Latest news with #GoogleDevelopers
Android Authority
2 days ago
- Android Authority
Android's lock screen widgets are getting a slick new background blur effect
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority TL;DR A future Android update will give the lock screen widget page a blurred wallpaper background, aligning it with the Material 3 Expressive design language. This visual change, which replaces the current opaque colored background, was spotted in the new Android Canary build, making the UI more consistent. Although lock screen widgets are currently exclusive to tablets, Google has confirmed they will be coming to phones in the Android 16 QPR1 release. Material 3 Expressive, the latest version of Google's design language, brings a more visually engaging and playful feel to Android through a new physics-based animation system, vibrant colors, larger buttons, and background blur effects. While Google has updated many UI elements to Material 3 Expressive, some parts of the OS still use the old design. For example, the lock screen widgets page doesn't use the same background blur effect found elsewhere, but that's finally changing. Last week, Google launched the Android Canary program, giving developers year-round access to preview new Android features. The first Canary build is slightly newer than the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta, meaning it contains some changes not yet present in the beta. One of these changes affects the lock screen widget page, which now features a blurred version of your wallpaper. Here's a gallery showing what the lock screen widget page currently looks like in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2: And here's a gallery showing what it looks like in the first Android Canary build: In the QPR1 beta, the lock screen widget page has an opaque background using your wallpaper's dominant color. The July Android Canary build, however, applies the same blurred wallpaper effect seen in the Recents screen, notification pulldown, and keyguard. This small visual tweak doesn't change functionality, but it aligns the lock screen widget page with the rest of Android's Material 3 Expressive design. Google reintroduced lock screen widget support in Android 15 QPR1, though the feature remains exclusive to tablets for now. The company has confirmed that lock screen widgets are coming to phones in Android 16 QPR1, but the feature isn't active in the current beta or Canary builds. With only one beta left in the Android 16 QPR1 program, we'll hopefully see the feature land on phones in the upcoming third beta release. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Android Authority
7 days ago
- Android Authority
Here's how Material 3 Expressive might impact Google Docs (APK teardown)
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Google's updating apps across Android to incorporate Material 3 Expressive design elements. We've identified some tweaks to the UI in Docs that aren't yet live, but we can preview in the latest release. Docs should be getting the same sort of high-contrast backgrounds and more rounded screen elements we've already seen on other Google apps. App by app, screen by screen, Google's slowly bringing a fresh look to its Android ecosystem. This summer, we've been tracking the progress Google devs have been making to bring the company's new Material 3 Expressive design language to its software library. And while some of that may end up resulting in big, immediately noticeable changes, a whole lot more of it seems to involve more minor tweaks to UI construction and layout. We've already checked out quite a few of Google's apps where we've uncovered in-development evidence of these updates, and today we're adding the latest to our growing list. Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover You're reading anstory on Android Authority. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release. For today's preview, we're cracking open the new version 1.25.272.02.90 release of Google Docs. Let's start by looking at a couple screens in the app as they exist in public builds right now, showing both light and dark mode rendering: But once we convince the Docs app to start giving us an early look at the UI changes Google devs have been working on, we quickly spot some familiar tweaks: In that recent-files view on the left, we can see Google experimenting with the same kind of dual-tone backdrop that we've seen adding contrast to Material 3 Expressive revisions in apps like Gmail. The app also picks up a restructured search bar, separating it from the hamburger menu and account switcher. And that extra contrast extends to sorting options, which are working to feature a backdrop for the icons. Even UI elements that featured that sort of highlighting before are getting a Material 3 Expressive update, moving from rectangles with rounded corners to more bulbous elements with larger-radius curves. That extends to menus, as well, as you can see with these selections to font options. All told, the changes we've identified in the works for Docs are very much in line with other M3E tweaks like those we saw in preparation Gmail or Google Drive. With these, the apps still feel very familiar, and users may not even notice the changes straight away even once Google pushes them live. But taken collectively, they're clear evidence of the direction Google's Android apps are headed, so we'd better get used to seeing a lot more of the same. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Forbes
Google Warns Pixel 6a Owners To Update Immediately
