Google Pixel is rolling out its May 2022 update that will fix three issues in Pixel devices running Android 12. The update covers three main points, according to Google: the user interface, display/graphics, and sensors.

The first two items mentioned above will apply to all Pixel devices, from Pixel 3a to Pixel 6 Pro. It includes the fix for issues that occasionally causes the display to wake without user interaction and the launcher to crash after restarting the device under certain conditions. On the other hand, the third fix included in the update and dedicated to the sensors of the Pixel devices is only for Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro devices. It provides improvements in the haptic feedback, which makes the feel of the vibration on them more prominent.

The change in the haptic feedback of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro follows the concerns posted by some Redditors who claim that the vibration of the said devices became weaker after the March update. According to one Redditor, the decrease in the intensity only happened in the notifications, making them “almost imperceivable.” In terms of the other vibrations like typing, the Redditor added, the strength of the vibration remained the same.

Another post in the Google Community echoed the same concern. “The vibration settings are maxed out, and the notifications feel terrible now,” reads the post. “The vibration is barely present at all. The haptics works exactly the same and feel great, but I can’t even tell when I get a notification anymore. Confirmed this is happening on my wife’s phone as well.”

With the new update, Pixel device owners can feel more robust vibrations, especially when their respective setting is set to the maximum. Nonetheless, for those who feel comfortable having weaker vibrations, adjusting it is possible in the device’s settings menu.

The rollout started on May 2 and will continue over the next week. Google said that the distribution will come in phases, depending on the users’ carriers and devices. Once the availability of the OTA in the device is ready, the Pixel owners will receive a notification.

Google rolls out May 2022 update for Pixel 3 to 6 Pro devices

In a new report from 9to5Google, we’re given our first peek at some of the impressive hardware that Google has reportedly stuffed into the Pixel Watch’s surprisingly sleek, almost Apple-eqsue, frame, indicating it’s shaping up to be the new flagship Android smartwatch. 

Reportedly coming packed with an impressive 300mAh battery, the Pixel Watch surpasses both the Apple Watch Series 7 and the Galaxy Watch 4 for battery size, as those flagship smartwatches only come equipped with a 284mAh battery and 247mAh battery respectively. 

Additionally, it’s claimed that Google’s Pixel Watch will also feature cellular connectivity on some of the models, however, it is currently unclear just how many of the models will have this feature. So far, three models of the upcoming smartwatch have been spotted applying for Bluetooth certification.

Here’s what Google’s Pixel Watch looks like on someone’s arm. | Via 9to5Google / u/tagtech414

Previously, 9to5Google also unveiled the look of the Pixel Watch thanks to a source discovering the device after it had been left at a restaurant by an employee. Thanks to that careless former Pixel Watch tester, we now know that the device is 40mm wide and 14mm thick. The smartwatch also features “at least one button” protruding from its side alongside its rotating crown. 

With Google still yet to officially announce the Pixel Watch, despite all the leaks we’ve seen, there’s still no word on an official release date, however, it’s expected that we’ll learn more during Google’s upcoming I/O presentation which is set to broadcast later this month on the 11th and 12th of May.

Google’s Pixel Watch reportedly touts some impressive specs

In the “App Store Improvement” notices that developers were being sent, it was claimed by Apple that their apps had “not been updated in a significant amount of time,” and subsequently they were at risk of being removed from sale within the App Store, leaving it only accessible to those who’re already purchased or downloaded the app.

Unsurprisingly, after being posted to Twitter, these “App Store Improvement” notices caused a fair amount of backlash against Apple as developers claimed that constantly updating their apps was an unfair challenge that not every indie developer or hobbyist had time to do. Many developers also chose to point out that apps such as Pocket God hadn’t been updated in years yet were seemingly unaffected by this new policy. 

Thanks to a new news post from Apple, we now know why long updated apps such as Pocket God haven’t been cleansed off the App Store, it’s because they’re popular.

Throughout the news post, Apple states that their “App Store Improvements process” isn’t just all about making sure apps have been updated sometime in the past three years, as there is also a “minimal download threshold” that apps must exceed as to not be labeled at risk for removal. 

