pixel Watch (the company says it has double the accuracy of previous generations in the "toughest environments"), Google says its more accurate than Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Garmin Fenix 8 Pro. We'll have to see how true those claims are when reviewers put the watch to the test.
To make these leaps in GPS route tracking, Google says it tapped into Google Maps to "trace satellite ray paths through 3D building models." The company also explains how Pixel Watch 5 can connect to weather reference stations around the globe in real time to adjust for local atmospheric conditions. Google claims all these steps improve route precision.
While Pixel Watch 4 shares many of the new health features Google is rolling out in coming months, the Pixel Watch 5 does win in certain categories. Google says the newest watch has 15% more accurate sleep stage detection, which should improve sleep tracking overall. In addition, your bedtime automation on the Pixel Watch 5 can pause audiobooks automatically when you fall asleep, and there's now a dedicated bedtime watch face.
Google says Pixel Watch 5 comes with two new "stunning" watch faces, as well as 11 new "glanceable" complication styles. The company didn't highlight what those looked like in their press releases, but 9to5Google has images of the faces (Weave and Chronograph). You can also use AI to generate new watch faces if the available options aren't to your liking.
Google says the Watch 5 has three new color options, though only two are available in both sizes. Those include Fog, Olive, and Canyon, though the latter is a 41mm exclusive. If you're set on the 45mm model, you could instead choose the Stephen Curry Special Edition, as that model isn't available in 41mm.
One health feature exclusive to Pixel Watch 5 is "breathing emergency detection." Google says the Pixel Watch 5 can use on-device AI to read its PPG, accelerometer, and barometer sensors all at once, in an effort to detect if you stop breathing. That could be from drug toxicity accidents, pneumonia, or choking. The company says if your watch detects a breathing emergency and you can't respond, it will reach out to emergency services on your behalf, even sharing your live location. This feature is launching in Europe first.
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Hours before its big Made by Google event, Google officially unveiled the Pixel 11 series. The new line won't come as a surprise to anyone who follows Google tech: There's the new Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, as well as the Pixel 11 Pro Fold—for anyone who can get past the $1,899 starting price.
Each of these devices stands out in its own way: The Pixel 11 Pro XL is larger than the Pixel 11 and 11 Pro, while the Pixel 11 Pro Fold can open up to reveal one large inner display. Google has set up this series to allow customers to pick the phone that best aligns with their needs, but there are also features you get no matter which phone you go with. In fact, there seem to be four such upgrades each Pixel 11 device comes with. If you're looking for preorder deals, check out our guide here.
Google's Pixel line might be best known for its cameras. As such, it only makes sense that the Pixel 11 series would ship with upgraded shooters. The Pixel 11 now has a 48MP main camera that Google says is 56% more sensitive to light. Plus, the 5x telephoto lens now supports Google's 30x "Super Zoom."
The Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL also get brand new sensors on the main cameras, while the telephoto camera gets bumped up to 48MP. Google says its new image sensor is 30% more light-sensitive than before. The Pros also support Portrait Mode at 5x zoom, and "Pro Zoom" at 120x. And when shooting in low-light conditions, Night Sight is now 4.5x faster than it was on Pixel 10 Pro. Finally, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold also comes with a new 48MP main camera that supports 30x Super Zoom.
No matter which Pixel 11 device you choose, Google says you get upgraded charging over last year's Pixel 10. The Pixel 11 gets the fewest upgrades here, however: Google says it has the "fastest charging yet," using PixelSnap built-in, but that appears to be it.
All three "Pro" Pixel 11 devices, however, now support Qi 2.2, a faster wireless charging standard. If you use a 25W charger, you should notice quicker speeds when wirelessly charging. The Pixel 11 Pro XL might be the phone to get if charging speeds are your thing, however. With a 45W USB-C charger, Google says you can get 15 hours of use with 15 minutes of charging.
As with most smartphone upgrades, this year's series gets Google's latest chip: the Tensor G6. The company says Tensor G6 is the "fastest, most powerful" Google chip yet, and features a CPU that supports 25% faster web browsing and 15% faster app launches. The company claims the new chip can power on-device AI tasks 3.5x faster than Tensor G5, while at the same time being 3.5x more efficient than before. That should help power all of the AI features Google continues to push.
Say goodbye to 128GB of storage. Starting with the Pixel 11 series, all of Google's phones now start at 256GB. That news isn't as good as it sounds, though: While your base model Pixel 11 will have double the storage of a base model Pixel 10, Google still charges the same for 256GB as it did last year. That means the company effectively raised the entry price for each Pixel 11 device.
A previous version of this article reported that Pixel 11 shipped with HiLight, but that feature is only available on Pixel 11 Pro devices.
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The "Made by Google" event will kick off tonight at 6 pm ET on YouTube, with Google officially announcing its new products, including new Pixel phones and watches—but retailers, phone carriers, and the Google website itself are already offering preorder deals for the new products. Here are the best deals you can find so far.
Google is offering bundle and trade-in deals for the Pixel 11 and the Pixel Watch 5. With a Pixel 11 Pro preorder, you'll get $250 off the new Google Pixel Watch 5 (originally $499.99) or $200 in Google Store credit. This deal only applies if you buy the unlocked version and not directly from Google Fi, Verizon, or AT&T. Google is also offering up to $600 back in trade-in credits.
Other models, like the Google Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, also have similar deals. If you just want one of the Pixel phones, there are trade-in deals if you get it with Google Fi, Verizon, or AT&T. There are also extra trade-in credits for the Pixel Watch 5 and two years of data for the Pixel Watch 5 LTE.
Best Buy is offering the best gift card preorder deal. You can get up to $350 in Best Buy e-gift cards when you pre-order a new unlocked Pixel phone.
The Pixel 11 256GB starts at $899 and comes with a $100 gift card.
