Hot Android News Stories
News: Google Pixel Speaker Sound Distorted, Popping, or Staticky? Here's How to Fix It
The brand new Pixel and Pixel XL, Google's first direct attempts at taking on the iPhone, haven't rolled out exactly how Google would have liked. The devices have already had more than their fair share of issues, starting with the camera, and now extending to the built-in speaker. The camera issues were marked as "solved" by Google, but the lens flare is still very much there, just not as prominent.
News: Chevy Annouces Free Update That Brings Android Auto to 12 More Cars & Trucks
Now that Android Auto and Apple CarPlay have finally arrived, the days of clunky in-dash infotainment systems are coming to an end. Instead of using software created by an automotive company to get directions, stream music, or take calls, we can now get the best user experience Silicon Valley has to offer—all while sitting comfortably in the driver's seat.
News: 20 Official Samsung Galaxy Themes That Don't Totally Suck
Taste is certainly relative. When you look at Central American architecture and notice all of the bright pastel colors, then move just a thousand or so miles to the north and see that buildings in the United States are mostly painted in earth tones, this becomes abundantly clear. Imagine if you were to switch hemispheres altogether—what would you see in East Asia?
News: 8 Best Local & Streaming Music Players for Android
Remember portable MP3 players like the classic iPod? Seems like forever ago that they were all the rage, and I don't think I've seen a real one in the wild for a good 5 years now. These devices died out so quickly as a direct result of the onset of smartphones, which allow us to do everything that an MP3 player could do and then some.
News: Samsung Galaxy S3 Getting Android 4.4 KitKat on Sprint Right Now
It's here... Update: May 1, 2014
News: Samsung Locks Out Third-Party Accessories, but the Community Brings Them Back
Update January 27, 2014: Samsung has released a statement to address the flip cover issue, claiming it as a bug with a "fix" coming soon:
News: The Galaxy S20, S20+ & S20 Ultra Are IP68 Water-Resistant — Here's What That Really Means
Samsung's new line of Galaxy S20 flagships have a water resistance rating of IP68. This means you don't have to worry as much about getting the phones wet, but there's a limit to that.
News: Always-Updated List of Android 10 Custom ROMs for Every Major Phone
One of the coolest things about Android is the massive development community behind it. These developers keep on cooking up new things even after official support has stopped for an older device. It breathes new life into somewhat forgotten devices, which is always great news. With Android 10 out, it's time to see what phones will get the custom ROM treatment.
News: Edge Touch Updated for One UI — Stop Accidental Touches on Your Galaxy S10
While the Galaxy S10+ is a fantastic device, the biggest gripe I have with it is the curved display. Yes, it adds to the aesthetics of the phone, but it makes the phone prone to accidental touches. Thanks to a recent update, however, this is a problem of the past.
News: You're Going to Love the New Notifications in Samsung's One UI Update
Samsung's Android Pie update — known as One UI — is bringing major changes to the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S9, and Galaxy Note 9. The main interface has received a visual overhaul, and this is no more evident than it is with notifications.
News: 4 Ways the OnePlus 6T Makes Rooting Easy
With the same starting price as its predecessor and a nice list of improvements, the OnePlus 6T is a great buy for a number of reasons. But for many Android users, the main selling point for the latest OnePlus flagship is how easy it will be to root and mod the device.
News: The Real Reason Android Phones with Notches Have a Chin
In 2018, notches are the hot trend with smartphones. Essential was first to release a phone with a notch in mid-2017, but Apple kicked off the fad in earnest with the iPhone X. Unfortunately, unlike the iPhone X, every Android phone with a notch has a noticeable bottom chin. Let's take a deep dive to find out why.
News: How Google Forcing Apps to Target Oreo Will Help with Android's Malware Problem
Starting Nov. 1, 2018, Google got a lot tougher with Android app developers. New apps being uploaded to the Play Store already had to target Android 8.0 Oreo or higher as of August, but now, every update to existing apps has to do the same. It may seem like a simple rule, but it will have some serious repercussions.