Sadly for the disgruntled developers who’ve received and complained about the “App Store Improvement” notices, this means that, according to Apple, their “app has not been downloaded at all or extremely few times during a rolling 12 month period.” 

Thankfully, this smackdown of a news post isn’t all bad news for developers, as in the post Apple notes that developers can appeal app removals if they wish to and, thanks to kicking up a fuss, developers now have up to 90 days to improve their apps, rather than just 30.

Apple calls out developers upset by App Store removals

What button you will see is "based on your usage" with Google providing a "Current recommendations" option. The new tab and share buttons are features that are used quite often. Moving them to the toolbar based on usage will make it a bit easier.

Google also allows users to manually select the shortcut they want. Users even have the option to turn the toolbar completely off as well. The toolbar shortcut has been rolling out to users after Chrome version 101 was launched, although Google has yet to make an official announcement about it.

Users can go to Settings and then scroll down a bit to find "Toolbar shortcut" to use this feature. For those who do not have the update, there's also a flag from which you can manually set the options:

chrome://flags/#adaptive-button-in-top-toolbar-customization

Google is not known to include huge UI tweaks or change the interface on Chrome because of its extremely large user base. According to research, there are around 3.2 billion users worldwide that use Chrome as their main browser. The second most used browser is Safari with a little over 576 million users that tells us the market share Google has when it comes to Chrome.

Source: 9to5Google

Google is rolling out a new toolbar shortcut in Chrome for Android

Even if a developer considers their app to be feature complete, Apple and Google are continually updating their operating systems which means third-party developers have to then adjust their app, so messing with the code is something that needs to be done at least a few times a year to keep the app current. Under Apple’s rules, if a developer can’t give that much time to a project then they’ll have a three year period where they don’t need to update their app plus the 90 day notice period before the app is removed.

Before and after the news of the extension, Apple’s policy on removing apps is that they will only be removed from the App Store. Users who have downloaded apps to their devices will still be able to continue using the app. Apple didn’t say whether those users could re-install the app later, but presumably not.

If you create apps for the App Store, you should check the Apple Developer website which contains information about the new change including an FAQ.

Apple extends deadline for developers to update their apps before App Store removal

According to the images, not all “iPhone 14” displays will feature a pill-shaped camera cutout to house the front camera. Only the “iPhone 14 Pro” and “iPhone 14 Pro Max” models will have that design. Other iPhone models in the rumored series will include “iPhone 14” and “iPhone 14 Max,” all of which are expected to retain the notch design. Interestingly enough, we don’t see an “iPhone 14 Mini” in the “14” series.

A leaker on Twitter has also confirmed that the alleged “iPhone 14 Pro” will have thinner bezels. The aspect ratio will be slightly different in the “Pro” model.

According to previous rumors, the “iPhone 14 Pro” will also have a more rounded design. However, all these rumors are not what we should believe entirely. These may or may not be the final design. Nevertheless, the leaked design comes from multiple reliable sources, so there is no reason not to believe it.

Rumor also has it that The ‘Pro’ and the ‘Pro Max’ iPhone 14 would be the only two models to get Apple’s A16 processor, while the other two models, “iPhone 14” and 14 “Max,” will rock last year’s A15.

Meanwhile, Apple is rumored to release the iPhone 14 series at an event likely to happen in the month of September. But before that, Apple will hold its annual developer conference in June to announce a lot of new stuff. Of course, we will write everything that Apple announces at their future events.

Alleged iPhone 14 front panel leaks

At the Huawei Global Analyst Summit (HAS) 2022, Gan Bin, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Huawei Wireless Solution delivered a keynote speech titled "Endless Exploration, to Start a New Journey with 5G". He prophesied:

“5.5G will deepen the digital and intelligent transformation with ubiquitous 10 Gbps experience and 100 billion connectivity. Together with industry partners, Huawei will explore ultra-high bandwidth, uplink spectrum reconstruction, ELAA-MM, green air interfaces, and native intelligence to help operators build '1+1+N' 5.5G networks and upgrade network capabilities.”