Google's Pixel 6a Today sees the start of a mandatory automatic software update to Android 16 for Pixel 6a owners. This update brings the latest version of Android to the Pixel 6a and addresses a significant battery overheating issue. Pixel 6a Pushed To Android 16 Android 16 was released on June 10, 2025. It offers updated security features, additions to the UI including Predictive Back animations, new codes for multimedia, and improved accessibility. One of the visible changes is in the management of notifications. Android 16 will group notifications from a single app, live updates in the notification bar, so you don't have to check back in with compatible apps, such as ride-share and delivery apps. However, the most significant change for Pixel 6a owners is addressing the potential for overheating batteries by introducing new battery management software. Pixel 6a Update Impact Ahead of the rollout, the Google Developers website removed all factory images and over-the-air images for the Pixel 6a, presumably to ensure that there is no option to roll back to an older version of Android or continue using the previous iteration of the management software. The update will also address concerns around battery overheating on a subset of Pixel 6a devices. This will include battery management rules that reduce battery capacity and charging rates on these devices after they pass 400 battery charge cycles. This restriction will be removed if a new battery is fitted to the 6a. Google has pushed a similar software update to the Pixel 4a when it faced battery concerns. That update reduced the battery life of the 4a to a few hours. Pixel 6a Owners' Options Depending on where you are based, Google is offering to replace the battery free of charge, receive a cash payment of $100, or a $150 discount code in the Google Store to upgrade to a new Pixel. Given the battery issues, it's likely that the Pixel 6a resale and trade-in values offered by third-party sites will crash, so Google's offer will be a welcome one. Google is being particularly aggressive with its trade-in prices at the moment on the Pixel 9 series. Next month's Made By Google event will see the launch of the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Pixel 10 Pro XL. No doubt, there will be more trade-in offers to promote the new handsets. Trading in the Pixel 6a? Read one of the key improvements offered by the Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL…
Digital Trends
11-05-2025
- Digital Trends
From Android 1.0 to Android 16: How Google's mobile OS has evolved since 2008
Table of Contents Table of Contents Android 10 Cupcake (Android 1.5) Donut (Android 1.6) Eclair (Android 2.0) Froyo (Android 2.2) Gingerbread (Android 2.3) Honeycomb (Android 3.0) Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) KitKat (Android 4.4) Lollipop (Android 5.0) Marshmallow (Android 6.0) Nougat (Android 7.0) Oreo (Android 8.0) Pie (Android 9) Android 11 Android 12 Android 13 Android 14 Android 15 Android 16 What's next for Android? Google I/O 2025 will be livestreaming next week, and software developers from Google are expected to unveil Android 16, which is slated to come out before the summer. The upcoming Android software update is expected to bring a host of new features as well as some returning mechanics from a decade ago. To hold our excitement for the upcoming conference over, we're going to take a stroll down memory lane with a complete history of Android, from its humble beginnings as a T-Mobile-exclusive mobile tech to an AI-advanced software to grace contemporary smartphones like Google Pixel 9 and Samsung Galaxy S25. Android has come a long way since 2008, and it has a long way to go to be the best mobile software for everyone. That being said, here's a full timeline of Android's evolution. Recommended Videos Android 1.0 Android made its debut on September 23, 2008 inside the T-Mobile G1, also known as the HTC Dream (outside of the U.S., at least) and, to this day, the very first Android smartphone. T-Mobile subscribers who bought the G1 were the first to experience Android 1.0 with a whole suite of Google apps baked into the software, including basic services like Gmail, Maps, Calendar, and YouTube. It also allowed users to group apps into a single folder on the home screen, instantly message people through Google Talk, and sync their data with Google Sync. Cupcake (Android 1.5) Android 1.5 Cupcake was the first time a version of the OS would be named after a sweet treat, releasing in early 2009 and giving Android a playful identity that resonated with people. Here, Android played into its playful demeanor by introducing third-party app widgets that can be added to the home screen, like a music player and a calendar, added stereo support for Bluetooth, and allowed people to upload videos to YouTube. It even phased out the physical keyboard model on their phones, like the T-Mobile myTouch 3G, and built them with the on-screen keyboard to keep up with the iPhone. Donut (Android 1.6) Google solidified the dessert-themed codenaming for Android with the release of Android 1.6, Donut, rolling it out to Android users on September 15, 2009, and filling in holes that Cupcake couldn't. It added Android's first universal search box to make it easier to search contacts and other topics, gave developers the ability to include their apps and other content in the search results of Android Market (which will later be called Google Play Store), and allowed Android to run on different screen sizes and resolutions. Donut also kickstarted Android's expansion by adding CMDA support for other carriers, starting with Verizon. Eclair (Android 2.0) Six weeks later, Google released Android 2.0, Eclair, which lasted through Android 2.1. The first phone to run Eclair was the Motorola Droid, which was heavily promoted as an alternative to the iPhone by Verizon (whom Lucasfilm gave license to use the Droid name, by the way). The commercials were basically about Verizon bashing the iPhone for