The Pixel 11 Pro 256GB starts at $1,099 and gets you a $200 gift card.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL 256GB starts at $1,299 and also comes with a $200 gift card.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold 256GB starts at $1,899 and comes with a $350 gift card.
If you want to go for trade-ins, you can bring the cost of the Pixel 11 down to $99 with qualifying products, specifically if you trade in a Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold for a Google Pixel 11 Pro 256GB. For the Pixel Watch 5, Best Buy is only offering trade-in deals.
Amazon is also offering gift card deals (matching those from Best Buy) and is the only retailer to offer discounts on bundles for the Pixel Watch 5. Here are the deals:
The Pixel 11 256GB starts at $899 and comes with a $100 gift card.
The Pixel 11 Pro 256GB starts at $1,099 and gets you a $200 gift card.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL 256GB starts at $1,299 and also comes with a $200 gift card.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold 256GB starts at $1,899 and comes with a $350 gift card.
Pixel phone with Pixel 5 Watch bundle:
The Pixel 11 + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 41mm WiFi starts at $1,168.99 (originally $1,298.99).
The Pixel 11 + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 45mm WiFi starts at $1,198.99 (originally $1,328.99).
The Pixel 11 Pro + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 41mm WiFi starts at $1,248.99 (originally $1,498.99).
The Pixel 11 Pro + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 45mm WiFi starts at $1,278.99 (originally $1,528.99).
The Pixel 11 Pro XL + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 41mm WiFi starts at $1,448.99 (originally $1,698.99).
The Pixel 11 Pro XL + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 45mm WiFi starts at $1,478.99 (originally $1,728.99).
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 41mm WiFi starts at $1,898.99 (originally $2,298.99).
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold + Pixel Watch 5 Obsidian 45mm WiFi starts at $1,928.99 (originally $2,328.99).
If you don't mind being tied down to a carrier contract, T-Mobile and AT&T are offering some good deals.
Get the Pixel 11 or Pixel 11 Pro for free when you trade in an eligible phone in any condition on a 36-month Experience Beyond plan.
Get the Pixel 11 Pro XL for free when you activate a new line on a 36-month Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in required).
Get the Pixel Watch 5 with a $300 discount in 36-month credits when you add a line on an eligible plan.
Get the Pixel 11 Pro for $0 when you trade in any old Google Pixel in any condition when you sign up for a 36-month eligible plan.
Get the Pixel 11 Pro XL for $0 with an eligible trade-in when you sign up for a 36-month eligible plan.
Get the Pixel 11 for $10.99 per month with no trade-in required when you sign up for a 36-month eligible plan.
Get the Pixel Watch 5 45mm for 50% off when you add a line on an eligible plan.
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Made by Google 2026 officially starts at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, but you wouldn't know it from today's tech headlines. Some eight hours before the event was scheduled to begin, Google seemingly announced all of the new hardware and software features it plans to reveal during its main keynote. Unless the company is saving some secrets for the show, it appears all the actual news from Made by Google is already out there.
As such, we already know all about Google's new Pixel 11 lineup, including the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL. We've seen the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, the Pixel Watch 5, and even the Pixel Tag, Google's first AirTag competitor. Plus, Google shared some details on new features coming to these devices, as well as existing Pixel products. While we still need to wait until this evening to actually watch the full event, here's everything the company announced ahead of Made by Google 2026.
At first glance, Google's Pixel 11 series doesn't look all that different from the Pixel 10 series. The company chose to carry over the Pixel's current design, which means the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro XL all feature a large, oval camera bump on the back, and a small circular camera cutout on the front. However, Google says it reduced the Pixel 11's camera bar thickness by 40%, which it advertises makes for a "virtually bumpless" experience when using a "Made by Google" case.
The Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL are brighter this year: Google says the displays can reach up to 3,600 nits, with an upgraded anti-scratch coating that the company claims more than doubles scratch resistance compared to the Pixel 10 Pro. All things considered, Google says the 11 Pros are the most durable Pixels yet.
It turns out the storage rumors were true: Google is dropping the 128GB models this year. All three Pixel 11 phones start with 256GB of storage, which is great for keeping large files on-device, but not so great for your wallet. While the 256GB option costs as much as last year's 256GB Pixel 10 devices, Google effectively raised the cost of entry by eliminating the cheaper 128GB option. Now, the cheapest Pixel 11 starts at $899.
All three Pixel 11 devices come with the new Tensor G6 chip, which unsurprisingly brings upgrades over last year's Tensor G5. Google says this chip's CPU supports 25% faster web browsing and opens apps 15% quicker. The TPU handles 50% more compute, which means the G6 can process on-device AI functions 3.5 times faster than before, at 3.5 times the energy efficiency.
Perhaps Google's "funnest" feature this year is "HiLight," a new LED that lives in the camera bar. Google says you can rely on the light for alerts, so you can keep tabs on important updates while your phone is face down. For example, you can assign colors to different contacts, so you know who's calling without having to pick up your phone. Plus, the light can glow in specific patterns when you talk to Gemini to indicate whether the AI is listening, "thinking," or responding to you. However, as Marques Brownlee highlights, there isn't much else you can do with HiLight, which seems like a missed opportunity—especially when other Android manufacturers, like Nothing, offer a ton of customization with their LEDs. Google says it plans to add new capabilities in the future, like message notifications from favorite contacts, but we'll have to wait to see whether the company decides to take full advantage of this fun hardware feature.