While the world is racing towards 5G, Huawei is fine-tuning the next incremental upgrade. While 5G promises to exponentially increase speeds and reduce latency, it could also help millions of IoT (Internet of Things) devices. The proposed 5.5G networks could help boost digitalization and intelligence. For that to happen, mobile networks will need access to, as well as assure, a ubiquitous 10 Gbps experience, while keeping the latency within milliseconds.

The current experimental 5G network infrastructure could theoretically offer about 5 Gbps. Hence, the telecom industry will need to deploy a 10 Gbps experience layer on top of the existent 5G Gbps foundation network, Huawei said. This would not only ensure a reliable network with low latencies, but it could also reliably accept the next wave of internet-connected devices.

The 5.5G networks will need a "1+1+N" approach. Such networks will need at least a 1 GHz spectrum to guarantee a ubiquitous 10 Gbps experience. Huawei has also suggested deploying Extremely Large Antenna Array-Massive MIMO (ELAA-MM) to ensure the co-coverage between the C-band and higher bands based on extremely large antenna arrays.

Huawei has merely proposed the parameters needed to reliably scale the high-speed mobile internet ecosystem. Although there could be billions of active wireless internet connections in the future, it would be up to telecom companies to decide the most optimum and economically viable approach.

Next-Gen 5.5G networks can offer 10 Gbps for 100 bn connections with '1+1+N', Huawei claims

An iPhone undergoes repairs.

This is Apple's rental repair kit.

Apple launches self-service repair program for iPhone users in the US

Google calls the Pixel 6 “the fastest-selling Pixel ever”

It also features some great specs including a 50MP camera system, a 144Hz 6.5” FHD+ OLED display and a Snapdragon 778G+ 5G Mobile Platform.

In addition to the specs outlined above, the Motorola Edge 30 includes Wi-Fi 6E support and comes with up to 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage ensuring you can run all the apps you need even if they use up a lot of storage space.

Regarding battery life, the Motorola Edge 30 should get you through a whole day with its 4020 mAh battery, but, if you need to charge up, the TurboPower 30 will give you hours of battery life in minutes.

Commenting on the device’s size and internal hardware, Motorola said:

“Coming in at 6.79mm, the Edge 30 is the thinnest 5G smartphone available so it takes up less room in your pocket, fits comfortably in your hand, and is still packed with amazing technology inside. We also gave it an eye-catching look, with subtle, jewel-like patterns that shift and change as you tilt the phone from side to side for complexity and depth. An in-display fingerprint reader lets you instantly wake up and unlock your phone with a touch of the screen.”

The devices will begin arriving in the aforementioned markets in the coming weeks for around €449.99 but the actual price in your country could change depending on the tax regime.

With the Edge 30, Motorola hopes to bolster its available premium devices in Europe.

Motorola claims its new Edge 30 is the thinnest 5G smartphone on the market at just 6.79mm

The first public beta of Android 13 is now available for anyone with a compatible Pixel device to download and try out, the search giant announced today. Its release comes ahead of Google’s annual developer conference next month when the company is expected to fully detail its plans for the update — due for release later this year.

For end users, the most interesting features are those that have already appeared in Android 13’s initial two developer previews. There’s support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio, a new photo picker that lets you restrict which of your photos an app is able to access, new app icon theming options, and a new permission that could cut down on notification spam.

Apps will need to ask for permission to access specific filetypes. Image: Google

In contrast, the new features for this public beta are much more developer-focused, like changes to the app permission for accessing shared media files in local storage. In a blog post, Google VP of engineering Dave Burke says the permission will now be specific to the type of media an app needs to access — images, video, or audio — rather than simply asking for permission to access all files.

Keystore and KeyMint, the parts of Android that can handle cryptographic keys, have been updated to provide more informative error codes. There are also new APIs for audio playback.

For more information on how to sign up for and download the beta, check out Google’s Android 13 developer site. Anyone already running the developer preview should automatically receive the new beta.

Android 13’s beta is no longer just for developers

We are all still waiting for the full spec list of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, and as the days go by, we’re getting more and more insights into what to expect. Here’s what we know so far: it could be cheaper than its predecessors, it might be smaller and thinner than Z Fold 3, and it might not feature an in-display fingerprint scanner. Now, let’s talk about battery and screen size. According to reports, a wider screen will be gracing the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but here’s the downside: no better battery size to await.

