Google AI Mode: Images in result, shop improvement, better visual search
- Now results will show images for a richer experience
- Get the ideal shopping results from Google's Shopping Graph by describing the products with details, all without needing filters
- "Visual search fan-out" can recognise the subtle details of what's in an image, which helps to to deliver highly relevant visual results (rolling out in English in the U.S. this week)

More info: Google Blog
#Apps #Google @PixelHubUpdates

New smart home devices and features by Google
This is a quick summary of what Google has announced for Home related things:
Gemini for Home
- Voice assistant: 10 new natural-sounding voices, powered by Gemini
- Gemini Live: Talk, pause, interrupt whenever you like without the hotword
- AI cameras: Describe what's happening in the camera feed, get descriptions in alerts and video history, ask to find any clip
- Early access to be opened at the end of October
- Available for all smart home devices released by Google in the last decade

Google Home app redesign
- Ask Home: Find a device or automation name quickly by typing, control devices with natural language, create automations by describing
- Tabs: Home, Activity (check all history), Automations (manage your device automations)
- New gradient app icon, more fluent animations while navigating in the app, full support for Nest devices, view previews from event notifications
- Available with version 4.0 or higher (required for signing up Gemini for Home early access)

Google Home Premium
- Standard: $10/month, $100/year (included with AI Pro plan)
- Standard: 30 days of event-based video history, intelligent alerts for familiar faces and package collection, Gemini Live, generate Automations with voice
- Advanced: $20/month, $200/year (included with AI Ultra plan, additional $10 for AI Pro)
- Advanced: All features of Standard, 60 days of event-based video history, 10 days of 24/7 video history, descriptive notifications, search video history, event descriptions, daily summaries

Google Home Speaker
- Color: Berry, Hazel, Jade, Porcelain
- Price: $99.99 (coming in 2026)
- Availablity: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Japan, Australia, New Zealand

Nest Cams and Doorbell
- Nest Cam Indoor: $99,99
- Nest Cam Outdoor: $149.99, two-pack $249.99
- Availability (Nest Cams): United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland
- Nest Doorbell: $179.99
- Availability: (Nest Doorbell): United States, Canada
- Gemini for Home rolling out first in: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia (other regions receive it in early 2026)

More info: Google Blog (2, 3)
#Apps #Home #Nest @PixelHubUpdates

Gboard Dial Version
- QWERTY keyboard layout in rotary dial format
- Nine individual rotary dial for letters, numbers, arrow keys, functions, arithmetic symbols and return input
- Translate rotational movements via USB signal
- Put mouse on the "On-hold stand" to turn off webcam and play lovely melody

More info: Google Japan Blog | GitHub | YouTube
#News #Gboard @PixelHubUpdates

New and expansion of AI features by Google (October 2025)
- Gemini 2.5 Computer Use: Interact with graphical user interfaces, preview available via Google AI Studio and Vertex AI (More info)
- Gemini CLI Extensions: Connect to external tools and services directly from the terminal (Extension page)
- Google AI Mode: Added 35 languages support and 40 new countries, rolling out widely next week (Full list)
- Search Live: Initially available in the U.S., now rolling out in India with English and Hindi over the next few weeks
- Google's Try-on: Expanding to Australia, Canada, and Japan, with an addition of shoe category
- Google AI Plus: Now available in 36 more countries (total 77), eligible users get 50% discount for the first six months (Full list)

#Apps #Gemini #Google #Lens #One @PixelHubUpdates

October 2025 Android 16 Pixel Update
- Build ID:BP3A.251005.004.B1, BD3A.251005.003.W3 (Pixel 10 series), BP3A.251005.004.A2 (Pixel Tablet)
- Pixel 6 series has no fixes this month (also skipped on August)
- Display [Pixel 7 series]: Fix for screen flickering and sudden shutdown issues under certain conditions
- Display [Pixel 10 series]: Fix for issue occasionally causing frozen or fuzzy display under certain conditions
- System [Pixel Tablet]: Fix for issue occasionally causing system instability under certain conditions
- User Interface: Fix for an issue where a semi-transparent background would persist after the camera was launched under certain conditions
- - User Interface [Pixel 9, 10 series]: Fix for issue where the flashlight status does not appear on the At a Glance widget in certain conditions
- User Interface: Fix for System UI crash when starting or stopping casting with the Media Output Switcher in certain conditions

Download: Factory Images | OTA Images
Changes: Pixel Community | Android Security Bulletin | Pixel Security Bulletin
#Updates #A16 #Pixel @PixelHubUpdates

October 2025 WearOS 6 Pixel Watch Update
- Build ID: BP3A.250905.014.W3
- First generation Pixel Watch is excluded from this update (likely unsupported)
- Pixel Watch 4 (menari) images are also now available ahead of launch
- Material 3 Expressive with dynamic color theming
- Rounded fonts & icons
- New Wear 6 components (Edge buttons, Pickers, Dialogs, Scrollbar, etc.)
- Updated Tile templates/layouts
- Google Maps auto-launch on Wear OS watches
- Safety Check Timer Extension: Add time to an active Safety Check