Google's Pixel line has always been known for its cameras, and this year is likely no exception. Google says all three of its Pixel 11 phones come with major camera upgrades. The Pixel 11, for instance, has a 48MP main sensor that adds 56% more light sensitivity, and the 5x telephoto lens now supports 30x "Super Zoom," thanks to the Tensor G6 chip. The Pros get some unique updates of their own: Google says the main sensor on each is brand new this year, and the telephoto sensor is now bumped up to 48MP with 30% more light sensitivity. Portrait Mode now works at 5x, and "Pro Zoom" now works up to 120x. Google says the Pixel 11's low-light photography should also look better now, as Night Sight works 4.5 times faster.
The Pixel 11 comes in four colors: "Pistachio," "Hibiscus," "Frost," and "Obsidian." The Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL are available in "Canyon," "Fog," "Olive," and all-matte "Obsidian." They also come with faster charging, especially on the Pros. Those phones support Qi 2.2 charging at 25W, and you can get 15 hours of battery on the Pixel 11 Pro XL with just 15 minutes of wired charging—assuming you have the right setup.
Google also announced the successor to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold today, but like the Pixel 11 series, it's a bit of a "blink and you'll miss it" update. These phones are quite similar, though Google touts some slight design upgrades: The new foldable is nearly 10% lighter and 1mm thinner than before. It has the same IP68 water and dust resistance as before, but now, the new glass fiber composite materials make the Pixel 11 Pro Fold "nearly impossible to crack," or so says Google. The company claims the foldable is three times more durable than the previous iteration, with improved crease performance on the hinge.
Like the Pixel 11 series, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold's displays are brighter this year, also reaching 3,600 nits of peak brightness. The Fold also gets the HiLight LED, though nothing is different on the foldable's light. This phone also supports Qi2.2 at 25W, and you can get up to 50% charge in 30 minutes when using a 30W wired charger. Google says the foldable can reach up to 24 hours of battery life, so, theoretically, you should be able to make it through a full day without needing to top off.
The Fold also gets Google's newest Tensor G6 chip, this time with 16GB of RAM. Google says that powers its new "sign-to-text" feature, which it developed with the Deaf community. This feature lets you sign in Live Transcribe, which then translates your sign language into text. Google says the feature works with both one-handed and two-handed signing. This new Fold also gets a new 48MP main sensor, and the telephoto camera now supports up to 30x Super Zoom.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold comes in either Obsidian or Olive. The phone starts at $1,899.
Google also announced the fifth generation of its Pixel Watch line. The new watch comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 Accelerated processor, with 50% more RAM and a 12% faster CPU than last year's Pixel Watch 4. Google says the Pixel Watch 5 is its most accurate GPS route tracking ever, with double the accuracy of previous models. The company claims its tracking accuracy beats the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro.
Google says the Pixel Watch 5 has 15% more accurate sleep stage detection than before, so your sleep tracking should be more in line with reality. It also comes with a new breathing emergency detection feature that uses the watch's multimodal sensors and on-device AI to watch for "severe, persistent drops in oxygen saturation." If your watch detects a breathing emergency, it can call emergency services on your behalf and share your exact location. (This is launching in Europe first.) The company also teased a new Strength Training workout mode that will offer step-by-step directions for your exercises.
While not specific to Pixel Watch 5, Google also announced "Health Guardian," a suite of features that track changes in your health over time, including trends in insulin resistance, blood pressure, sleep breathing quality, and the aforementioned breathing emergency detection. You'll get a monthly summary in the Google Health app that points out any notable changes. This works with "qualified Pixel Watches" and Fitbit Air, though Google didn't note exactly which Pixel Watches work with these new features.
The Pixel Watch 5 has a 3,000-nit "domed" Actua 360 display with 11 new complication styles. Google also added two new watch faces, with additional generative watch face options. The watch can run for up to 30 hours off the charger (41mm) or 40 hours (45mm).
It comes in Fog, Olive, or Canyon (41mm only), and starts at $399 (41mm) and $429 (45mm). There's also a Stephen Curry Special Edition (45mm) that starts at $579.
As it turns out, the rumors were also right about the Pixel Tag: Yes, Google has been working on its own version of Apple's AirTag. Instead of working with Apple's Find My network, Pixel Tag uses Google's Find Hub network to achieve the same goals. Pixel Tag can connect to more than a billion Android devices across the world to update its location using end-to-end encrypted information.
Google says the Pixel Tag is IP67 water- and dust-resistant, with a built-in speaker for locating the device. It also has its own button you can press to ping your phone, something AirTags don't come with. Like AirTags, Pixel Tags last one year on a single battery, which you can replace yourself.
Setting up a Pixel Tag is identical to setting up an AirTag: You hold the device near your phone, and setup instructions appear on-screen. From there, you can choose to share a Pixel Tag with up to 10 people. When you need to find a Pixel Tag, you can use both Ultra-Wideband and Bluetooth Channel Sounding for precision finding, which provides turn-by-turn directions to locate your tracker.
You can use Left Behind alerts to know whether you forgot an item, and your phone will tell you whether an unknown Pixel Tag is following you. Like AirTags, you can pick up a Pixel Tag for $29 a pop, or $99 for a four-pack. The Pixel Tag launches Nov. 11.
While Google isn't releasing any new earbuds today, it is updating its existing models. Pixel Buds Pro 2 are getting Dynamic ANC, which adjusts noise cancellation when the buds shift in your ears. You will be able to ask Gemini to adjust audio controls, such as setting bass levels, and Pixel Watch will be able to pause your earbuds' audio when it detects you fall asleep. Live Translate will work in over 70 languages when tapping your Buds, and Pixel Buds Pro 2 now come in Olive. (The software features start rolling out in September.)
Finally, Google announced new apps that, over the coming weeks, will connect to Gemini for additional functionality. That includes the following:
Angi
Fever
GetYourGuide
Granola
iHeartRadio
Localiza
OpenTable (UK)
Otter.ai
Pandora
Thumbtack
Ticketmaster
Wix
Zocdoc
If you have an Android device, you officially have a new app store to try out—the first of likely many to come. Unless you've dabbled in sideloading before, all of the apps on your smartphone or tablet probably came from the Play Store, Google's own app marketplace, or the official app store of your device's manufacturer, e.g., the Samsung Galaxy store. Starting today, however, you can download this new third-party app store from the Google Play Store.