The discovery was uncovered by GalaxyClub through a South Korean inspection body. The safety listing presents two images of batteries, which don’t provide explicit information that they are for the Fold 4. However, the certification is the giveaway. The photos have the model numbers EB-BF936ABY and EB-BF937ABY, while the Z Fold 4 has the numbers SM-F936.

Now, here’s the reason why the new batteries don’t impress initially – the first battery has a rated capacity of 2002 mAh while the second has 2268 mAh. The numbers sum up to a rated capacity of 4270 mAh. This means the Galaxy Z Fold 4 won’t significantly differ from the two batteries of the Z Fold 3, which have a total rated capacity of 4275 mAh. Apparently, Fold 4’s typical capacity advertisement will likely be higher, but it will certainly not be that different from the 4400 mAh of Galaxy Z Fold 3.

On a positive note, we can expect an improved performance in the battery usage of Galaxy Z Fold 4, thanks to the anticipated Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus. The new chip is also expected to deliver better heat management in Fold 4. Apart from that, it is rumored that Fold 4 will come with a smaller and slimmer body. With this, staying at almost the same battery capacity is essentially a good thing. That means you will have a smaller phone with the same battery and (hopefully) better performance.

Z Fold 4 to have the same battery as Fold 3, but a better chip and smaller, thinner body

As spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, the micro-blogging site is also working on a new feature that will allow users to attach photos, GIFs, and videos to a tweet at the same time. Paluzzi has also shared the screenshot of the UI, which explains how the feature works.

Twitter seems to have started working on this feature a long time ago. The reverse engineer first found the reference for this in the Twitter Android app back in 2020. But for some reason, the company has taken two years to materialize the idea. It shouldn’t take much longer from now to launch the feature for the general public since the company seems to be giving it the final touch.

Paluzzi has also found references for this feature in the iOS app today, a big enough hint that it could also become available for iOS users when it is ready. To sum it up for you, the feature will likely be available for both Android and iOS users. However, the reverse engineer said nothing about whether it will be available for the Twitter web client.

It is worth pointing out, though, that the ability to attach photos, videos, and GIFs to a tweet at the same time is still in the development phase. We are hoping that the micro-blogging site will release it to the public in the coming few months. We will, of course, notify you once it becomes available for everyone.

What do you think about this new feature? Is it something that you find useful on Twitter? Let us know what you think in the comments section.

Twitter may allow users to attach photos, videos and GIFs to a tweet at the same time

Rolling out to iOS users for testing now, and Android users whenever “soon” might be, the new CC button to turn on or off closed captions appears in the top right corner of videos on Twitter, as the company displayed in their own tweet announcing the feature. 

In Twitter’s own tweet about the new feature, the social media giant didn’t explain exactly why they are adding this much-requested feature, but in their defence, they didn’t really need to either, as closed captions are an obvious and major win for accessibility, regardless of if you use them or not. 

Alongside this feature to better suit your closed captioning preferences, Twitter also recently implemented alternative text badges (ATL), allowing users to add detailed descriptions of any photos they upload in order to aid screen readers and further improve accessibility.

Additionally, under the impending threat of Elon Musk taking over the company, Twitter is also finally working on an edit button for tweets. Reportedly rolling out to paid Twitter Blue subscribers first, the edit button is said to also have an “immutable” quality to it, meaning the original unedited tweet won’t be deleted after changes are made.

Twitter is getting a new closed captions button for videos

Our first look at what seems to be the Google Pixel Watch comes under strange circumstances: someone supposedly found its prototype lying around at a restaurant and sent pictures of it to Android Central on the condition of anonymity. The images of the purported device match up with what we’ve seen from previously leaked renders, down to the circular watch face and rotating crown.

The watch appears to have a physical crown sitting between two buttons. Image: Android Central

As shown in the photos, a physical crown sits between two buttons on the side of the watch. If it’s anything like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, the two buttons could be used to turn the watch on or off, return to the home screen, or even as a shortcut to pull up recently used apps. Meanwhile, the small hole next to the crown could be a microphone or perhaps an altimeter sensor used to track stair climbing. As Android Central notes, the four pins on the side of the watch may be used for testing purposes, and may not appear on the final model.

