All posts tagged: google pixel

Google Pixel fans, good news. Tap to see what’s playing is back with the latest update| Technology News

Google Pixel fans, good news. Tap to see what’s playing is back with the latest update| Technology News

Published by Parlour News

With last month’s update, Google removed a small feature from Pixel smartphones called “Now Playing”, which has been on Pixel devices since the Pixel 2 smartphones. The change comes following criticism from Pixel users who noticed that the feature was gone, filling social media with concern. Finally, Google reinstated this feature on Pixel devices with the latest update. Google restores the Now Playing feature on Pixel phones after strong user demand. For the past seven years, I have tracked consumer tech through constant shifts in hardware, platforms, and the way people actually use devices. Covering everything from budget gear to flagship hardware, I focus on what readers need to know, not on buzzwords or launch cycle hype. My expertise spans gaming laptops and chairs, high-performance PCs, gaming monitors, printers, smartwatches, earphones, headphones, Bluetooth speakers, tablets, and more, with a particular emphasis on how these products hold up in daily use. Reviews, explainers, buying guides, and news pieces all share the same goal: giving readers enough detail to make confident decisions without wading through fluff. Away …

The Android phone you should buy your dad is just 9

The Android phone you should buy your dad is just $349

Published by Webster

Not to generalize, but the Google Pixel 9A is a classic dad phone. It’s not fussy. It’s durable and scheduled to get software updates for the better part of a decade. It’s a solid deal at its full $499 MSRP, but the Black Friday price of $349 is even sweeter. It’s the lowest we’ve seen the 9A on sale for, matching its Prime Day price. If Dad missed out on it back in October, he can strike now while the iron is hot again. Of course, you don’t have to be a dad, a dude, or anyone in particular to appreciate the 9A. It’s missing some of the fancier features on the flagship Pixel phones (it’s now the only Google phone that doesn’t come with a telephoto camera), but it has a solid processor and a reliable camera. It runs Google’s streamlined Android implementation, so it might appeal to someone who finds Samsung software a little cluttered. And at $349, it’s also a good bet for anyone who wants to pay out of pocket for …

Google Call Recording launches on more Pixel phones

Google Call Recording launches on more Pixel phones

Published by Webster

Google first announced the expansion of the Call Recording feature in September. It should be available after you update the Phone by Google app and ensure you have the November Pixel Drop installed, according to Android Authority, which also has access to the feature on a Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro Fold after updates. Call Notes uses AI to transcribe phone calls and generate summaries that highlight key points and “next steps” on the Pixel 9 and above. But Call Recording, which can be activated by navigating to Settings > Call Assist > Call Recording in the Phone app, simply creates audio files stored on your device that you’ll need to transcribe through other apps or services. Recordings can be started manually at the start of a call, but in the Phone app’s settings, you can choose to automatically record calls from a list of specific numbers or for calls that aren’t in your contacts. The recordings can be set to automatically delete after 7, 14, or 30 days, or you can choose to …

Pixel phones are getting notification summaries

Pixel phones are getting notification summaries

Published by Webster

Google is releasing an update for Pixel phones with an interesting feature in the mix: notification summaries. Apple notably had plenty of trouble implementing its version of this AI-powered feature, and Google is taking a cautious first step by deploying it only for chat conversations. It’ll arrive as part of this month’s Pixel update for Pixel 9 series phones and newer — with the exception of the Pixel 9A. Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman shared a deep dive of the feature in August when code for it appeared in an Android 16 beta. As Rahman described, summaries are limited to chat apps for now, and only for longer conversations. As AA’s C. Scott Brown points out, limiting summaries to longer pieces of information means the system has more context to work with and could reduce the kind of swings and misses that Apple’s AI has made in the past. Google also says that December’s update will take things a step further, automatically sorting your notifications and silencing those that are lower priority — a problem Apple …

Android’s next big feature turns your phone into a desktop

Android’s next big feature turns your phone into a desktop

Published by Webster

A beta build of Android 16 contains an early version of Google’s new Android Desktop Mode that, in the future, could let users simply plug their smartphone into a monitor and use it like a laptop or desktop computer. The new feature was shared by Android tinkerer Mishaal Rahman reporting for Android Authority. Rahman manually enabled Android Desktop Mode under developer options on his Google Pixel 8 Pro running the latest Android 16 beta. After plugging it into a USB-C compatible monitor, it immediately displays a PC-like interface on the external display, as you can see as in his video: Android Desktop Mode puts Android’s status bar on the top so you can see your Wi-Fi and signal strength, and there’s a taskbar on the bottom that lets you pin apps for easy access. The taskbar also gives you a Windows Start Menu–style app drawer, and you get access to Android’s native navigation buttons on the right end of the taskbar. Apps run in windowed modes that look a lot like the experience on Android …

Google Pixel Phones Receiving April 2025 Update With Bug Fixes, Latest Security Patch