As reported by The Verge, starting today, Aug. 10, you can download the "Aptoide Games" app marketplace on your Android directly through the Play Store. Aptoide isn't necessarily new: The company has operated an unofficial app store that you could sideload on your Android before this change, helpful for accessing apps you couldn't find on Google's official store. But now, you're able to install it on your smartphone like any other app from the Play Store.
While today is newsworthy, this development could have happened any time over the past two and a half weeks. Google has actually allowed developers to create and distribute third-party app stores on the Play Store since July 22. That decision wasn't really Google's, however, as the company would likely prefer keeping the Play Store as the only official app marketplace available to most Android users. Instead, the change in policy is the result of an agreement between Google and Epic Games, following years of litigation. Epic Games, maker of Fortnite, has long fought both Google and Apple in court, claiming the companies had unfair controls over app marketplaces.
While not all of Epic Games' suits have been fruitful, the company has certainly succeeded: A judge found Google had an illegal monopoly over Android applications and needed to open up its platform to third-party options. Google fought the ruling, then tried to compromise with Epic Games to allow for third-party app stores—just not through the Play Store. The company rather abruptly changed course, however, and agreed to host third-party app stores on the Play Store.
While app marketplaces like Aptoide Games are now allowed on the Play Store, they have to operate under some specific rules set out by Google, especially as it pertains to security, privacy, and user safety. They can distribute their own apps, as well as apps found on the Play Store, but they must pay Google certain fees to maintain the overall integrity of the platform.
Aptoide might be the first, but it won't be the last. Expect Epic Games to launch its own app store imminently, seeing as it was the company leading this charge in the first place. But more app marketplaces will likely follow suit.
Almost a full year has passed since the launch of Google's Pixel 10 phones, which of course means it's time for the Pixel 11 handsets to make their debut. Another Made by Google event has been scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 12, with everything getting underway in New York from 6 pm EDT / 3 pm PDT.
As Google usually launches new Pixels at this time of year—and has already dropped some pretty revealing teasers on the Google Store—we have a good idea of what's coming. Add in a recent flurry of leaks and rumors from reputable tipsters, and it's possible to generate a clear picture of what will be announced next week.
Starting with the Pixel 11 phones, it looks like there will be four new models, just like last year: The Google Pixel 11, the higher-spec Pixel 11 Pro, the higher-spec and larger Pixel 11 Pro XL, and the foldable Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Google has already namechecked and teased the design of the Pixel 11 Pro and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold on social media.
You can see from those official teasers that the familiar Pixel design language is back, with the addition of a colorful notification LED on the rear camera bar. Early rumors suggested this would be called "Pixel Glow," but reputable tipster Roland Quandt has dug up some material suggesting it'll actually be called "HiLight," and will be used to indicate Gemini chats or incoming communications from priority contacts.
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For everything else, we're relying on unofficial sources. Veteran leaker Evan Blass, who has one of the best track records in the business, has shared renderings of all four expected phones, including the Pixel 11 and the Pixel 11 Pro XL that Google hasn't specifically mentioned so far.
Aside from HiLight, there aren't really any design surprises here, but Google is apparently once again tweaking the color options. A comprehensive leak published at MyMobiles lists Blue, Green, Midnight, and Pink for the standard Pixel 11; and Green, Light Green, Silver, Midnight, and Red for the Pro and Pro XL.
In terms of specs, most reports suggest the devices will have a Tensor G6 chipset, up from the Tensor G5 in the Pixel 10. Speed gains might not be huge, but it will be the first Pixel processor to be based on a 2-nanometer manufacturing process, which should make it more efficient. A new modem is also expected, which should provide faster and more reliable 5G.
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A full specs list published by Android Headlines shows 12GB or 16GB as the RAM options, and storage starting at 256GB (rather than 128GB, as was the case last year). That extra storage comes with a price bump: These phones are predicted to start at $899 for the Pixel 11, $1,099 for the Pixel 11 Pro, $1,299 for the Pixel 11 Pro XL, and $1,899 for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, all $100 more than their equivalent Pixel 10 models.
As for cameras, the rumors suggest they will stay largely the same as last year, which means triple-lens cameras on the back of every model. Battery capacities are expected to be more or less the same across the board too, with slight increases or decreases depending on the model.
Phones aren't the only new devices tipped to show up on Aug. 12. New Pixel handsets usually arrive alongside a new Pixel Watch as well, and that looks certain to be the case this year. While Google hasn't officially mentioned a smartwatch is coming, seasoned tipster Steve McFly has revealed a host of renderings for the Pixel Watch 5.
Once again, these renders show 41 mm and 45 mm variants in the standard Pixel Watch design, while slight battery capacity increases are rumored. However, the chip inside (the Snapdragon Wear W5 Gen 2 SoC) is believed to be the same as the Google Pixel Watch 4, with pricing is said to start at $399 for the 41 mm version and $429 for the 45 mm version (up by $50 and $70, respectively, over the Pixel Watch 4 models).
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As an added bonus, it's looking very much like Google will finally launch its own AirTag rival at this event. Images and pricing have emerged for the Google Pixel Tag, which looks like a fairly nondescript little Bluetooth tracker, and which will no doubt work through Google's Find My portal to help you recover lost gadgets.
The leaks so far haven't given any hints about a rechargeable battery or support for the ultra-wideband (UWB) tech that makes AirTags so accurate, but European pricing is expected to be €34.90 for a single Pixel Tag. That's almost exactly the price of an Apple AirTag in the region, so a $29 price in the U.S. seems likely.