The underside of the watch features a black frame with what looks like an oval-shaped health-tracking sensor in the center. Android Central’s source also says the bottom of the watch has a smooth feel, noting it “looks metallic but feels like it’s coated with glass,” akin to the glass backing on the Apple Watch.

What appears to be a sensor is found on the underside of the watch. Image: Android Central

Unfortunately, Android Central’s source wasn’t able to fully boot up the watch to see how the user interface might look. When they tried turning it on, a white Google logo appeared and nothing happened after that.

A charger wasn’t left with the watch either, but as Android Central notes, the watch may be charged within its case, just like the Apple Watch and Google-owned Fitbit Versa 3 and Sense smartwatches. While there aren’t any pictures of the strap actually attached to the watch, it looks like it comes with a propriety method for snapping in the straps, while the straps themselves resemble the ones that come with Fitbit’s smartwatch line. You can view the entirety of the leaked images on Android Central’s site.

What’s almost more interesting than the watch itself is the story behind it. Thanks to an Ask Me Anything (AMA) post on Reddit by u/tagtech414, the person who claims to be in ownership of the watch, we can start piecing things together. (And yes, the person posting seems legit — he shows an image of the watch on his laptop screen with his Reddit post in the background.)

u/tagtech414 says his bartending friend found the watch at the restaurant where he works, and held onto it for “a few weeks,” waiting for the owners to come looking for it. Since no one ever came, the bartending friend decided to give the watch to u/tagtech414 because he’s a self-labeled “tech nerd.”

As for why the strap isn’t attached to the watch itself, he claims his friend forgot to give it to him, citing “they were packaged separately and he forgot to bring them over, so he sent me pictures of them for the article.” u/tagtech414 also answered some additional questions about the watch’s specs, noting that the bezel is actually quite large, and that the watch face is about 1.5 inches in diameter and half an inch thick. It looks like u/tagtech414 is still updating the post, so there may be even more information soon.

Even still, the situation is similar to the way the iPhone 4 was leaked way back in 2010 — someone found an iPhone prototype in a restaurant, which was then purchased and torn down by Gizmodo (the photos of which all mysteriously disappeared from Gizmodo’s website, by the way). It turns out a software engineer left the prototype there, so it’s clear that such a situation has and can occur.

But what’s weird about this case of lost and found is that it doesn't seem like Google is even looking for the device (unlike Apple which put out a call to get its iPhone prototype back at the time). u/tagtech414 also says he hasn’t been contacted by Google yet. Of course, there’s always the possibility that this could all be some elaborate ruse by Google to get more publicity for its upcoming watch, as this is all very reminiscent of the time a Pixel 3 XL was found in the back of a Lyft (did you think we’d forget already, Google?).

There are so many questions left unanswered here, and while the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the watch may never be cleared up entirely, at least the features of the actual watch will. So far, we know that Google will call the device the Pixel Watch (huge surprise there), and we’ll likely find out even more details at next month’s Google I/O.

Update April 24th 7:22PM ET: Updated to add that the person claiming to be in ownership of the Pixel Watch prototype started an AMA post on Reddit, and added some additional information provided by the Reddit post.

Nine ‘Pixel Watch’ photos leak — and one wacky story

Apple may be cracking down on apps that no longer receive updates. In a screenshotted email sent to affected developers, titled “App Improvement Notice,” Apple warns it will remove apps from the App Store that haven’t been “updated in a significant amount of time” and gives developers just 30 days to update them.

“You can keep this app available for new users to discover and download from the App Store by submitting an update for review in 30 days,” Apple writes in the email. “If no update is submitted in 30 days, the app will be removed from sale.” While Apple will remove the outdated apps from the App Store, any previously downloaded apps will remain on users’ devices.

A number of app makers, like Protopop Games developer Robert Kabwe, have expressed their concerns about the change. Kabwe says on Twitter that Apple is threatening to remove his fully-functional game, Motivoto, because it hasn’t been updated since March 2019.