Google Pixel Phones Receiving April 2025 Update With Bug Fixes, Latest Security Patch

Published by Webster

Google on Thursday rolled out the April 2025 update for Pixel devices. It arrives as an over-the-air (OTA) update for the company’s latest Pixel 9 series, Pixel Tablet, and other older devices running Android 15. Google says it brings fixes for issues related to the biometric authentication, camera, and user interface. Further, the April 2025 update also includes a security patch which fixes three vulnerabilities in the software whose severity ranges from high to critical. Google Pixel Update On a support page, a Google community manager detailed the features of the Pixel update for April 2025 with the build numbers BP1A.250405.007, BP1A.250405.007.B1, and BD4A.250405.003 for global models. Meanwhile, Pixel devices tied to Taiwan+EMEA, Verizon, and Deutsche Telekom have slightly different identifiers. The following devices are eligible to receive it: Google Pixel 9 Series Google Pixel 8 Series Google Pixel Tablet Google Pixel Fold Google Pixel 7 Series Google Pixel 6 Series As per the changelog, the patch fixes a problem which affected fingerprint recognition and response under certain conditions. This issue was reported on smartphones …

Gemini Live’s screensharing feature is rolling out to Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25 devices

Gemini Live’s screensharing feature is rolling out to Pixel 9 and Galaxy S25 devices

Published by Webster

Google’s Gemini Live camera and screenshare functions, which let the conversational AI chatbot answer questions about the stuff you’re looking at in real-time, are rolling out now on Pixel 9 series phones and Samsung Galaxy S25 devices. The free update is also coming soon to other Android devices, but you’ll need to be a paid Gemini Advanced user to gain access. Once available on your device, you can activate the live video function at the push of a button and ask Gemini Live questions about whatever your camera can see. As demonstrated in Google’s April Pixel Drop video, you can do things like point the camera at an aquarium tank and ask Gemini Live questions about specific fish. You can also tap the new screenshare button, show Gemini Live a shopping website, and ask the AI assistant to compare products or provide styling advice. Last month, Google spokesperson Alex Joseph confirmed to The Verge that the features started rolling out to customers, and some users on Reddit confirmed it appeared on their devices, including on …

Google’s regular Pixel 10 will reportedly get worse (but more) cameras

Google’s regular Pixel 10 will reportedly get worse (but more) cameras

Published by Webster

Google’s upcoming base Pixel 10 might come with primary and ultrawide cameras that match the hardware recently introduced in the budget Pixel 9A, which aren’t as good as the cameras on the Pixel 9, Android Authority reports. However, the new phone may get a telephoto camera, which the Pixel 9 and other base Pixels haven’t had. As for the Pixel 10 Pro devices, Android Authority reports that they will have the same camera hardware as the 9 Pro, which could indicate that Google may lean more on the abilities of its expected next-generation Tensor G5 chip to improve photos. Meanwhile, the upcoming Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which is rumored to have an almost identical design to the previous model, might also get the Pixel 9A’s primary shooter. Last year, Google announced its Pixel 9 lineup in August, and it’s possible that the company could pick that timeframe again to launch the Pixel 10 series. The company will release the Pixel 9A on April 10th. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, …

Google is fixing outdated Pixel weather forecasts

Google is fixing outdated Pixel weather forecasts

Published by Webster

Some Google Pixel users have found that their At a Glance widget has been showing outdated weather forecasts, as reported by Android Police. But the company says in a statement to The Verge that it’s addressing the issue. According to one user on Reddit who has been dealing with the problem, “the current temperature is fairly accurate, but the expected high/low forecast hasn’t been correct in the past week.” The expected temperatures in the weather app itself were also accurate, they said. Another user on Google’s support forums said that their Pixel 8A’s lock screen was showing “the weather for the correct location, but in the morning it shows yesterday’s forecast as the temperature ‘today’ and in the evening it shows today’s forecast as the weather ‘tomorrow.’” In a statement this afternoon, Google spokesperson Matthew Flegal says that “we’re currently rolling out a fix for an issue causing outdated weather forecasts on the At a Glance widget for some Pixel users.” Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented …

Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold might be mostly a spec bump

Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold might be mostly a spec bump

Published by Webster

You probably shouldn’t expect major changes to Google’s next Pixel foldable. Renders shared with Android Headlines by reliable leaker Onleaks show a Pixel 10 Pro Fold that looks very similar to its predecessor, potentially indicating that it could largely be just a spec bump. As shown in the renders, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold appears to feature the same stacked rear camera setup as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, along with a hole-punch camera on the external display and one on the top-right corner of the inner screen. The upcoming phone also seems to have a similarly-sized bezel and nearly the same dimensions as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold when unfolded: 6.1 x 5.9 x 0.21 inches. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold will also likely come equipped with an upgraded Tensor G5 processor. Sources tell Android Headlines that the device could have a lower price compared to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which starts at $1,799. Google might not be making any big changes to the standard Pixel 10, either, as another set of renders …