Mishaal's Android News Feed

❌The Pixel Launcher widget list may soon hide most widgets behind a menu You’ll soon see a filtered set of widgets by default in the Pixel Launcher’s widget list This is something Nothing recently implemented in Nothing OS 3.0. Details on this upcoming change can be found in this article.

✨HONOR is making Gemini the default assistant on its Magic7 Pro The smartphone brand HONOR announced today that it's going to make Google Gemini the default assistant on its upcoming Magic7 Pro and PORSCHE DESIGN Magic 7 RSR. Google currently doesn't require OEMs to make Gemini the default assistant (they can choose to still use the old Assistant) but I suspect we'll see more and more device makers in 2025 enable Gemini as the default.

Google is testing a new "download manager" feature in the Play Store. This feature adds a new button to the top right that, when tapped, shows a list of apps you've recently installed but haven't launched yet. If you're in the middle of downloading a new app, it'll show up in this list, too, so you can see the progress. @AssembleDebug spotted evidence for this feature a few weeks ago, but I just noticed that it's live for me. Anyone else see this?

Google is rolling out the Identity Check feature it announced last week. When Identity Check is enabled, biometric authentication will be required for sensitive actions like: - Accessing saved passkeys and app passwords - Changing the PIN, pattern, or password…

Happy holidays! I wrote three new articles about One UI 7 that were published while I was away. They are: 1) One UI 7 lets you stop HDR photos from making your screen super bright 2) One UI 7 will make it easier to filter notifications that aren't important 3) One UI 7 is adding even more continuity features between your Galaxy phone and Galaxy Book

Google is rolling out the "Ask about this PDF" feature it announced at I/O! When you open a PDF file using the Files by Google app and invoke Gemini on it, you'll soon see an "ask about this PDF" chip above the overlay. If you tap this chip, you can then ask Gemini questions about the doc. Your device must run Android 15 and you must be subscribed to Gemini Advanced to use this feature. You also need to set Gemini as your assistant, obviously. Thanks to Rob on my Discord for the screenshot!

🌧Google is officially opening up Android Auto to weather apps, but you don’t have to wait A new Weather app category for is now in beta, but you can already download some weather apps for Android Auto/Automotive today. More details on this new Weather category can be found in this article.

🚗Android Automotive is getting better multi-user support and a revamped media player app Android Automotive 24Q4 brings a major new feature called Concurrent Multi-User support as well as other minor changes. Everything you need to know about this update can be found in my latest article for Android Authority.

The Google Play Store app is starting to show your achievements for some game listings. These achievements come from your Google Play Games profile. At least two users on my Telegram group are seeing this now. Thanks to nothingToSeeInMe for the screenshots!

A few months ago, I posted about a document from the Wireless Power Consortium that implied that products could ship with Qi2 branding but NOT support magnetic charging. Since that post was based on a document that was outdated (the WPC has since taken down the page), I've deleted my post on it so it can no longer be referenced. Yes, it's true that products can support the Qi2 spec but not support magnetic charging. HOWEVER, the WPC's guidelines state that the Qi2 logo/branding can only be used on packaging/marketing materials if the device supports the Magnetic Power Profile. That means if you see the Qi2 logo on a product, it supports magnetic charging. If you see the old Qi logo, then it does not. I apologize for sharing outdated information, and I'm glad that the WPC didn't move forward with allowing non-magnetic charging products to have a different Qi2 logo as that would've been confusing for consumers.

You can now transfer Burst Photos from your iPhone to your new Pixel phone when using the Android Switch app! Paul Dunlop, the Product Manager for Onboarding & Switching on Android, just posted on Threads that Burst Photo transfer support has rolled out. "With this update, you'll always keep your full set of burst photos when transferring via cable or WiFi, meaning you can always choose a different best shot, even after making the switch from iOS to Pixel. The feature is live now for up to date Pixel devices through initial setup and the Android Switch app."

📸Google Photos is getting ready to roll out its new ‘Quick Edit’ sharing feature The 'Quick Edit' page will appear before you share a photo, and it'll let you quickly 'enhance' or crop it before sharing. Details + screenshots can be found in this article.