Meanwhile, Kosta Eleftheriou, the developer of the FlickType Apple Watch keyboard, says Apple took down a version of his app made specifically for the visually impaired because it hasn't been updated in two years. As Eleftheriou points out in his tweet, the once-super-popular Pocket God app still remains on the App Store even though it received its last update in 2015. Developer Emilia Lazer-Walker also reported that Apple is removing “a few” of her older games from the App Store. Several other developers share the same experience, noting that they just haven’t had the time to update their apps.

On Apple’s App Store Improvements page, the company says: “We are implementing an ongoing process of evaluating apps, removing apps that no longer function as intended, don’t follow current review guidelines, or are outdated.” There isn’t a time stamp on the page, so it’s not immediately clear when Apple published or last updated the post. Apple didn't immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.

In 2016, Apple said it would start removing abandoned apps from the App Store. At the time, it also warned developers that they would have 30 days to update their app before it got taken down. That said, it’s unclear whether Apple has continuously been enforcing this rule over the years, or if it recently started conducting a wider sweep. Apple also doesn’t clearly outline what it considers to be “outdated” — whether it's based on the time that has elapsed since an app was last updated, or if it concerns compatibility with the most recent version of iOS.

Critics of this policy argue that mobile apps should remain available no matter their age, much like old video games remain playable on consoles. Others say the policy is unnecessarily tough on developers, and claim Apple doesn’t fully respect the work that goes into indie games.

Earlier this month, the Google Play Store similarly announced it would begin limiting the visibility of apps that “don’t target an API level within two years of the latest major Android release version.” Android developers have until November 1st, 2022 to update their apps, but also have the option of applying for a six-month extension if they can’t make the deadline. With both major app stores cracking down on older apps, this could leave some developers, especially indie studios, struggling to keep up.

Apple App Store appears to be widely removing outdated apps

According to the leaker, the base variant of the OnePlus 10R with 80W fast-charging support will cost Rs. 38,999(~$510), while the most premium model will set you back Rs. 44,999(~$588) in India. The base variant has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the premium model features 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and 150W fast-charging support. It will be available in Black and Green colors.

As per Brar, OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite will also be available in two variants—one that costs Rs. 17,999(~$235), and a slightly more expensive model is priced at Rs. 19,999(~$262). It reportedly has 128GB storage and 6GB/8GB RAM depending on which variant you buy. The Nord CE 2 Lite will be available in Blue and Black color options.

OnePlus Nord Buds, on the other hand, will be the company’s cheapest truly wireless earbuds to date. The new Nord Buds are expected to be priced at Rs. 2,999(~$39) and will come in Black and White color options.

OnePlus confirmed that it would launch these new devices on April 28. Of course, we will get to know more information about these new launches on that date. Meanwhile, you can check out the leaked specifications of these products below.

ONEPLUS 10R SPECIFICATIONS

Powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 8100 chip, the OnePlus 10R will have a 120Hz high refresh rate technology and will be based on Android 12-based OxygenOS. It will also have the 80W SuperVOOC fast charging support. You can learn more about the 10R here.

ONEPLUS NORD BUDS SPECIFICATIONS

A 41mAh battery capacity, 480mAh charging case, and a physical button on the ear tips for play/pause, music change, and more controls are some of the exciting features of the Nord Buds. However, none of this is confirmed by the company, so take it with a pinch of salt.

Let us know in the comments section if you are excited about these new OnePlus devices.

OnePlus 10R, OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite, OnePlus Buds prices leak days ahead of their launch

Now, Android Authority notes that Google has clarified in a policy update as well as a developer webinar that its Accessibility APIs cannot be used for call recording purposes. Recently, many developers had begun using these APIs to circumvent Google's policies against call recording; this will not be possible after May 11, which is when the policy change goes into effect.

This means that third-party apps in the Play Store that are used to record calls will no longer function since this is effectively the last nail in the coffin of this functionality. It is important to note that the change does not affect brands such as Google Pixel or Xiaomi which come with the native capability to record calls. Google explained that:

If the app is the default dialer on the phone and also pre-loaded, accessibility capability is not required to get access to the incoming audio stream, and hence, will not be in violation.

It will be interesting to see whether Google will start removing call recording apps in violation of its policies from the Play Store after May 11 or if they will simply stop functioning.