For the longest time, Google Assistant was the bot to beat. While those of us in the Apple ecosystem have struggled to get Siri to follow our commands, Google Assistant could answer almost any query you had. It led the charge on conversational AI, which let you ask a follow-up without needing to restate the original question in full. I've never been one to rely much on assistants, but I'll admit that I've wished Siri could be a bit more like Google Assistant over the years.
Of course, Google Assistant isn't Google's assistant of choice these days. Since March of 2024, the company has let users swap out Google Assistant for Gemini, Google's flagship AI platform. Then, just one year later, the company officially replaced its popular bot with Gemini across its platforms and services. Google didn't outright kill off Google Assistant then and there; you've been able to use it if you wish, but it did say it would require Google Assistant at some point in 2025. 2025 has come and gone, and Google Assistant is still here, but that won't be the case for long.
As reported by 9to5Google, Google Assistant will officially begin shutting down on Friday, Sept. 4. The company alerted some Google Assistant users via email, letting them know that Google Assistant is being discontinued, and Gemini, "our next-generation AI-powered assistant," is now the official Android assistant. On that date, Google says it will begin removing access to Google Assistant from devices, though it may take "a few weeks to reach everyone." That means you may still have access to Google Assistant through the third week in September, though you could lose access at any point.
This Google Assistant end-of-life doesn't just apply to Android smartphones and tablets. Google says it will also revoke its legacy assistant from Wear OS watches, headphones, and Android Auto—at least when the feature is powered by the user's smartphone. Google says that "Google built-in" cars will still be able to use Google Assistant after Sept. 4.
At this time, Google TV devices and Google Home speakers and smart displays still have access to Google Assistant. However, in some cases, it seems you cannot revert back to Google Assistant if you choose to use Gemini on your device.
Full disclosure: I'm all-in on the Apple ecosystem, and I don't necessarily plan to switch anytime soon—but that doesn't mean I don't peek at what could be. I have few complaints about my aging Apple Watch, but, I'll admit, Android smartwatches can be pretty cool. While I don't think I'd be doing a whole lot of web browsing on my watch, the fact that the Galaxy Watch has a dedicated browser is a great feature. (For the uninitiated: Apple Watches have a built-in web browser that only appears when watchOS deems a search relevant. There is no Safari app for the Apple Watch.)
If you have a Galaxy Watch, you probably already know you can install Samsung Browser on your device. What you might not know, however, is that your wearable web browser just got an excellent upgrade that makes it function even more like a desktop web browser. As reported by SamMobile, Samsung Browser for Galaxy Watch now lets you download images from webpages. That means if you stumble across a picture on the web, you can download it directly to your Galaxy Watch, rather than switch to your phone, tablet, or computer to save it.
First, update Samsung Browser to its latest version, then open it and navigate to a webpage of your choosing. When you find an image you want to download, long-press on the image, and you'll see a new "Download Image" option. Tap it, and your image will save on your watch. You can find all downloaded images in the "Downloads" folder on the Samsung Browser home page.
SamMobile notes that this option doesn't seem to work until the website has fully loaded. As such, you may need to wait a bit longer than you might expect before you're able to download an image. In addition, there are some limitations: You can download PNG, JPEG, JPG, and GIFs up to 10MB. If you come across a different file type, or the image in question is too large, you won't be able to download it.
This should work on any Galaxy Watch that can run the latest version of Samsung Browser. However, if you're in the market for an upgrade, Samsung recently announced the Galaxy Watch 9 at its July Unpacked event. The watch is due out Aug. 7, so you can preorder it now or wait until it comes out to see if older Galaxy Watches come down in price.
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If you own an Android phone, it's more likely to be a Samsung Galaxy handset than anything else—Samsung is comfortably ahead of the likes of Google, Xiaomi, and others when it comes to global market share. And if you've got a Galaxy, you've got access to a selection of features you won't find on other Android devices.
Samsung has added a bunch of its own ideas and settings on top of Google's mobile operating system, and if you want to make the most of your Galaxy, you need to know about them. Here are some of the best ways to hack your Samsung Galaxy experience.
Why keep changing the settings on your phone if your phone can do it for you? Routines is a Galaxy utility that will wait for certain triggers and then take certain actions—one example would be turning on Do Not Disturb mode whenever you reach the office, then turning it off again when you leave.
Head to Settings then pick Modes and Routines. The first screen is Modes—specific notification settings for sleeping, working out, gaming, and so on—but if you switch to the Routines tab you can start adding some new automations.
The available triggers include times, places, specific wifi networks (like home or the office), connected devices (such as headphones), and events (like incoming notifications). Actions to take cover everything from specific Do Not Disturb modes and display settings to tasks inside apps (such as creating calendar events) and accessibility options.
If you haven't explored the Edge Panel feature much, you might not have realized just how capable it is. It's not just for shortcuts to apps—you can also add shortcuts to your favorite contacts, which is potentially even more useful.
From Settings, select Display > Edge Panels, then activate the feature via the toggle switch and tap Panels. Make sure the People panel is selected, and use the Edit button to select specific contacts. Tap the three dots then Reorder to put the contacts panel first.
There are plenty more Edge Panel customization options on these screens as well. You can choose which side of the screen it shows up on and how transparent it is, for example.
Samsung Galaxy phones can take one of your photos, apply it as the wallpaper on your device, and then dynamically adjust it based on the time of day and weather conditions—dimming the backdrop and covering it with raindrops if there's a storm at night, for instance.
You can configure this from Settings by tapping Wallpaper and style, then Change wallpapers > Create with AI > Weather. You'll need to pick an image and allow location access, and the new wallpaper will be applied to the lock screen. To make further changes to the lock screen, press and hold on it while your handset is locked. You're able to then adjust elements like the shortcuts and widgets on the display, as well as the wallpaper.
