🔔PSA: Live Updates are NOT actually live in the Pixel's Android 16 update!

Despite what you may have read/heard elsewhere, the full Live Updates experience isn't available yet for Pixels.

More details👇

(Scroll to the Live Updates section.)

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-16-review-3566047/

🕵️Android 16 wants to make your next phone trade-in process a lot faster

The Android 16 release adds a trade-in mode that makes it easier for phone technicians to run device diagnostics

Here's how it works👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-16-trade-in-mode-3566274/

Google has announced that Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 is now available!

QPR1 Beta 2 brings the enhanced desktop windowing on connected display feature.

The build ID is BP31.250523.006, and it includes the following fixes:

* Auto dark theme is not working
* Now playing is crashing when selecting a track
* Camera frequently fails to launch
* Shortcuts for newly-downloaded apps aren't automatically added
* Home button not working on app list UI
* "More wallpapers" button misaligned in wallpaper settings
* Gemini fails to work on the lockscreen

It's available for the Pixel 6 and later!

🖥 With Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 now rolling out, you may be wondering how to enable the new Desktop Mode.

This article covers everything you need to know, including what setting to toggle and what devices are supported👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/try-android-16-desktop-mode-on-pixel-3565393/

🗄The latest Android 16 QPR1 beta finally organizes Android's messy sound settings

Instead of having everything in one giant list, Android 16 QPR1 organizes sound settings by category

Here's a side-by-side comparison👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-16-qpr1-sound-settings-organized-3566322/

🪫Yikes: Google will soon nerf the Pixel 6a’s battery due to an overheating issue

The 6a's battery capacity & charging performance will soon be reduced due to a "potential overheating issue."

Right after the Pixel 4a battery fiasco...more info 👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/pixel-6a-battery-overheating-warning-3566640/

UPDATE: Google has confirmed the Pixel 6a's battery issue. The company shared the following statement with me:

“A subset of Pixel 6a phones will require a mandatory software update to reduce the risk of potential battery overheating. The update will enable battery management features that will reduce capacity and charging performance after the battery reaches 400 charge cycles. We’ll contact impacted customers next month, with all the information they need to address the issue.”

For Pixel 4a users, Google offered either $50 cash or $100 in Google Store credit.

For Pixel 7a users out of warranty, Google offered $200 in cash or $300 that could be applied as a discount code towards a new Pixel phone on the Google Store. For under warranty users, they offered $456.

I hope Google does right by affected Pixel 6a users, because it's very inconvenient to have its battery/charging nerfed as well as go through this replacement/trade-in process!

🚨Google is NOT killing AOSP!

Google has come out and refuted speculation that it's discontinuing AOSP. However, the company just made it tougher to build AOSP for Pixel devices.

Here's how👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/google-not-killing-aosp-3566882/

As I mention in the article, Google was one of the only device makers to even release their device tree + binaries + full kernel source commit history.

They were never under any obligation to do so, but it served the purpose of making AOSP easy to build for Pixel devices, making it easy to test new features on it (which was the point - Pixels were the AOSP reference hardware). It also made developers' lives easier as they didn't have to build their own device trees from scratch.

Without these things, custom ROM support for Pixels will essentially be dropped to where it's at with other devices. But at least Pixels are still super easy to bootloader unlock and grab factory images for.

🔦 Android 16 QPR1 could let you adjust the intensity of your Pixel’s flashlight without using an app

This is a feature that Samsung and Apple have had for years, and OnePlus and Xiaomi recently added to their devices.

More details 👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/pixel-flashlight-brightness-control-3566780/

⏩ Google is killing Android Instant Apps, but you probably won't miss them

Instant Apps let you launch Android apps and games without installing them, but almost nobody supported it, so Google is killing it off later this year

More details👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/google-killing-android-instant-apps-3567211/

⌚️Your Wear OS smartwatch will now warn you when an earthquake is about to happen

A Google support page says Wear OS is getting an update to tell you when an earthquake is expected to cause shaking.

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/wear-os-earthquake-alerts-rolling-out-3567283/

🚗Android Automotive update will make it easier to talk to Gemini in your car

Android Automotive 16 won't bring a big Material 3 Expressive redesign like Android 16 QPR1 will for phones, but it does have some subtle tweaks.

Here's what's new👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-automotive-16-3567889/

🚗 Android Automotive now lets apps show your food order status and more on your car's home screen

Google is introducing a new App Cards feature that lets Android Automotive apps show custom cards on your car's home screen

Here's what you need to know👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-automotive-app-cards-3567983/

💬 Google Messages just pulled the plug on its new unsubscribe button for some users

For users in the US and Spain, Google Messages will no longer display an ‘unsubscribe’ option at the bottom of certain chats

Here's what's changing👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/google-messages-unsubscribe-button-removed-3568354/

🕓 Android 16 QPR1 beta 2 has a hidden customization option for the lock screen clock

You can now choose a "Sharp" font style for the lock screen clock by tapping on the default clock in the lock screen preview.

Thanks to Reddit user als26 for the tip!

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-16-lock-screen-clock-hidden-customization-3568273/

📲 Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 adds new animation for the power button long-press gesture

This new animation plays before the Gemini overlay pops up and basically makes it feel like you're squeezing the phone.

Thanks to A_Button117 on Discord for the tip!

https://www.androidauthority.com/android-16-qpr1-beta-2-power-button-animation-3567943/

🗨Your Android phone may soon recommend you use an 'optimized' voice assistant over other options

Google has added a new feature in Android that lets OEMs highlight specific digital assistants as “optimized” for their Android devices.

The timing of this addition is certainly interesting given Google's legal issues over its deals that make its own assistant the default on Android. However, the company told me this feature will be optional for OEMs, and that it won't be using it on its own devices.

More details👇🏾

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-recommended-assistant-3568465/