Mishaal's Android News Feed

FYI: Android 15's new cellular security features that protect you from 'stingray' tracking devices are NOT available for Pixel phones in the stable release. No current Pixels - not even the Pixel 9 - support it. Here's why. Also, the entrypoint to the Device Diagnostics app in Settings is also NOT present in the stable Android 15 update for Pixels. It was removed in Android 15 Beta 4.2. The app is still there, but you have to launch it manually. It was likely removed because most Pixels aren't set up to accurately report battery health statistics.

Today is the Android 15 update day...and I'm exhausted just reflecting on the past year I've spent meticulously digging into each developer preview and beta lol. I'm pretty sure I've single-handedly discovered/first documented the overwhelming majority of…

Today is the Android 15 update day...and I'm exhausted just reflecting on the past year I've spent meticulously digging into each developer preview and beta lol. I'm pretty sure I've single-handedly discovered/first documented the overwhelming majority of new features in Android 15, and I hope I can continue to do that for Android 16 and beyond! If you like hearing about what's new in Android, give me a follow or subscribe, it helps a lot!

Alongside Android 15 for Pixel, Google is also announcing Android 15 for business today! Android 15 brings a number of features that impact enterprises. If you're an IT admin, check out this article to see what changes could impact your users.

Android's theft protection features are officially rolling out globally! These features lock your phone so thieves who snatch it can't get access to your data. Also, Google will roll out a new Identity Check feature later this year. Click here to find more details on these new features.

The October '24 Pixel Drop update is here! Google's latest Pixel Drop brings a bunch of new features, including Night Sight for Instagram, notification dismissal syncing, and the Pixel Weather app to more devices! Go here to find ALL the details on the update, including handy charts I made that show what device is getting each feature!

Android 15 is FINALLY rolling out for Pixel devices today! Here's EVERYTHING you need to know about the Android 15 update for Pixel, including what bugs have been fixed and what new features have been added (there's a lot!) Click this link for the details over on Android Faithful!

Android 15 will let you sync notification dismissals after all ... but only on Pixel devices! Google is rolling out a new "dismiss notifications across Pixel devices" feature in its Android 15 update for Pixel devices. Here's a first look at the feature and how to use it.

ASUS is inviting ROG Phone 8 users to join its Android 15 preview program. The Preview Program gives users early access to ASUS' Android 15 OS, but it's only intended to help the company find and fix bugs. Also, users aren't allowed to publicly talk about the new software.

Android's September 2024 Google Play System Update added a new "Photos & videos" app. This app is part of the MediaProvider mainline module and contains a newer version of the Android Photo Picker. The current version of the Android Photo Picker is part of the MediaProvider app (which itself is part of the MediaProvider mainline module). The newer Photo Picker isn't in use yet, but if you manually enable its picker component, it'll take over (because its activity has a higher priority for the PICK_IMAGES and GET_CONTENT intents). The new Photo Picker has a very slightly different design with a transparent nav bar, but the differences are barely noticeable right now. It's a WIP so things could change, though. H/T @nailsad_eleos for the tip and screenshots.

The first alpha version of the Jetpack Ink library has been released. Jetpack Ink aims to "lower the developer barrier to entry for high performance, beautiful inking experiences" so developers can create "best-in-class pen apps." Available modules include:…

Google usually doesn't share docs from its partner bootcamps, but they recently published a doc from its 2024 Google Automotive Partner Bootcamp that explains how the Android Automotive OS car framework works. It's interesting to see how AAOS differs from traditional Android.