Galaxy phones come with a special brightness and vibrancy boost for watching video content, whether it's something you've saved locally or something you're streaming. From Settings, tap Advanced features > Video brightness, select Bright, and then use the toggle switches to select the apps it applies to.
Besides beeps and vibrations, notifications on Galaxy handsets can have some cool lighting effects associated with them as well. It's a fun way to make sure you see your incoming alerts, and it also can give you a quick idea of what the notifications are for.
Open Settings, then select Notifications > Notification pop-up style > Add lighting effect. You've got a choice of styles and colors to choose from, and you can set the duration for the lighting effect. For the lighting effects where you can choose a color, you can change that color based on matching keywords by selecting Lighting effect color by keyword. You could put in a contact's name and assign them a special color, for example.
This one is simple but useful: You can change what a double tap on the side button does by opening Settings and choosing Advanced features > Side button. You can have it launch the camera, the flashlight, or a specific app, for example. On the same screen, you can also adjust what a long press on the side button does—you can have it either launch one of the digital assistants installed on the phone (like Bixby or Gemini) or bring up the power menu.
There are likely to be multiple situations where you're trying to use your Samsung phone with one hand rather than two (walking the dog, carrying groceries), and that's where one-handed mode comes in.
It's enabled from Settings via Advanced features > One-handed mode, and you can then activate it by swiping down at the bottom of the screen to get a smaller, more reachable interface. Repeat the gesture again to go back to normal.
Multi Windows is another useful feature available on Samsung Galaxy phones—though it's likely to be most useful on the biggest phone displays. It lets you get two apps on screen at the same time, so you can read messages while watching a video, or whatever you want.
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to the center to bring up the carousel of recently used apps, then swipe to your first app. Tap the app icon at the top, then Open in split screen view. You'll then be asked to choose another app to pair with it.
One of the lesser-known options on Samsung Galaxy phones is the ability to change the pixel resolution of the screen—a higher resolution means sharper text and graphics, though it will also drain your phone battery faster too, so bear that in mind.
You can configure this by selecting Display > Screen resolution from Settings. The options you'll see will depend on the specific model of handset you're using, but above the options you can see a preview of the difference each one will make.
It's a little odd that Samsung has hidden this menu away, but it's a suite of wifi diagnostics tools that you can use to check signal strength around your home, troubleshoot network problems, and check data usage. To enable the menu, which is called Connectivity Labs, open Settings and pick Connections > Wi-Fi. Tap the three dots (top right), then choose Intelligent Wi-Fi, and tap Intelligent Wi-Fi at the bottom of the screen seven times to add the extra menu.
Open Connectivity Labs and you'll see there are a host of options and features to work through. One of the most useful is the Home Wi-Fi inspection feature: Select this and your phone will guide you in measuring wifi signal strength around your home.
Smartphone manufacturers rarely innovate these days, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's a sign that iPhones and Androids have gotten so good, there's little room left for major advancements and upgrades. When a company like Google announces a new smartphone line, most of us aren't expecting something that will convince us to upgrade from its previous generation; rather, you know that if it's time to buy a new phone, the latest generation will likely be the de facto "best" phone you can buy.
So it seems is the case for Google's upcoming Pixel 11 lineup. Rumors suggest that the company is making small updates in some key areas as you might expect, without changing too much from the Pixel 10. The biggest change, it seems, might just be the phone's price tag. If you're considering upgrading to a new Pixel 11 device, know you might just be paying more for it than ever.
As highlighted by Engadget, the overall design of the Pixel 11 line is virtually identical to the Pixel 10. That goes for all rumored models, including the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. If you have a corresponding Pixel 10 device, the Pixel 11 upgrade will have the same screen sizes, which means the lineup will have the following displays:
Pixel 11: 6.3-inches (1080 x 2424)
Pixel 11 Pro: 6.3-inches (1280 x 2856)
Pixel 11 Pro XL: 6.8-inches (1344 x 2992)
Pixel 11 Pro Fold: 6.3-inch outer display (1080 x 2342) and 8-inch inner display (2076 x 2160)
The camera bumps will remain unchanged as well, though the hardware itself may get a bit of an upgrade. The Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold may ship with 50 MP main cameras, which is a slight bump up from the 48 MP camera on the Pixel 10. The cameras on the 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL may get new sensors as well.
While it might seem like you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the Pixel 11 and Pixel 10 by sight alone, you actually will. That's because the rumors suggest Google will introduce new colors for the lineup. The Pixel 11 may ship in Midnight, Fuchsia, and Moss, while the Pixel 11 Pro may come in Dune, Pine, and Sterling. Finally, the Pixel 11 Pro may ship in Midnight or Pine.
Perhaps the biggest upgrade this year will be the Tensor G6 chip. Engadget says that Google's latest SoC (System-on-a-Chip) is built on a 2nm process, which may be the same as Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 series. While we'll need access to the phone for actual benchmarking and real-world tests, the new chip could offer better battery life and power efficiency than the current Tensor G5.
However, new chips are expected with new smartphone generations. Perhaps the biggest shock this year will be how much you actually have to pay to acquire Google's newest phones. Like Apple, Google may drop the 128GB base model options for the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro, and may instead choose to start at 256GB. While that's good for users who often run out of storage, it takes away the previous base model price tag of $799. Now, the new entry price will be $899: technically the same price, but it will cost $100 more to get a new Pixel than it used to.
The Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, however, may just get a price increase for no other reason than the ongoing memory crisis. Because of sharp demand for RAM and other computer components across the globe, companies are raising prices across the board. As such, Engadget suggests that the Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold may get a €100 increase, which could reflect a $100 increase in the U.S. as well.