News: Sony's Xperia XZ2 Premium Is Coming to the US with a 4K HDR Display & Dual Cameras
While Sony as a company is well-known in the United States, it smartphones are not. For years, Sony has stuck with a boxy design with sharp edges and large bezels — however, they're finally getting with the trends. As a result, the Xperia XZ2 Premium offers a rare combo: A super powerful phone which is also pretty sexy.
News: 7 Reasons Why the KEY2 Is a Return to Glory for BlackBerry
After years of struggling, it appears BlackBerry has finally figured out how to update its iconic design for modern times. The BlackBerry KEY2 pays homage to past devices such as the Bold 9000 while adapting to modern times with the Android OS. The result is a device that might be the best BlackBerry to date.
News: 10 Awesome (& Free) Dark Themes for Your Galaxy S9
One of the best features on the Galaxy S9 is the ability to quickly apply new themes from the Samsung theme store. A number of the available themes are available at no cost. If you pick the right dark theme, you might even be able to save some battery life over the course of your day. Unfortunately, not every theme is worth your time, so we curated list of dark themes worth downloading.
News: The Galaxy S9 Is IP68 Water-Resistant — Here's What That Really Means
The day has finally arrived — Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy S9 and S9+. Apart from minor upgrades, the two might not appear to be much different from last year's S8 and S8+, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. One feature that hasn't changed is the Galaxy's IP68 water-resistance rating. That's a great score, but it begs the question — what does that number really mean?
News: Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge Receive December Security Patch & Update on AT&T
Samsung's 2016 line of smartphones has a new update, at least for the devices on AT&T. The update brings the Galaxy S7 to version G930AUCS4BQL1 and the Galaxy S7 Edge to version G935AUCS4BQL1. Here's what's on the table.
News: You Can Still Get Google's Magical Translation Pixel Buds on Preorder at Best Buy
While unveiling various other gadgets, Google announced the Pixel Buds at their October 4th event in San Francisco. These wireless earbud-style headphones are particularly interesting thanks to their ability to offer real-time language translation via Google Translate when paired with a Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL.
News: Android 8.1 Oreo New Feature Roundup — What's Coming to Pixel & Nexus Devices
Google just released the second developer preview of the Android 8.1 update for Nexus and Pixel devices, and even though it's just a point-one release, there are lots of cool changes. Before you run off to join the Android beta program and try the new version, it's worth reading up on what's new.
Netflix 101: How to Change the Size, Font & Color of Subtitles & Captions on Android
Whether you're hard of hearing, watching a foreign movie, or just like reading along when you're watching a TV show or film on your smartphone, Netflix includes captions and subtitles that you can use. Best of all, if you don't like the way the default captions and subtitles look (color, background, font, or size), Netflix has your back.
News: Concerned About Privacy? Firefox Focus Is Here to Save the Day
Firefox Focus is Mozilla's effort to make your internet experience a little more secure. Originally released in November 2016 for iOS, Focus blocks internet trackers, search history, anything that gets in the way of a clean, private browsing experience.
News: Snapdragon 835 Galaxy S8 Models Are Inferior to Exynos Variants in Almost Every Way
The Galaxy S8, with all its new features, is shining in the news right now as one of the best phones of the year. However, users in the US may be at a disadvantage to those overseas, as it seems that the Snapdragon 835-powered S8 models underperform variants with Exynos processors in almost every category.
News: Russian-Made Adware 'Ewind' Can Give Hackers Control Over Your Android Device
Download a popular, legit app from the Google Play Store. Decompile it. Add malicious code. Repackage the app. Distribute the now trojan-ized app through third-party Android app sites. This is how advertising malware Ewind, what Palo Alto Networks calls "adware in applications' clothing," infects Android users.
News: Everything You Need to Know About the Google Pixel 2 — Specs, Features & More
After months of leaks and rumors, Google has finally unveiled the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. If there were such a thing, the Pixel would be the one "true" Android flagship — so even if you don't plan on buying a Pixel 2, you'll want you learn more about this milestone device.
News: Verizon's New 'Brandware' Is Terrible for Consumers, but Even Worse for the Android Platform
Verizon Wireless executives recently cooked up a plan so devious that it could have only come from one of the four major US carriers. Apparently, they aren't satisfied with simply loading every Android device they sell with their own bloatware, so now they're reaching out to big brands to see who would be the highest bidder for a spot on your home screen.
