Apps and Updates

Dark mode on apps and services is becoming more and more pervasive, slowly we are seeing a shift to the less eye-blasting muted color scheme and we couldn’t be happier. Next up in the Google stable is Files by Google, which has added a dark mode in its latest beta build but it appears that it only works on the Android Q beta.
We’re deep into 2019 and we’re still having issues with Android apps not supporting Dark or Night modes despite millions of devices now using AMOLED displays. Here’s a list of our favorite Android apps that support the dark side…
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One of the coolest parts of the modern web is being able improve and personalize your experience through extensions. Thus far, however, Google has not made it possible to use Chrome extensions on Android. The latest update to Kiwi Browser is doing what Google hasn’t, with support for full Chrome extensions.
Last year, a change to Chrome OS revealed that Messages for Web would be transitioning from Android.com to Google.com. This lined up with the recent transition from the “Android Messages” name to simply “Messages.” Today, a slightly updated version of Messages for Web with RCS settings has gone live on Google.com.
If you’re like me and use Firefox wherever possible instead of Google Chrome, you probably realize you’re missing out on a lot of useful integrations between Chrome and Android that are tied to your Google Account. While Mozilla isn’t launching an alternative to services like Google Pay any time soon, the company is launching Firefox Lockbox which offers secure access to passwords saved in your Firefox Account and Android autofill support.
Opera might not be able to match the install base or popularity of Google Chrome, but it now improves our internet safety by including a fee VPN service within the Android application.
Back in September, it was discovered that Google was hard at work creating a dark mode for Google Chrome to be used when macOS system-wide dark mode (which arrived in 10.14 Mojave) was enabled. Now confirmation is rolling in that Google Chrome for Windows 10 will not be left out of the fun, and, in fact, you can try an early version of dark mode today.
There are literally hundreds of thousands of apps to choose from the Google Play Store, the issue is that most of these are downright terrible. For that reason, we’ve collated a few core apps that you need to really kickstart your 2019. Some you might already have or heard of and with good reason, many are near the top of the download charts because of just how good they are. But even with that said, there are bound to be some that you may never have even considered.
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I wasn’t massively impressed with the Moto Z3 Play, it wasn’t exactly a fully realized device in my opinion. That said, it had some great camera controls and a nice clean camera experience. The most recent Motorola camera updates have added a slew of new features including a brand new selfie portrait mode — which is available for all Moto devices — AR Stickers for the Moto Z3 and Moto Z3 Play alongside new image watermarking features.
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We reported last week that popular Android automation app, Tasker, had been denied access to call logs and SMS send, receive and read functions. That meant the disabling of a multitude of app features due to Google’s policy to protect the privacy of users. Google has since restored Tasker access to these functions so long as the developers adhere to some rules and regulations.
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The OnePlus Switch application makes the often frustrating process of swapping or upgrading your phone a bit more simplified. But until now, those switching from iPhone to a OnePlus device couldn’t switch as conveniently. Now, a new update today changes that. iPhone users can now download the OnePlus Switch on their phone and use it to transfer contacts, photos, videos and even messages.
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The OnePlus 6T has barely been announced, let alone made available, but OxygenOS has already received an update to tweak a few of the new software additions as well as some general bug fixes.
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The world’s most popular messaging platform has finally added the ability to send stickers in conversations and group chats. Having been available in just about every other messaging platform, this will be a welcome addition to the millions who use WhatsApp daily.
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Spare a thought for one poor Tech News user who, due to an application background refresh error, received a data bill for $240 having used 7.65GB of extra data whilst charging overnight.
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Adobe has officially announced their latest mobile-targeted video editing software called Premiere Rush CC, which is now available on desktop and iOS devices, with Android support expected in 2019. A stripped down version of the bigger Adobe Premiere Pro, this software is clearly targeted at YouTube creators or those who create content for social media.
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As of today, the expanded version of Google Safety Center will now be available in six European countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. More countries and languages will be available in the coming weeks.
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If selfies in front of famous world landmarks don’t cut it any more, NASA now lets you go one better: a new app lets you take selfies in space …
A secure chat app called Discord could prove the key to revealing the identities of white supremacists attending the Charlottesville rally last August – and proving that they went there with intent to commit violence …
A survey of 2,500 Americans suggests that most people have got very little idea how much they spend on digital subscriptions – on average, underestimating the cost by a factor of three …
If you’re single and tired of swiping on photos or browsing endless profiles in the hope of the perfect match, a dating app is now using an AI algorithm to do the work for you …
Google and Levi’s Jacquard-enabled jacket only just became available for the average consumer at the end of September, but Google is now pushing out its first substantial app update. It adds a couple of interesting, albeit minor, new abilities to the capacitive-fabric-bearing garment.
[Update: we do have confirmation from Niantic this game is currently in development.]
Niantic is now famous for one of the highest grossing mobile games of all time with Pokémon GO. But what is next for the developer? Niantic seems to have set its sights on yet another enormous fan base with plans for a Harry Potter mobile augmented reality game.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 is a fairly modest upgrade from the Galaxy S8/S8+ and deceased Note 7. While the dual-camera system is a nice addition to Samsung’s product lineup, the truly interesting tidbits for the Note 8 lie within its software. Thanks to a new app called “Split-Screen Creator”, you can now get one of the Galaxy Note 8’s most interesting features on any Android phone.
Exactly two weeks ago, YouTube TV was expanded to 14 additional areas throughout the United States. This made the service available in 29 different markets throughout the US, and today, YouTube TV is being added to 12 more popular locations.