Source: Google via Android Authority

Google is killing off most call recording apps next month

One of the useful new features in the latest version of Microsoft Launcher is the ability to pin historical search queries to the top. This capability will come in handy when you have some important keywords that you search daily. You will now be able to pin those keywords to the top so that you don't have to type those words every time in the search bar.

The latest version of the Microsoft Launcher app also lets you enable More/Less footer for search history section. Here is the complete official changelog for the update:

• Enable long click to pin a historical search query to top.

• Enable More/Less footer for search history section.
• Known bugs were fixed and performance improvements were made.

The latest update takes the app to version 6.220304.0.1041800. If you are using Microsoft Launcher on Android, you can go to the Google Play Store to download the update.

As a reminder, Microsoft Launcher, along with Surface Duo OS, SwiftKey, Phone Link, and other Android projects, are now part of the new Android Microsoft Platform and Experiences (AMPX) division. Microsoft Launcher will hopefully play a key role in realizing Microsoft's goal of further integrating Android phones with Windows PCs than what's available through Phone Link.

Microsoft Launcher gets updated with historical search query pinning and more

In a Twitter thread from Esper senior technical editor Mishaal Rahman, we’ve been given our first look at what might just be the UI for Google’s Wallet revival, showing it to be the “comprehensive digital wallet,” that it was first rumoured and hyped up to be. 

Featuring digital spaces for debit or credit cards, loyalty cards, gift cards, and transit pass’, the revitalised Google Wallet reportedly won’t be doing away with Google Pay entirely, despite it already offering many of these features. Instead, according to Rahman, Google Pay will still be available inside of the Wallet app as the branding for Google’s contactless payments. 

Similarly to Google Pay, the new Google Wallet app includes an option within the settings to automatically add passes, tickets, offers, and cards found in your Gmail into the app, saving you from the hassle of sorting it all out yourself. 

Unfortunately for those who like the sound of ditching your physical wallet for a digital one, Google is still yet to confirm the existence of this Google Wallet revival, so there’s no word on exactly when it might release just yet.

Google Wallet’s revival looks more concrete as screenshots appear online

Odd issues have popped up following software updates Google’s released for its latest flagship phones frequently enough for us to look into why Android 12 has been so buggy for certain phones. Now some Pixel owners report that their phones are failing to complete a fairly basic task — ringing when there’s an incoming call.

Unlike the issue with notification vibrations suddenly changing without explanation, this isn’t something we’ve been able to confirm. However, posts on Reddit (via Android Central and Phone Arena) and Google’s support forums describe issues where some incoming calls seem to be silently rejected, sending the caller directly to voicemail.

Pixel 6 Pro is declining calls from contacts without me knowing from GooglePixel

Their call log indicates that an incoming call was “declined,” when in fact, the phone didn’t ring, and they all claim they don’t have any Do Not Disturb setting or other feature enabled that might block the calls. One commenter on PhoneArena said they had a similar problem that turned out to be due to Verizon’s spam filtering, but reports of the issues are consistent across carriers.

There doesn’t appear to be a confirmed way to fix the issue beyond Hail Mary suggestions of device resets for those dealing with the issue. Reports of issues are mainly coming from owners of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro devices, but a few owners of older Pixel phones all the way back to the 2XL have said they’ve seen the same thing.

Pixel 6 owners say their phones are automatically rejecting some incoming calls

1Password released an early access version of 1Password 8 for iOS on Wednesday, which brings a redesigned interface and new backend to iPhone and iPad users. The new version of the app, which 1Password says will eventually make its way to all its supported platforms, has been available in early access mode for Mac since August, and was released for Windows in November.

As a longtime user of 1Password 7, the redesign was immediately obvious when I opened the beta version of the app. As far as I can tell, almost every icon has been changed to be a little more fun and colorful, and the interface feels more modern now.

1Password 7

 

1Password 8

1Password 7 opened to a favorites screen with a few recently used passwords. Other than marking or unmarking logins as favorites, there wasn’t much you could do to customize the screen. This was always a little frustrating for me, because I basically never had any use for the screen, and would immediately bounce to search.