Download: Factory Images | OTA Images
Changes: Pixel Watch Community | Wear OS Security Bulletin | Pixel Watch Security Bulletin
#Updates #W6 #Watch @PixelHubUpdates

LineageOS 23.0 based on Android 16
- Nearly a month later, Google has not released Android 16 QPR1 source, which results in no 23.1 release (that means no Material 3 Expressive for now)
- With Google not releasing the device tree anymore, Pixel models are not guaranteed to get "day one" support, which is the case with this release
- Currently, Linux 5.4 (4.14 and 4.19 backported) and later versions are required to run this version properly
- The initial batch of devices receiving the promotion include Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, and Pixel 5a
- A total of 104 devices are promoted to LineageOS 23.0, whereas other 141 devices continue to receive 22.2 builds, 8 devices on 21.0 are discontinued
- Now you can also run and test LineageOS in virtualized environments much more easily, including Cuttlefish target support
- Mainline kernel support for easier bringups

What's new
- Improved Charging Control and Fast Charge Control
- New ringtones and alarms (from Plasma Mobile)
- Aperture: Support for JPEG Ultra HDR, RAW, and simultaneous RAW+JPEG capture
- Aperture: A redesigned notification island with dynamic colors, and new indicators (JPEG Ultra HDR, RAW, battery, thermal throttling)
- Twelve: Added a "Play random songs" button
- Twelve: Updated the Now Playing screen with playback statistics
- Twelve: Added the ability to rescan the local media store
- Twelve: Expanded Jellyfin integration, including suggestions, favorites, and better thumbnail handling
- Twelve: Added MIDI playback support
- New app: Catapult (Android TV launcher)

More info: LineageOS
#News #LineageOS @PixelHubUpdates

Nano Banana on Search, NotebookLM and Photos
- The powerful and popular image editing model is coming to more Google products
- AI Mode and Lens (Search): Upload or capture an image and use the prompt to describe the edits, available in English in the U.S. and India, more languages and countries coming soon
- Video Overview (NotebookLM): Available in Explainer and Brief formats, can automatically select one of the six new visual styles (Watercolor, Papercraft, Anime, Whiteboard, Retro Print and Heritage)
- Video Overview (NotebookLM): Rolling out to Pro users this week and everyone in the coming weeks
- Photos: Announced, more details coming soon

#Apps #Gemini #Google #NotebookLM #Photos @PixelHubUpdates

BREAKING: The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is Catastrophic Failure in Durability!

Google yapped during their awful Pixel 10 series launch event that Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first folding smartphone to be IP68 dust & water resistant, a certification which even the Galaxy Z Fold 7 does not have. Thus Zack put the Pixel 10 Pro Fold in his durability tests and the dust particles easily went inside the hinge, indicating it was all just a LIE!

Not only that, Google also yapped about Pixel 10 Pro Fold being "their" most durable folding phone ever. However, Google did NOT learn a thing from its mistakes as Google put the antenna lines in the exact same position like their previous two folds (Pixel Fold and Pixel 9 Pro Fold) and both the previous pixel folding phones break apart.

What's more crazier is the fact that, when the Pixel 10 Pro Fold got cracked, it actually exploded!
According the Zack, none of the smartphones has ever exploded during his durability test in the past decade and Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first smartphone to not only crack & fail his durability test but also explode!
https://fixvx.com/Dexerto/status/1978182532043558917

Watch the durability test: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uS90jakOuw

Follow @TechLeaksZone

YouTube: Video player redesign, comment threadings and better animations
- Initially a limited roll out, the new video player. alongside new icons, is starting to go live for most people and reach everyone in this week
- On desktop, you can now do almost anything while in full-screen (like, view description and comments, find more videos by scrolling up)
- Improved animations for double-tap to seek, switching tabs on mobile, adding videos to playlists, with a custom animation for the Like button depending on the content
- Comment threadings let you view comment replies in a structured way

#Apps #YouTube @PixelHubUpdates

New safety features for your messages and Google Account
Messages
- Key verifier let you validate that your conversations are completely private by scanning QR code
- Key verifier requires Android 10 and later, Google Contacts and Android System Key Verifier app on both parties' devices to work (Learn more)
- Google Messages will warn if the link is harmful upon clicking, with the feature now available for everyone

Account
- Recovery Contacts let you add people that you trust (under Security section) to help regain your account, with them receiving instructions from the notification
- Sign in with phone number allows you to login accounts on Android devices that are connected to the number itself, requires only the lock screen passcode of the previous device, gradually rolling out

#Apps #Account #Messages @PixelHubUpdates

Veo 3.1
- The model itself (alongside Veo 3 Fast) is available in the Gemini app. Gemini API and Vertex AI for video generation
- More controls over the edits and richer audio generation (below features are available in Flow)
- Ingredients to Video: Use multiple reference images to control the subjects
- Frames to Video: Get your video with the scene you want with the provided starting and ending image
- Extend: Create longer videos
- Insert: Throw in new things into the video and rest of the details like shadows and scene lightning will be automatically handled
- Remove: Remove any unwanted objects from the video, coming soon

