Latest news with #MishaalRahman
Android Authority
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
YouTube's best Premium feature is finally coming to the big screen
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR YouTube's 'Jump Ahead' feature, which lets Premium subscribers skip to the most interesting part of a video, is now rolling out to the YouTube app on TVs. The feature uses AI and viewing data to identify the segment of the video that most viewers typically skip ahead to. Unlike on mobile and web, the TV version lets users tap their remote's fast-forward key to automatically skip to a designated point on the progress bar. YouTube is finally bringing one of its best Premium perks to the big screen. The 'Jump Ahead' feature, which lets you skip to the most interesting part of a video, is now rolling out to YouTube's TV app. First launched in May of last year for web and mobile, its absence on TVs was a notable omission, especially since nearly half of all YouTube users watch on their televisions. I discovered the change on my NVIDIA Shield TV earlier today. When I pressed my remote's fast-forward button during a certain part of a video, instead of skipping ahead 10 seconds as usual, the app automatically 'jumped ahead.' A message appeared in the top-right corner, noting it was 'jumping over a commonly skipped section,' automatically taking me to the most replayed part. Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority This is the same 'Jump Ahead' feature that YouTube rolled out on mobile and the web last year. The service uses AI and viewing data to identify the part of the video that most viewers skip ahead to, then presents Premium subscribers with a button to fast forward to that segment. On TVs, the experience is slightly different. Instead of a dedicated button, a dot appears on the video's progress bar to indicate the most common skip point. Tapping your remote's fast-forward key again will automatically jump the video to that spot. While a YouTube support page confirms the feature is now available on 'Living Room' (AKA TV) devices, the scope of the rollout is unclear. I've only seen one other user report having it, so if you've spotted the 'Jump Ahead' feature on your TV's YouTube app, let us know in the comments below! Follow
Android Authority
a day ago
- Android Authority
Google's Linux Terminal plays a big part in turning Android into a true desktop OS
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Google has revealed that it's developing a Linux Terminal app to transform Android into a platform for on-device app development and eventually gaming. The app runs a Debian Linux environment in a virtual machine on select Android devices. Recent Android builds can already run graphical Linux apps, paving the way for Android to become a true desktop computing platform. When Google released a Linux Terminal app earlier this year, it generated a lot of buzz among enthusiasts and developers. Despite the excitement, Google has been quiet about the release, even declining to mention it at its annual I/O developer conference. Recently, however, Google published documentation for the Terminal app, revealing its ambitious plans for the feature. With the Linux Terminal, Google aims to let developers build Android apps directly on Android devices. Eventually, the company plans to allow users to run full-fledged graphical Linux apps and games. The ultimate goal could be to transform Android into a first-class desktop platform that rivals macOS and Windows — and we couldn't be more excited. You're reading an Authority Insights story. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else. These reports reflect developments at the time of writing. Some features or details uncovered in leaks may change before official release. The Linux Terminal app arrived in the second quarterly release of Android 15, which Google rolled out this past March. It uses the Android Virtualization Framework (AVF) to boot a Debian OS image in a virtual machine (VM), providing users with a terminal interface to run Linux commands. Google recently updated its official documentation for AVF, highlighting the Linux Terminal app as a key use case. The documentation addresses a long-standing limitation, noting that 'Android has traditionally been the only major operating system that doesn't let users develop apps on the platform itself.' Unlike on macOS or Windows, building apps for Android has always required a separate computer because the development tools aren't natively available on the OS. By introducing the Linux Terminal app, Google can 'provide a Linux-based development environment to Android users who are developers.' This is crucial because many development tools, including Google's official Android Studio, are available for traditional Linux distributions. While Android Studio is available for Linux, there's a caveat: it doesn't currently support the ARM-based CPUs that power the vast majority of Android devices. To enable true on-device development, Google will likely need to add ARM support to the Linux version of Android Studio, allowing it to run in a virtual machine on Android devices much like it already does on Chrome OS. More interestingly, Google plans to enable OEMs to 'implement innovative VM use cases like running graphical user interface apps and even games.' To accomplish this, the company has been working to add graphics, audio, and hardware acceleration support to AVF. This work is already bearing fruit. The Android Canary build released last week allows the Terminal app to run graphical Linux applications. We tested this new capability over the weekend and successfully ran several full-fledged Linux apps — including the desktop version Chromium, GIMP, and LibreOffice — on a Pixel 8 Pro. Compared to our initial tests back in January, the Terminal app now runs Linux apps far more reliably, though performance is still sluggish. When we ran the Speedometer benchmark inside the VM, for example, it scored less than half of what it did natively. Google still has a lot of work to do to fix bugs and improve performance, but it's impressive how far the feature has come since its initial release. If implemented well, the Linux environment could even provide the means for Android to become a desktop gaming platform. Chromebooks can currently run Windows games through their Linux environment thanks to the Proton compatibility layer, so the same could theoretically be done on Android. However, the CPU architecture would again pose a challenge, as Proton doesn't support ARM-based CPUs — at least, not yet. Valve is rumored to be working on ARM support for Proton. If true, this could open the door to running many Windows games on Android through its new Linux environment. The addition of AVF and the Linux environment introduces a wealth of new possibilities, and we're excited to see Google continue this work. These features may even be key to Google's long-term ambition of merging Chrome OS and Android into a single, unified platform. For Android to truly compete with macOS and Windows on the desktop, it needs to be more than just a blown-up version of its mobile OS. It needs to win over the developers and gamers who demand a powerful, versatile platform, and these new features are a crucial step in that direction. Follow
