Android is Google’s open-source mobile operating system; think of it like a public park compared to Apple’s walled garden. It dates back to 2007, and though its dessert-inspired version names were retired in 2019 for a straightforward numbering system, there will always be a special place in our hearts for an OS called “Oreo” and “Ice Cream Sandwich.
Eight months after the iOS app launched, Tesla has released an Android version of its Robotaxi app. The service expanded to Houston and Dallas last week, but still seems to only have a small number of vehicles actually on the road.
[Google Play]
Android Headlines spotted an unlisted promo video for the I/O pre-show’s second year, since removed from the Android YouTube channel. Apparently the show will stream at 1PM ET on May 12th, a week before I/O on May 19th, and will tee up “one of the biggest years for Android yet.”
[Android Headlines]
Google just released the fourth beta for Android 17 today, and now, 9to5Google and Android Authority point out that it contains mentions of a new lighting feature that we might see on the next round of Pixel phones.
The Pixel Glow details say it “uses subtle light and color on the back of your device to inform you of important activity when it’s face down,” when interacting with Gemini, or when favorite contacts are calling.
Along with an upgraded Android CLI, Google is launching a new Android skills GitHub repository and an Android Knowledge base, which can provide AI agents with the information and resources they need to perform coding tasks.
Last month Android Authority reported Google is developing an NFC-based way to share contact info, files, links, and more, and now it’s got the interface running. Unlike Apple’s NameDrop, users have to hold the two phones above one another, perhaps to account for how varied NFC chip placement can be on Android devices.
Android users can now watch videos as slowly as 0.25x or as fast as 2x, though Google hasn’t said when the option will roll out to iOS or the web. Tap the three dot menu on a video to find the new speed options.
[Google Photos Community]
If you choose the option, you’ll be able to share your precise location until you close an app, which might be a good choice if you just need to give your location to an app to quickly check one thing.
Android 17 will also add a persistent indicator that tells you when a “non-system app” accesses your location.
Android Authority has found references to an expanded AirDrop-like system in Android 17 beta and Canary builds called “Tap to share” that uses NFC to help transfer files between phones brought close together. As it sits at the OS level, the feature could be coming to all Android devices.
The bubbles are live in the third Android 17 beta, alongside Wi-Fi and mobile data being separated under the Quick Settings menu, a new option to hide app labels on your home screen, granular audio controls for hearing devices, and a redesigned screen recording toolbar.
There are some complex pros and cons to Google’s new “advanced flow” for sideloading unverified Android apps, which may well protect some users from scammers. But it would sure be nice if I could just install the apps I want on the computer I own.
orion_resident:
Remember when you didn’t need special permission to install software on your own computer? Those were the days.
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Just open a conversation, tap Attachment, and then Real-time location. You can let friends and family know where you are for specific durations or until you disable the feature. It comes almost a decade after WhatsApp, iMessage, and Facebook Messenger introduced live location sharing, but better late than never, right?
The feature, announced as part of various updates alongside the GDC Festival of Gaming, is rolling out to select games to start, including Brotato: Premium. Also: free 60-minute game demos, ones that let gamers pick up where they left off after they pay.
[Android Developers Blog]
Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney made the announcement alongside the news of Google’s sweeping Android App Store changes. The game already returned to Google Play in the US in December.
The privacy and security-focused Android fork currently only has official support for Pixel devices, but that could be changing. Motorola announced on Monday at MWC that it has struck a long-term partnership with the GrapheneOS Foundation to “strengthen smartphone security and collaborate on future devices engineered with GrapheneOS compatibility.”
Part of Rahman’s new role includes “community engagement,” he says. He’s joining Android after spending 10 years reporting on the platform.
Google is testing the second Android 17 beta on compatible Pixel devices in line with its accelerated release timeline. The release notes say it adds desktop window-like app bubbles so users “can organize, move between, and move bubbles to and from anchored points on the screen,” although testers report they haven’t seen them working yet.
There are also cross-device app handoffs, which can work with a web app even if it isn’t installed on the second device.
The Galaxy Unpacked keynote ended less than an hour ago, and with it the announcements of the Galaxy S26, S26 Plus, and S26 Ultra. We watched the whole thing, but you don’t have to. Got twelve minutes?
Blizzard apparently isn’t busy enough with Overwatch, announcing a mobile version of the game that “will begin select region testing soon.” Unlike mobile versions of games like Call of Duty, PUBG, or Fortnite, it’s not an attempt at an FPS and is being made by a separate team.
A gameplay preview trailer shows a similar feeling but slower-paced game capable of running on devices like an iPhone XS or Pixel 4a.
The likes of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Open Rights Group signed an open letter from the Keep Android Open project in opposition to developer registration, which opens next month and will be mandatory from September. The group’s Marc Prud’hommeaux explains why:
“We’ve been reaching out to Google for months to implore them to reverse course on this lockdown. The implications of their threatened action for competition and digital sovereignty are dire.”