More info: Google Blog
#Apps #Gemini #Veo @PixelHubUpdates

Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3
- Build ID: BP41.250916.009.A1
- October 2025 Security Patch
- Play Services: 25.34.34
- Turn off "Enable desktop experience features" in Settings > System > Developer options before updating (Learn more)
- Now media player appears on lockscreen (not included in Google's report)

Fixes
- Google Play System Updates installation issue
- Home screen shortcuts appeared as blank gray circles
- Incorrect colouring of Wallet icon in lockscreen
- Adaptive charging, swipe up gesture, selected theme does not apply on first attempt
- 50MP captured from other lens displayed rainbow artifacts
- Excessive CPU usage on launchers
- Bluetooth audio for calls
- 6GHz Wi-Fi networks connection issue for NZ users
- Type special characters in GUI terminal
- Swiping lockscreen widgets and notification shade lag issue
- Screen froze upon unlocking, screen noise and unexpected device crashes

Download: Factory Images | OTA Images | GSI
Changes: Android Developers
#Updates #A16 #Beta #Pixel @PixelHubUpdates

YouTube was down
As of 00:10 UTC, YouTube can now play videos as usual.

#News #YouTube @PIxelHubUpdates

​​In celebration of the upcoming festival of Diwali, Google Photos has launched three new, exclusive collage frames designed specifically for its users in India. This festive update aims to help people create and share their holiday memories in a more creative and personalized way.

@GappsLeaks

Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3.1
- Build ID: BP41.250916.010 (Pixel 6 series), BP41.250916.010.A1
- October 2025 Security Patch
- Play Services: 25.34.34
- The last update was pulled due to an issue updating with “Enable desktop experience features” enabled, below are methods to boot the device, listed by Google (More info):
- Ideally, let the system recover itself back to Beta 2 after the system fails to boot a few times
- If you have (ADB) USB debugging enabled in developer options before the bootloop
- Sideload the new OTA package update
- If you are on the Android Recovery page after the bootloop: Factory reset
- Factory wipe/reset from Recovery/Rescue mode

Download: Factory Images | OTA Images | GSI
Changes: Android Developers
#Updates #A16 #Beta #Pixel @PixelHubUpdates

Google Earth AI: Gemini enters the room
- Introduced back in July, the features are now available for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S., with Professional and Professional Advanced users receiving it a few weeks later
- Geospatial Reasoning: Identify possible threats for incoming weather situations, like which communities might flood during a heavy rain
- Gemini capabilities: Ask any questions naturally, while Gemini helps to find the answers by scanning satellite imagery
- Also in Google Cloud: Organisations can use their database to get the results they needed

More info: Google Blog
#Apps #Earth @PixelHubUpdates

Android Canary 2510 (Released: 21/10/2025)
- Build ID: ZP11.250926.010
- New flashlight slider UI
- As Android Canary branch never receive proper changelog and receive subtle changes occasionally like this time, going forward there might be or might not be changes listed over here, though new discovery will be added if found, thanks for the understanding

Download: Android Flash Tool | Pixel Factory Images Tracker
More info: Android Developers | BetaWiki
#Updates #A16 #Canary #Pixel @PixelHubUpdates

October 2025 WearOS 5.1 Pixel Watch 1 Update
- Build ID: BW1A.251005.003.W1
- The last guaranteed update hit the first generation Pixel Watch
- Security patch level is still listed as June 5, 2025
- Security updates and bug fixes (the only change mentioned by Google)

Download: Factory Images | OTA Images
Changes: Pixel Watch Community
#Updates #W5 #Watch @PixelHubUpdates

Pixel 10a leak renders & specs
- Plastic back with no camera bump
- Similar looks to Pixel 9a (color might not be real)
- Expected to launch in early 2026
- Display: 6.2-inch
- Dimensions: 153.9 x 72.9 x 9mm
- Chip: Tensor G4 (higher clocked)
- Price: $499 (128GB)
- Note: Above information should be taken with a grain of salt, as these are currently just speculations

More info: Android Headlines
#Pixel #Pixel10a @PixelHubUpdates

YouTube Platform October 2025 Update
Higher resolution
- Videos below 1080p will be upscaled to HD, with 4K support coming soon
- Users can watch video at its original uploaded resolution, with creators being able to opt-out of this change
- Thumbnail file limit raise from 2MB to 50MB, large video uploads available to select creators

TV updates
- Immersive previews for channels section on homepage
- Contexual search within channels
- Scan QR code for product page while watching videos

Content moderation
- Online gambling is prohibited on the platform
- Videos that show social casino or graphic gaming content will be age-restricted
- The changes will be effective November 17, 2025

More info: Google Blog | YouTube Community
#Apps #YouTube @PixelHubUpdates