News: Someone Just Hacked a Way to Use iMessage on Android
Android phones may soon be able to send and receive iMessages thanks to a new open-source app called PieMessage.
News: 10 Great 99 Cent Apps You Need on Your Android Right Now
These days, there are Android apps for every budget—forgive me if that sounds like a car commercial, but that's just the way things are in the age of the smartphone and tablet. You've got apps that require monthly subscriptions, paid apps that will run you a $30 one-time installation fee, and even games that start at 99 cents, but quickly skyrocket in price with in-app purchases.
News: Google Keyboard Just Got a Big Update Adding One-Handed Mode, Adjustable Keys, & More
Google has added a number of new features in the latest update to Google Keyboard including a one-handed mode and a setting that lets you adjust the height of the keys. The update hasn't gone live on the Play Store yet, but you can download the APK right now for both 32-bit and 64-bit phones.
News: Facebook Messenger Can Now Send & Receive All Your Texts—Here's How to Turn It On
We've known for a while that Facebook had planned to reintegrate SMS and MMS into its Messenger app for Android. Well, it's finally live, and it's pretty great.
News: You Can Now Color in Your Own Google Logo
Google is pushing out an update for its namesake Google app that lets you get a little creative with the way the Google logo appears. You'll be able to add your own color scheme to the Google logo, and include colors beyond the traditional blue, red, yellow, etc.
News: Everything You Need to Know About the Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge
After months of speculation and sifting through rumors, Samsung finally unveiled its Galaxy S7 and S7 edge flagships, and they're pretty much what we had been anticipating. But just because there weren't any major surprises doesn't mean that it's not still exciting. Let's have a look.
PSA: Enable This Hidden Setting Before Modding Anything on Android
If you've ever rooted an Android device in the past or installed a custom recovery, you're surely familiar with the term "unlocked bootloader." But if all of this sounds like gibberish to you, some major changes in Android have made it to where you should definitely get familiar with the concepts.
News: 5 Free Photo Editing Apps for Android That Kill the Competition
Smartphone cameras are so good nowadays that there's almost no reason to own a point and shoot. Once the megapixel spec race was finally settled (hint: more isn't always better), manufacturers started focusing on the quality of their camera sensors, which has led to a huge jump in color accuracy, dynamic range, and image clarity.
News: The Complete List of Marshmallow-Compatible Xposed Modules
The Xposed Framework was just recently made available for Android Marshmallow, but everything isn't quite back to status quo just yet. Sure, some Xposed modules function properly, but others are a bit buggy, and several don't even work at all. This is mostly a result of changes to the Android system that Lollipop modules relied upon, and such modules will need to be updated for Marshmallow compatibility.
News: The 16 Best Google Android Apps You Didn't Know About
It would only make sense that Google is one of the most active app developers on the Android platform, particularly when you consider that they develop the platform itself. From my count, there are an astounding 117 unique apps that the search giant and its subsidiaries have published on the Google Play Store.
News: The 5 Best 'Car Mode' Apps for Android
In general, smartphones and cars don't mix—but this is mainly because you have to take your eyes off the road to poke around on your handheld gadget. In reality, the only difference between your smartphone and your car's FHWA-approved infotainment system is that the latter is mounted in a fixed position and has an oversized interface that makes it easy to use without looking away from the road.
News: Here's Everything You Should Know About Samsung Pay
Mobile payment systems have been around for almost 5 years now, starting with Google Wallet. But when Apple got into the game last year with their new Apple Pay service, things really started to take off. Around this time, Samsung responded by acquiring an up-and-coming mobile payments company that owned the rights to an incredibly innovative technology called Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST).
News: The Complete List of Lollipop-Compatible Xposed Modules
Now that the Xposed Framework has finally been updated for Android Lollipop, we're starting to notice that some modules function properly, while others are a bit buggy or even worse—don't work at all. Most of this is a result of changes to elements of the Android system that KitKat modules relied upon, and such modules will need to be updated for 5.0 compatibility.
Facebook Lite: A Smaller Version of the App with a Huge Upside
As one of the most frequently used and popular applications available, Facebook is now attempting to be a little more considerate for those Android users that don't have a bleeding-edge device or fast data connections.