not having the features that the Droid had courtesy of Eclair, including voice-guided turn-by-turn navigation, real-time traffic information, speech-to-text, and live wallpapers. Google took the pinch-to-zoom feature from the iPhone and applied it to the software. Froyo (Android 2.2) In May 2010, Android 2.2, Froyo came out to provide as many performance enhancements as it did a few more features on the surface. This patch improved the phones' speed and memory, added USB tethering and hotspot functionality, and added the dock to the bottom of the screen, which has since become an industry standard. Froyo even added Adobe Flash support for Android's web browser, which became less common over time due to Apple's opposition to it. It even allowed users to wirelessly connect their phones to their cars with Bluetooth-enabled car support. Gingerbread (Android 2.3) Google released Android 2.3, Gingerbread, on the Nexus S just in time for the holidays on December 6, 2010. At the time, the Android mascot, who is usually as green as Kermit the Frog, was dressed as the gingerbread man to promote the update, while Google painted Android's UI with a black and green color scheme, giving the OS a distinct design and users an easier time navigating the Android system. Gingerbread even gave the gift of Near Field Communication (NFC) support. Honeycomb (Android 3.0) The February 2011 release of Android 3.0, Honeycomb, was unconventional because Matías Duarte, then the director of Android User Experience, designed it to be a tablet-exclusive update. Released on the Motorola Xoom, Honeycomb lived up to its name with a reimagined UI that involved a honeycomb-like holographic theme and a black and blue color palette instead of black and green as it appeared on most Android phones. Despite it being a tablet-exclusive software, Honeycomb was unofficially ported over to the Nexus One, which enjoyed the same new features the Xoom received, including a Recent Apps view for multitasking and customizable home screens. Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, came as fast as the Honeycomb went. This release appeared on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus on December 16, 2011, making use of a revamped modern, minimalist design implemented throughout the OS and Android's app ecosystem, nicknamed 'Holo,' and introduced the Roboto typeface. ICS also made it easy to swipe away notifications and recent apps, and added the ability to send content to another Android user via NFC, updated the contacts manager with social media integration, and the ability to access the camera and control music from the lock screen. Jelly Bean (Android 4.1) The Jelly Bean update – spanning from Android 4.1, which dropped July 9, 2012, through Android 4.3, which released July 24, 2013 – made Android run smoother and more responsive than previous updates. Android users got to experience expandable and actionable notifications, the latter of which presented action buttons such as 'Call back' or 'Message' in case of a missed call. Jelly Bean introduced the ability for users to add widgets on the lock screen, like the world clock, Gmail, and the messaging app. Users also had the ability to open the camera by swiping from the right side of the screen. KitKat (Android 4.4) Named after the popular chocolate bar, Android 4.4 gave users a break, as it were, from the darker backgrounds that were supplied by previous updates in exchange for light-colored wallpapers October 31, 2013. To complement the candy-colored backgrounds that came with the KitKat update, the Google search bar became translucent and gained 'Ok, Google' support, allowing people to search for what they need with just the sound of their voice. Google Now, which was introduced in Jelly Bean, got its dedicated panel of the home screen that could be accessed with just a swipe. Lollipop (Android 5.0) Android 5.0, Lollipop, which was released on November 4, 2014, marked a significant shift in design and performance with the introduction of Material Design and Android Runtime (ART). Material Design, now an industry standard UI design for Android, brought about the ripple effect for buttons and made notifications appear on the lock screen for quick access and the Recent App list show up as cards, giving users the ability to sift through them like papers in a file cabinet. Sadly, it removed the customization of widgets from the lock screen. Marshmallow (Android 6.0) On the performance front, Android 6.0, Marshmallow – released in 2015 – was as soft of an update as the pillow-y sweet treat for which it was named save for the introduction of opt-in permissions and Now On Tap. Basically, Now On Tap was a new feature within Google Now that provided context-sensitive search results to information currently on display in any app when you hold down the Home button. Hardware-wise, it added native support for fingerprint recognition and USB-C charging cables, the latter of which has since become a universal standard in the smartphone industry. Nougat (Android 7.0) One of the most significant upgrades Nougat brought to Android in 2016 was split-screen mode, allowing two apps to take up two halves of the entire phone screen, like Google Chrome and a notes app for users who tend to do their research on the go. Split-screen mode was a feature that would normally be found in Windows computers to make work more efficient for business folks and students , so it was a surprise to see it on an Android phone. Other important upgrades included the addition of the 'Clear All' button to the overview screen, picture-in-picture support for Android TV, and Google Assistant. Oreo (Android 8.0) As the name of this update suggests, Google sandwiched a lot of new features into Android devices in 2017, including native