If you need the latest and greatest from Google for your next phone, you'll have no choice but to spend the extra money. However, you might be better off finding a good deal on a Pixel 10 or a Pixel 10a. After all, there's not that much difference between the Pixel 11 series to necessarily justify the rumored price increase.
Earlier this month, Samsung officially killed off its proprietary messaging app. It wasn't much of a surprise. The company had announced the end of Samsung Messages back in April, and, before that, had slowly distanced itself from the app by keeping it off new Galaxy phones by default. If you have a newer Galaxy phone, it's possible you didn't even use Samsung Messages at the time of deprecation. But for legacy users, the app's retirement was sad and frustrating, as the only viable option to retain features and message history is Google Messages—a fine enough chat app, but yet another Google product Galaxy users must rely on.
As reported by Android Authority, app developer OzarksMade wants to continue Samsung Messages' legacy. Rather than keep the original app running, OzarksMade created a new messaging app that mimics the look and feel of Samsung Messages: Messages by OzarksMade. The new app is designed with both Samsung Messages and One UI in mind: To the untrained eye, not only does this look like a Samsung Galaxy app, it looks like Samsung Messages.
Messages by OzarksMade also adds RCS support in the app. There is a catch, however: While you can send and receive RCS messages in Messages by OzarksMade, you'll need to tap into Google Messages via Messages by OzarksMade's "Companion Mode." You won't have to use Google Messages itself, but it will be powering RCS in the new app. You don't have to use Companion Mode, and can eschew Google Messages altogether, but you will be limited to SMS and MMS—the true Samsung Messages experience.
While you should be mindful of making any new chat app your default messaging provider, OzarksMade does say that all messages remain on-device, so it shouldn't store your texts on its servers. In addition, OzarksMade says it takes anonymous information for statistics purposes only, including "a random identifier that is generated on your device, the app's version and release channel, your device model, and your Android version." However, as Android Authority points out, this app closely resembles Samsung's own products, and the company may seek to shut the app down should it feel OzarksMade infringed on any copyrights.
This new app isn't out just yet, as it will launch on Thursday, Aug. 13. If you're interested, you'll need to join Messages by OzarksMade's beta, which is currently ongoing. To start, join the app's Google Group with the same Google account you use on your phone. Once you're in, you'll be able to see Messages by OzarksMade's Play Store page here. The developer says the Play Store will list the app at $0.99, but since you've joined the Google Group, you'll see an option called "Test Card, always approves" after tapping the payment. By choosing this option, you'll be able to download the app for free. If you don't see this option, you didn't properly sign up for the Google Group, and you'll need to try again.
If you're an Android user who is seeing ads pop up after your phone calls, you need not assume this is some new feature you have to learn to live with. It's actually an ad fraud scam, and you can do something about it. Researchers have identified dozens of apps on the Google Play Store that are able to display ads on top of the Android phone interface, a scheme known as AfterCall.
This scam originates with seemingly harmless utility apps downloaded from the Google Play Store, such as calendars, alarm clocks, and notepads. When installed, they request overlay permissions, which allow them to appear on top of other apps—and thus display ads over phone calls. These apps can detect when a call ends and will then launch full-screen ads wrapped in a fake call info screen. Since it looks like they are simply part of the call interface, users may be less likely to suspect that they are actually malicious.
It's worth noting that overlay permissions can't be granted via a standard pop-up during the app installation process. They are a type of "special permission" that requires users to go into their system settings to enable. Android apps are supposed to request these permissions in context and give a clear reason for doing so. AfterCall scammers are using justifications like alarms not being able to go off or appear correctly without overlay permissions, though some apps will simply crash if users decline permissions.
Because the ads appear out of context—after a phone call and with content unrelated to the utility app—it's harder for users to figure out what's causing them. The utility apps aren't obviously malicious and don't appear on recent app lists when ads are displayed, so it's not obvious that they are connected to the problem.
If you are seeing ads pop up after phone calls on your Android, check for apps that have overlay permissions. Go to Settings > Apps > Special app access (this may be hidden behind a three-dot menu) and click on the permission type. Look for apps you don't recognize, or which shouldn't have "display on top" permissions, and uninstall them. You should regularly audit these permissions, and disable any that aren't essential.
On the user side, these apps seem to be mostly an annoyance rather than outright malicious programs that are harvesting your sensitive data, though installing any program that requests unnecessary permissions can introduce significant risk. If nothing else, however, these apps do appear to waste brands' advertising dollars and could damage their reputation with users—but you probably just care about how to stop seeing them after your calls.
Amid another busy Galaxy Unpacked event and the reveal of several new Samsung foldables and smartwatches, there's also news from Google in partnership with Samsung: Several new Android features are going to show up first on the Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8, before appearing on Pixels and other phones.
This has become something of a tradition with Samsung's mid-year product launches, as a smattering of new features—including gaming support for Circle to Search—appeared first on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 last year.
For 2026, the emphasis is on Gemini. First, the Gemini Intelligence feature that completes tasks for you, launched in beta in May, is being expanded to support more than 40 apps and is available out of the box on the new Galaxy foldables. Plus, you can launch your agentic assistant with a screengrab now as well as a prompt (so maybe a picture of an item of clothing you want the AI to look for online).
Google hasn't specified which 40 apps are now included, but the idea is the same as before: Gemini can carry out more admin for you, like booking cabs or reserving tables, in your apps. You'll still get an overview of what the AI is up to on your screen, as well as final approval on any important actions, and you can stop the process at any time.
Next up is the newly rebranded Gemini Notebook (the AI research tool previously known as NotebookLM). There are no new features here, but the app is going to be preinstalled on the foldables that Samsung just unveiled, and on the Z Fold 8 devices, you can take advantage of the wider screen to drag and drop elements (such as images and web links) into your notebooks from other apps.
