Apps and Updates

1,638 'Apps and Updates' stories June 2013 - March 2016

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Snapchat update adds new voice and video features, stickers, and more for messaging

Zac Hall Mar 29 2016 - 9:46 am PT

Snapchat is changing how you communicate with friends in a major way through what it’s calling Chat 2.0. The social network says it focused two years ago on making chatting more like face-to-face conversation with features like letting you know when your friends were present and “listening” to what you were typing, and the latest Snapchat update refocuses on the 1-to-1 chat aspect of the app with new features around voice and video calling plus stickers and more. How you watch Stories is also getting a change in the new update.

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SoundCloud launches $10/month ‘Go’ subscription service w/ ad-free & offline listening

Jordan Kahn Mar 29 2016 - 7:14 am PT

Big changes are coming to the community-based music streaming service SoundCloud as the company today introduces a new subscription service for the first time.

The new feature, dubbed SoundCloud Go, will allow users to listen to SoundCloud music both offline and ad-free for $10/month:

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WhatsApp beta update includes Quick Reply popup, solid color wallpapers, more

Cam Bunton Mar 29 2016 - 5:28 am PT

WhatsApp is preparing a new set of features for its Android users, many of which have been on my wish-list for many years, and have perhaps been the biggest causes of my disdain for the popular messaging app. The new beta, WhatsApp version 2.12.560, rolled out today and features (among other things) quick reply, solid wallpapers and new multiple-selection tools and options.

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Google Photos no longer creates copy of edited images, replaces original picture on device and cloud

Abner Li Mar 28 2016 - 5:09 pm PT

Google Photos for Android recently received a slight redesign in the form of a bottom bar that signified a change in the Material Design guidelines. A smaller app update today changes the behavior of how edited photos are saved.

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Pinterest-like image saving and tagging feature added to Google Search on the web

Abner Li Mar 28 2016 - 12:56 pm PT

Last year, Google added a Pinterest-like photo saving and tagging feature to Image search. It was first available on the mobile web for Android and iOS, but starting today Google is rolling out the feature to desktop search.

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App teardown suggests that the Google Wallet card is going away June 30th

Stephen Hall Mar 28 2016 - 12:35 pm PT

Update: It’s confirmed. Google is now sending the below email to users who have a card.

A new app teardown from Android Police today reveals that the Google Wallet card — which was first announced in November 2013 after many rumors of the troubled project being scrapped — is now finally getting the boot effective June 30th. The card assumably never really took off, and it seems that I’m one of the rare few that still has one of these little now-souvenirs…
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Google Admin app for Android updated w/ full mobile device management features

Abner Li Mar 28 2016 - 12:03 pm PT

Mobile first is a frequent buzz phrase for newly minted startups and for the most part it is easy for them to achieve. However, for legacy companies with products designed for the web, it is often harder to cram functionality and information on a smaller screen. With that in mind, the Google for Work Admin app for Android has been updated with mobile device management features previously restricted to the full web app.

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Samsung Internet 4.0 rolling out to older Galaxy devices and variants running Lollipop

Abner Li Mar 28 2016 - 10:11 am PT

Early last month, Samsung updated their built-in browser with private browsing, a picture-in-picture video player, and third-party ad blockers on devices running Marshmallow. While Android 6.0 is rolling out to newer devices, those still on the Galaxy S4, S5, and other older devices will get these new features via an update starting today.

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Google working on new Android camera app that recognizes objects

Cam Bunton Mar 28 2016 - 7:21 am PT

According to a report from SlashGear, Google is looking to combine the technologies used in its Goggles app and visual search tool with the standard Google Camera app. In doing so, the default stock Android camera will be able to recognize products and objects, then search for them.

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Google’s Nik Collection of Photoshop & Aperture plugins are now free to download

Abner Li Mar 24 2016 - 2:16 pm PT

In 2012, Google purchased Nik Software and made their excellent mobile photo editor Snapseed free on Android and iOS. Since then, many of Snapseed’s features have been integrated into Google’s various photo products. Besides mobile, though, Nik also developed plugins for desktop photo editors — and starting today they are also free.

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Gmail adds Safe Browsing warnings for nefarious links, state-sponsored attacks, more

Abner Li Mar 24 2016 - 10:03 am PT

Gmail introduced a feature last month that warns users before sending and receiving emails from insecure addresses. Today, it’s announcing a bevy of new features and standards that improve email security.