picture-in-picture support for video, downloadable fonts, printing support, notification channels that let you organize how apps can alert you (or not), and the ability to snooze notifications so they wouldn't distract you work or anything else. Oreo also featured Project Treble, a modular architecture that made it easier for hardware developers to deliver software updates in a timely manner, and introduced Android Go for budget phones running 2 GB of RAM or less. Pie (Android 9) Android 9, Pie, was served up in 2018 with a fine assortment of upgrades. One of them is the new gesture-driven navigation system that overhauled the Home, Back, and Overview keys and replaced them with a multifunctional, pill-shaped Home button and a small Back button that appears as needed while getting around your phone. Pie even introduced a new dashboard called Digital Wellbeing, which gave you an idea of how you're using your phone, how long you use different apps each day, and tools you can use to limit your screen time – similar to Screen Time on iPhone. Android 10 When Android 10 came out in 2019, Google finally put its dessert-themed names for its software updates to rest in favor of numerical names to make the Android experience more globally accessible. Android 10 revamped the UI by replacing the gesture-driven navigation system with a heavily swipe-driven one so users could seamlessly switch between apps and multitask, and added new privacy permissions to give users more control over location data. It introduced a system-wide dark theme to make it easier to use the phone in a low-light environment and enhance visibility for users with low vision – or people who just don't like bright lights. Android 11 Android 11 came onto the scene in 2020 to tighten up user privacy and security. Basically, it improved upon permissions controls introduced in Android 10 by giving users the option to grant apps permission to access their location, camera, and microphone on a limited-basis when requested. In other words, users would have to give those apps permission to access that data whether they're using an app, only once, or not at all. Android 10 also added a built-in screen recorder for users to record whatever they're watching without the need for a third-party screen-recording app. Android 12 Remember Material Design from Android 5.0? In 2021, Android 12 updated that UI design system to Material You, allowing Android users to customize their phone's appearance based on the colors of their current wallpaper. For example, if they set a picture with pink and purple as their wallpaper, they have the option of applying that color palette all across the system. Some of the apps will use those colors as well, even the calculator. Android 12 also brought the Privacy Dashboard, providing an overview of which apps are using data, how much information they've accessed, and gave users more control over that to reduce their risk of exposure. Android 13 Android 13, which launched in 2022, was very subtle with its system upgrades, which were added at some points throughout its 365-day lifetime. It brought a new native QR code scanning function to Android Quick Settings, enhanced the system clipboard interface, redesigned the music player to have the album cover of each song appear in the background, and made the number of active apps appear at the bottom of the notifications panel. Other than that, it required apps to request permission from users before they could send notifications, which made for a less distracting experience. Android 14 The 2023 release of Android 14 was just as subtle as the last update, but that doesn't mean its UI update was less ambitious. The font size could be increased up to 200% – up from 130% in previous updates – to make apps and articles more accessible for users with visual disabilities. It also expanded Material You to add new customization options for the lock screen, a new system for dragging and dropping text in between apps, and a context-requiring system for why apps want access to a user's location when they request it, adding another layer of privacy and security to Android. Android 15 Android 15, which launched in the fall of 2023 after four extensive beta tests, saw the introduction of Private Space, which helps enhance privacy and security by keep sensitive apps away from the prying eyes of other people in a secure drawer, like their files, photos, even banking apps (which need to be under strict protection, anyway). Once those apps are in the Private Space, they can only be accessed with authentication. It also added the Theft Protection Lock, which employs AI to automatically lock your phone if someone steals it, and introduced app pairing to tablets and foldable phones. Android 16 Android 16 is currently in beta, with the official stable version expected to come out before the end of Q2 2025. The upcoming update is expected to overhaul Material You with Material 3 Expressive, which Google described in a leaked blog post to have greater responsiveness and 'action elements' that pop. It is also expected to bring back lock screen widgets, which were phased out after Android 5.2, and have Auracast support to allow users to switch between Bluetooth devices. What's next for Android? Over the past year, Android has introduced AI programs into its proprietary and third-party smartphones, like Google Gemini, to answer users' questions, help them brainstorm their next essay topic, enhance the quality of their photos, and overall improve their productivity and creativity. We hope Android 16 will continue to improve its AI capabilities with Gemini. As for the rest of Android's future? While we don't know for sure where it will go from here, we hope it continues being a mobile software full of creativity and compassion for its users.