Additionally, if you buy a Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, or Galaxy Z Flip 8, you get six months of Google AI Pro for free (usually $19.99 a month). Compared to the free tier, Google AI Pro gets you video generation, the Antigravity coding tool, YouTube Premium Lite, 5TB of storage to play with, and significantly higher usage limits across all of Google's AI tools (including Gemini and Gemini Notebook).
The third Gemini perk for those investing in a new Samsung device applies to the Galaxy Watch 9. On the new smartwatch, Gemini will start listening for instructions as soon as you raise your wrist to talk—no wake word required. It's a small tweak, but means you'll get faster access to the AI.
Lastly, Google has also announced "streamlined switching" from iPhones, built into Android 17 and available on the new Samsung phones. You'll no longer need a cable, as it now works wirelessly, and extra data types are now supported as well—including your Google Account details and wifi credentials, on top of photos, videos, contacts, messages, and calendars.
This improved switching method has already started rolling out on Pixel devices, Google says, and will, reportedly, soon be showing up on other Android devices as well.
Samsung's July Unpacked event is officially underway. Unlike its February event, which focused on Samsung's flagship smartphones, this event highlights the company's new foldables and smartwatches. As it happens, Samsung announced a total of five new products today, including one new Galaxy Z Flip, two new Galaxy Z Folds, and two new Galaxy watches. Here's everything the company revealed today at Unpacked:
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a new form factor this year. Instead of the usual tall book-style folding phone (which is now the Fold 8 Ultra), this foldable has a wider design that makes it feel like you're holding a small tablet when unfolded. The Z Fold 8 is just 9.7mm thick when folded and 4.5mm thick when unfolded. The phone is fairly light, and weighs 7.09 ounces (201g); for comparison, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is 7.54 ounces (214g). It's also IP48 water and dust-resistant.
The Z Fold 8 opens up into a 7.6-inch display, while the cover screen is 5.5 inches. Both displays use Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology, similar to the Galaxy S26 series. Powering the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 for Galaxy chip with 12GB or 16GB of RAM depending on storage capacity. Storage options include 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The battery in the Z Fold 8 is 4,800 mAh, which supports 45W Super Fast Wired charging and 20W wireless charging.
Unfortunately, the Fold 8 does not support Qi2, a faster wireless charging standard than Qi. There is a workaround, however, if you buy one of Samsung's official cases with Qi2 magnets built in. On top of that, just like the Fold 7, the Fold 8 has no S Pen support. For cameras, the Z Fold 8 has a dual-lens setup with a 50MP primary wide lens and a 50MP Ultra Wide lens. The front-facing cameras are 10MP.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 will be available in a few colors including Lavender, Graphite, and Cream. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is available to order today from Samsung's website.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is Samsung's successor to the Z Fold 7. Samsung made this foldable even thinner than before: It's now 4.1mm when unfolded, though it's still 8.9mm thick when folded up. The Z Fold 8 Ultra is also a tad lighter at 7.58 ounces (215g) compared to the Fold 7's 7.62 ounces (216g).
The Z Fold 8 Ultra has an 8-inch main folding screen and 6.5-inch cover screen, both of which are Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays. The phone is also IP48 water and dust-resistant. Like the Z Fold 8, the Z Fold 8 Ultra comes with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 for Galaxy chip with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM. Similarly, you can choose from 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models. The battery gets a bump this year, as it is now 5,000 mAh and supports both 45W Super Fast Wired charging and 25W wireless charging. Like the Fold 8, the Z Fold 8 Ultra also does not support Qi2, unless you buy an official Samsung case with magnets built in. It also doesn't support the S Pen.
The Z Fold 8 Ultra retains the 200MP wide lens and 10MP telephoto from the Fold 7, but the Ultra Wide gets upgraded to 50MP. Both selfie cameras are 10MP, so not much changes there. You can get your Z Fold 8 Ultra in a few colors, including Violet Shadow, Graphite, and Cream. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is available to order today from Samsung's website.
If you're into compact foldables, there's the Galaxy Z Flip 8, which gets some minor updates from last year's model. Samsung flipped back to a Qualcomm chip this year, as the Z Flip 8 also gets the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip with 12GB of RAM.
The screens on the Galaxy Z Flip 8 haven't changed; the FlexWindow cover screen is still 4.1 inches, but Samsung did reduce the bezels around the display. Samsung also added support for 16 different apps you can use on the FlexWindow, so you can check in with them without opening up the phone.
Samsung didn't change the battery here, shipping the same 4,300 mAh unit as last year. The Z Flip 8 supports 25W wired and 15W wireless charging, and is IP48-rated for water and dust resistance. For cameras, there's a 50MP primary wide lens, a 12MP Ultra Wide, and a 10MP selfie camera. Storage options are limited to 256GB and 512GB. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is available to order today from Samsung's website.
Alongside the new foldables, Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy Watch 9 series. The Galaxy Watch 9 comes in two sizes: a 40mm model with a 1.3-inch screen, and a 44mm model with a 1.5-inch screen. Each has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.
Powering the watches is the Qualcomm SW6100 chip with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The watches are IP68 water and dust-resistant and can withstand 5ATM (five atmospheres of pressure). The smaller model comes with a 390 mAh battery, while the larger has a 445 mAh battery, and both models support fast charging. The 40mm comes in Cream and Graphite colors, and the 44mm will be available in Silver and Graphite. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 series is available to order today from Samsung's website
If you're looking for a bit more from your smartwatch, there's the new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. This device has a 1.52-inch display with a peak brightness of 5000 nits. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has a rating of IP69K, and can survive up to 10ATM. Samsung says it can be used for ocean swimming and diving. Powering the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the Qualcomm SW6100 chip with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The watch features an 800 mAh battery with fast charging support. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is available to order today from Samsung's website.
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