Android Authority
4 days ago
- Android Authority
These 8 features on my Pixel secretly boost my daily productivity
Ryan Haines / Android Authority Android is a treasure trove of features — Pixels even more so. The deeper you dig, the more you find. Our own Mishaal Rahman can probably vouch for that, considering he manages to unearth more features than Google even advertises. And that says a lot about a platform most of us rely on daily, on our primary devices, our phones. After spending years immersed in the bright and colorful world of Android, I've naturally developed a few personal favorites; features that remain underrated despite being incredibly useful. Sure, Mishaal may know about all of them, but I'd bet many of us forget they even exist after discovering them once via an obscure Reddit comment. These features — some exclusive to Pixel, others available across Android — have become part of my daily routine. App pinning Joe Maring / Android Authority This one's basic but wildly underrated. When I hand my phone to someone, say to pick up a contact or scan a QR code at a movie theatre, I pin the app by selecting the Pin option from the Overview screen (you must first enable app pinning in your phone's Security and privacy settings). That way, they can't swipe into another app, whether accidentally or intentionally. I can't stop friends and family from mindlessly swiping through my gallery when I show them a single photo, but I can stop them from going over to Messages or Keep. It's especially useful when my little niece or nephew borrows my phone to play games, and I don't want them to delete random notes or rearrange apps. Split-screen multitasking Joe Maring / Android Authority While this feature is often touted for large-screen phones and foldables, I find it just as handy on smaller devices, too. I frequently use it — again from the Overview screen — to run tools like the calculator alongside other apps, so I don't have to constantly switch back and forth. I'll admit, I sometimes forget it's there, but the moment I find myself toggling between apps too often, I arrange them into split-screen and save myself the trouble. Quick tap back gesture Joe Maring / Android Authority Pixel phones come with this fantastic gesture: a double-tap on the back of the phone to trigger shortcuts. It's officially called Quick Tap in Settings app, and I've set mine to pull down the notification shade, which I probably do a thousand times a day, whether it's to obsessively check for a message or dismiss an avalanche of Instagram DMs. It's so much easier than stretching your thumb all the way to the top of the screen, especially when using an app. My index finger naturally rests there anyway; all it takes is two light taps to see who's pinged me and then get right back to work ignoring them. Simple. Notification history Ryan Haines / Android Authority Calling this a lifesaver is almost an understatement. I still remember how surprised I was to learn that Android even had this feature. I have developed a reflex to sometimes swipe away notifications from a certain app without thinking — only to realize I actually needed that one. While digging into the Notifications section of the Settings app to get to notification history isn't the most intuitive process, just knowing that those messages aren't lost forever feels like a big relief to my anxious mind. Smart text selection in overview Robert Triggs / Android Authority Who would've thought that saving one extra tap could feel like such a win? On Pixel phones, you can long-press text in the app overview screen and copy it, without having to go back into the app itself. It might not seem like a big deal at first. But if you're copying details one by one, say from WhatsApp to fill in a form elsewhere while double-checking everything for accuracy, those saved taps really add up. It's a small touch that saves me a lot of friction and frustration. Screen recording with built-in audio Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority Android's native screen recorder doesn't just capture the screen; it also records internal audio, not just mic input. It lets you pick the audio source each time you select the option from the Quick Settings menu. The feature is handy for sending how-tos to friends and family, but I also use it for more fun (and functional) things. You can capture livestream segments from YouTube with clean audio, record buggy app behavior to report issues (and claim massive bug bounties, just saying), or save synced lyrics from music apps to share with someone when a song just hits! All of this happens without any noise picked up from the mic. And you sure don't need any third-party shady tools for this. Gboard clipboard manager Andy Walker / Android Authority I genuinely don't know how I to live without this anymore. I use Gboard's clipboard manager constantly for saving text snippets, URLs, parcel tracking numbers, and even Instagram captions I'm still workshopping. And it sits just a tap away under Gboard's menu options. The ability to pin items so they don't vanish after an hour is underrated genius. It also saves me when filling those nasty forms that love to refresh the moment I switch apps. Having long responses backed up in the clipboard has saved my sanity more than once. Quick Share — but for yourself Hadlee Simons / Android Authority Quick Share is known for quick file transfers between devices, but I use it less for others and more for myself. My work requires me to move a lot of screenshots and photos from my Pixel to my Mac. With a third-party utility installed on macOS, I can send files in seconds — as fast and seamless as AirDrop. And if you're on Windows, you're even luckier as Google's first-party Quick Share app works like a charm there. How do you usually share files from your phone? 0 votes Nearby Share NaN % Google Drive NaN % WhatsApp/Google Messages NaN % USB drive, like it's 2010 NaN % If I dig further, I'm sure I'd find a dozen more such gems buried inside Android and Pixel's interface. But these are the ones I use every single day on my Pixel. Take away even one of them, and my flow and my sanity both would be completely thrown off. What about you? What's that one underrated Android feature you use that no one else talks about — the one that makes you feel smug when showing it to friends? Drop it in the comments.