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Google’s easy to use ‘Accessibility Scanner’ analyzes apps for accessibility issues

Abner Li Mar 24 2016 - 9:07 am PT

Google has published a new tool to help Android developers improve the user interface and experience of their apps. Accessibility Scanner can analyze any app with an eye towards accessibility issues that might not be a problem for most users but may cause user experience problems for some.

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You can now change themes, filters & layouts in updated Google Sheets and Slides for iOS

Jordan Kahn Mar 24 2016 - 8:57 am PT

Google is updating its Google Sheets and Slides apps for iOS today with new features that allow changing themes, filters and layouts on the fly from within the mobile apps.

For Google Sheets, the update brings the ability to view and change existing filters applied to a spreadsheet.

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First look at gameplay from the upcoming Pokémon Go Android game

Jordan Kahn Mar 24 2016 - 8:10 am PT

After announcing a deal in September to produce a Pokémon Go games with Nintendo and Alphabet-owned Niantic, the Pokémon people are today showing a little more about how gameplay will work and giving us a first look at the title coming to both Android and iOS devices.

The game uses augmented reality features to blend real world objects and locations with the gameplay, and the company today gave the run down and a look at how exactly that will work:

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Todoist app for Android gets updated with more Quick Add functionality, keyboard support, speed improvements, more

Cam Bunton Mar 23 2016 - 7:05 am PT

Todoist, one of the best productivity apps released for any platform, has been updated to bring more smarts to its Android app. Unlike the last major update, this version doesn’t include a massive visual overhaul. Instead, the team focussed on bringing more intuitive and productive methods of adding, searching and filtering your projects.

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Report: Google building its own gesture-based keyboard for iOS with built-in GIF search, more

Chance Miller Mar 22 2016 - 4:25 pm PT

According to a report from The Verge, Google is building its own third-party keyboard for iOS and has been doing so for “months.” While it’s unclear when or if the keyboard will be released, the report notes of several features Google has been working to implement as employees test it.

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Google is removing the rarely used app launcher in Chrome

Abner Li Mar 22 2016 - 3:58 pm PT

Following the removal of the notification center last year, Chrome is now getting rid of the app launcher in Mac, Windows, and Linux. It will be a slow process, but the rarely used launcher for Chrome and web apps will be fully removed for all users in July.

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What do you think of Google Now’s new, more natural voice? [Video]

Abner Li Mar 22 2016 - 11:57 am PT

From adding regional accents to multiple male and female voices, Google has made great strides in making computers sound more natural. According to a video posted today on YouTube, a new voice rolling out to Google Now takes that a step further…

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Albums in Google Photos get smarter, now let you add maps, locations, and captions

Abner Li Mar 22 2016 - 10:25 am PT

Google Photos launched last year with numerous smart features, like face and object detection, that make sorting and finding your photos much easier. While the Assistant feature can already create photo collages and animations from burst shots, albums are about to get smarter with more features in an update rolling out today…

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Minor Google Drive for Android update now lets you edit files with just a tap

Abner Li Mar 21 2016 - 12:34 pm PT

An update rolling out to Google Drive for Android will allow you to more easily edit documents and images uploaded to Drive using edit apps like Google Photos and Google Docs. The update also adds more options to sort files.

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Google Maps 9.22 lets users give nicknames to places, assign sticker icons to home/work

Abner Li Mar 18 2016 - 9:47 am PT

An update rolling out to Google Maps on Android allows users to label any location with a nickname for easier search and lets users add a whimsical sticker icon to represent their home and work addresses.

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Shazam gains deeper integration with Google Play Music, offering 3-month Play trial for $1

Abner Li Mar 18 2016 - 8:53 am PT

Popular song identification app Shazam has announced (via The Verge) deeper Google Play Music integration on Android, as well as a promotion for 3 months of Play Music (which includes YouTube Red) for only $1.

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Chrome tabs will no longer show up in the app switcher by default

Abner Li Mar 17 2016 - 12:14 pm PT

Starting with Android 5.0 Lollipop, Chrome tabs could exist individually in the app switcher. While it made websites feel more like apps, it was an annoyance that made it hard to keep track of open tabs. Google is now reversing that decision (as spotted by Android Central) and making merged tab the new default starting in version 49 of Chrome.

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Chrome 50 Beta improves reliability and adds features to push notifications, speeds up page load

Abner Li Mar 17 2016 - 11:31 am PT

With Chrome 49 fully rolled out to desktops, Android, and Chrome OS, version 50 is now in the beta channel. It is expected to bring Material Design to the browser and introduce improved push notifications and other developer focused features.

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