1Password 8, on the other hand, has a home screen that lets you access things like your vaults, categories, and lists of recently created or modified passwords. You can also change it to fit how you organize and access your passwords — if you’re a big user of categories, favorites, and tags, you can move those options to the top. If you dump everything into one folder, you can hide everything but “All Items”.

Some of the home screen items are collapsable lists. Image: 1Password

The old (well, current) version of the app would let you know if one of your passwords had been compromised, and could alert you if the login you were viewing had a reused password, but there wasn’t a single screen that let you manage your overall security. The new version of the iOS app adapts the desktop version’s Watchtower section for mobile, which also gives you an overall security score.

Watchtower brings 1Password’s full security checkup to the app. Image: 1Password

There’s been some controversy around 1Password 8, after the company announced that its Mac app’s user interface would be powered by Electron (the web browser tech behind apps like Slack, Evernote, and Discord) instead of native code like SwiftUI or AppKit. Some user s worried that the change would make the password manager more resource-intensive to run, or that it would feel less like a real Mac app. However you feel about that change, it’s not really a factor with this iOS app, which 1Password has said uses SwiftUI for the interface, and Rust for the core.

Of course, there are other reasons you may not want to use an early access version of a password manager. While it’s been okay for me so far, there will probably be a few bugs for testers to catch. If your phone’s password manager is absolutely critical to your work and / or life, it’s probably best to wait until an official release, especially since this update is a major change from the previous version. If you’re okay with increased odds of flakiness, though, and want to try the redesign for yourself as soon as possible, you can join the TestFlight using the link in 1Password’s blog post.

You can now try 1Password’s customizable redesign on your iPhone and iPad

Google has quietly released a free app for iOS to help you easily carry over data from an iPhone to an Android device, as reported by 9to5Google. The Switch To Android app works wirelessly, meaning you won’t have to worry about connecting the two phones with a cable.

“The Switch to Android app from Google helps you quickly and securely move your most important data types — photos, videos, contacts, and calendar events — to a brand new Android device without fussy cables,” according to the app’s description on the App Store. That list does not include messages, so it appears the app won’t be able to transfer those, though it will walk you through how to turn off iMessage so “you don’t miss text messages from friends and family.”

9to5Google says this is an unlisted app, and that does appear to be the case, as I can’t find it when searching the App Store on my iPhone. However, you can download it right now from this direct link. Google didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about when the app might officially become listed on the App Store.

If you want to get an idea of how the app will work in practice, check out 9to5Google’s hands-on video:

Apple has offered a similar app to help users migrate from Android to iPhone, called “Move to iOS,” since 2015.

Google has a secret iOS app to help you switch to Android

The Pixel 6a lands at the FCC with four different models

The Vivo X Fold is currently limited to China, but rumor has it that it will also make its debut in India at a later date. However, there is no timeline for when it will go Official outside China. The company made no announcement regarding its global availability either.

Vivo X Fold specifications

Vivo X Fold features a 6.53-inch outer AMOLED display and a folding 8.03-inch 1800x2200px LTPO2 inner AMOLED E5 display. Both the displays support a high refresh rate and HDR10+ with a screen refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

The foldable phone is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip with 12GB of RAM. It is powered by a 4,600mAh battery that supports 66W wired charging, enough to fully charge the battery in just 37 minutes. The X Fold also supports up to 50W of wireless charging and 10W of reverse wireless charging.

As for the cameras, the Vivo X Fold has a quad-camera setup at the backside. The circular camera module consists of a 50MP f/1.8 primary camera with OIS in front of a 1/1.57-inch Samsung GN5 sensor and a 12MP f/2.4 2x (47mm) zoom camera 5x periscope zoom camera (with 60x digital zoom), and a 48MP f/2.2 114-degree ultrawide. The foldable smartphone also features the famous Zeiss camera branding.

Vivo’s first foldable phone has two ultrasonic fingerprint scanners and two selfie cameras to ensure that you can take selfies facing either display. Vivo X Fold will be available in Black, Blue, and Grey for CNY 8,999 (€1,300/$1,415).

Are you excited about the Vivo X Fold? If it launches outside of China, will you buy it? You can share your thoughts in the comments section.

Vivo launches its first foldable phone