Android Authority
5 days ago
- Android Authority
Don't get your hopes up for One UI 9 leaks as Samsung fixes this major loophole
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung has patched a loophole that enabled many recent One UI leaks. The exploit allowed users to access internal OTA builds via a custom tool and decrypt metadata. You almost certainly won't be treated to as many One UI 9 leaks going forward. The Samsung fans among you enjoy delving into One UI leaks, and we enjoy bringing them to you when they surface. The bad news for all of us is that it looks like the party might be over. According to a report from SammyGuru, Samsung has patched a vulnerability in its OTA (over-the-air) update system that was most recently powering a wave of One UI 8 leaks. The loophole gave users access to internal firmware builds, revealing features before Samsung was ready to roll them out. The trick relied on a community-made C# tool that let users interact with Samsung's FOTA servers and decrypt metadata using apps like CheckFirm. It essentially gave outsiders a peek at development builds, leading to early reveals of things like Secure Folder upgrades and redesigned stock apps. Alas, the leaks were getting too popular. Creators were racking up views, and the system was attracting more attention. According to SammyGuru, a user named Farlune reported the issue directly to Samsung — likely as part of a bug bounty program. The report outlined how internal URLs, decryption logic, and possibly app signatures or tokens were being used to bypass access controls, exposing unpatched software and violating confidentiality. We can't blame Samsung for wanting to shut down this leaky pipeline, but we'll miss it, and you're unlikely to get as many One UI previews in the coming weeks. The update pipeline just got a whole lot drier, but you can bet we'll still be watching closely for any scraps of info that surface.
Android Authority
5 days ago
- Android Authority
You can finally run Doom and other graphical apps in Android's Linux Terminal
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Android's Linux Terminal app can now run graphical Linux apps in the latest Canary build, a major step forward for the feature. A new 'Display' button launches a graphical environment, letting users run full desktop apps that aren't available on Android. Hardware acceleration can also be enabled for better performance, paving the way for running even more powerful Linux software and games. The Linux Terminal app that Google introduced earlier this year is one of the most exciting new features in Android, not for what it currently does but for what it can potentially do. The Terminal app lets you boot up an instance of Debian in a virtual machine, allowing you to run full-fledged Linux apps that aren't available on Android. Unfortunately, the current version of the Terminal app is limited to running command line programs, but that's set to change in the near future. In the new Android Canary build that Google released today, the Terminal app now lets you run graphical Linux apps. Earlier this year, we ran a Linux port of Doom in Android's Terminal app to showcase the app's upcoming graphical capabilities. For months, Google has been working to add hardware acceleration support and a full graphical environment to the Linux Terminal, but the company never pushed these features to any public builds, requiring us to compile Android from source to try them out. After installing the July 2025 Android Canary build, however, we noticed that the Terminal app has been updated with graphical app support. When you open up the Terminal app in this build, you'll see a new button in the top right corner. This button launches the 'Display' activity of the Terminal app, which forwards graphical output from the Linux VM to the Android host. Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority Once on this screen, you can type the 'weston' command to open up a graphical environment. Weston is a reference implementation of a Wayland compositor, a modern display server protocol, and it comes preinstalled with Android's Linux Terminal. In the graphical environment, we were able to launch apps like Gedit, a basic text editor. We didn't try running Doom again, but you can see what that looks like in the video we recorded earlier this year. By default, hardware acceleration isn't enabled in the Linux Terminal. To enable it, you need to create an empty file named ' virglrenderer ' and place it in the ' /sdcard/linux ' directory. If you see a toast message that reads 'VirGL enabled' when you open the Linux Terminal, then you've done things correctly. The addition of graphical app support in the Linux Terminal is a big deal, as it opens the door to running many useful Linux programs that aren't available on Android. It also opens the door to running PC games in the future, though more work will need to be done to make them compatible, especially since most Android devices have ARM CPUs. Regardless, this is a big step forward in Google's plans to combine Chrome OS and Android into a single platform, so we're excited to see how things proceed. Although this feature is enabled in the latest Android Canary build, we don't know when it'll land in the Beta or Stable channels. We're hoping that Google will roll it out in the second quarterly release of Android 16, which is scheduled to roll out in December. However, there's no guarantee the company will do so.
