Posts From Mishaal Rahman

Mishaal Rahman
1191 posts

Editor-in-chief on the XDA-Developers Portal. I have a keen interest in the Android framework and software development, but I'm willing to dip my toes into a variety of subjects. Please direct media inquiries to [email protected] You can also find me on Twitter @MishaalRahman, or on Reddit at /u/MishaalRahman.

Pixel 4’s Motion Sense Gestures can now be Remapped [Root]
0 Comments

Pixel 4’s Motion Sense Gestures can now be Remapped [Root]

November 5, 2019
Google's Pixel 4 is the first smartphone with the Soli radar for gesture detection. Although Google's early demos of Soli showed off extremely precise hand gesture detection, what we got in the Pixel 4 hasn't lived up to the initial hype. Currently, you can either flick left/right to skip tracks, swipe in any direction to...
Stable OxygenOS 10 based on Android 10 rolls out for the OnePlus 6/6T
0 Comments

Stable OxygenOS 10 based on Android 10 rolls out for the OnePlus 6/6T

November 4, 2019
At the OnePlus 7T Pro launch event, OnePlus announced its Android 10 update roadmap for its 2017 and 2018 smartphones. OnePlus said an Android 10-based OxygenOS 10 Open Beta would roll out later that month, and 9 days later, that indeed happened. The company said the stable update would roll out sometime in November, and...
[Update: Kernel Source Code] ASUS rolls out the Android 10 update for the ZenFone 6/6Z
0 Comments

[Update: Kernel Source Code] ASUS rolls out the Android 10 update for the ZenFone 6/6Z

November 4, 2019
ASUS made a dramatic shift in its mobile strategy last year. They decided to cater to power users and games more, and true to their word, the ZenFone 6 and ROG Phone II seem to tick all the right boxes in the minds of these two groups. Although ASUS has done a great job packing...
[Update: Rolling Out] Google tests Scheduling and Taking a Break from Focus Mode in Digital Wellbeing
0 Comments

[Update: Rolling Out] Google tests Scheduling and Taking a Break from Focus Mode in Digital Wellbeing

November 4, 2019
Back at Google I/O earlier this year, Google unveiled new features for Digital Wellbeing, the company's digital wellness tool that's now required on all Android devices. The most notable of the two features is Focus Mode, a toggle that blocks access to selected apps to eliminate distractions. In its current implementation, Focus Mode is fairly...
Pixel 4’s Motion Sense gestures can be forced to work in any country at your own risk
0 Comments

Pixel 4’s Motion Sense gestures can be forced to work in any country at your own risk

November 1, 2019
Google's Pixel 4 smartphones are the first commercial products with Google's Soli radar. The Soli radar powers various Motion Sense gestures on the new Pixel smartphones, which includes gestures to skip media tracks and silence incoming calls, timers, or alarms. Because the Soli radar operates at the 60GHz radio frequency, its use in the Pixel...
Fingerface Xposed Module enables the Pixel 4’s Face Unlock in any app
0 Comments

Fingerface Xposed Module enables the Pixel 4’s Face Unlock in any app

November 1, 2019
The Google Pixel 4 may not be the first Android smartphone with secure facial recognition hardware (it's preceded by the OPPO Find X and Huawei Mate 20 Pro), but it is the first Android device with a face unlock implementation that's recognized secure under Android's BiometricPrompt API. That means the Pixel 4 is the first...
Make Android 10’s Hidden Desktop Mode more useful on the OnePlus 7/7T and Essential Phone
0 Comments

Make Android 10’s Hidden Desktop Mode more useful on the OnePlus 7/7T and Essential Phone

November 1, 2019
One of the most talked-about features prior to the release of Android 10 was desktop mode. When we first heard that Google's next major Android OS would natively support desktop mode, we were hoping it would be something akin to Samsung DeX or Huawei Easy Projection. Sadly, it was anything but. Google built a barebones...
All updates to existing Play Store apps must now target Android 9 Pie
0 Comments

All updates to existing Play Store apps must now target Android 9 Pie

November 1, 2019
Back in late 2017, Google made a bold decision: force Android app developers to target newer API levels by adding new Play Store requirements. Google's goals are to improve ecosystem security (by making sure apps abide by all privacy and permission-related platform changes) and encourage the adoption of new APIs (so users can enjoy new...
Android 11 may finally bring a proper, native Wireless ADB implementation
0 Comments

Android 11 may finally bring a proper, native Wireless ADB implementation

October 29, 2019
For Android app developers, ADB is an indispensable tool for debugging applications. With the ability to generate logs, push and pull files, sideload APKs, and enter the shell, ADB gives developers a lot of control over a test device while using a PC. While it's possible to use ADB wirelessly by connecting to your device...
Android 10 custom GSI brings the latest Android OS to any Project Treble-supported device
0 Comments

Android 10 custom GSI brings the latest Android OS to any Project Treble-supported device

October 28, 2019
Thanks to Project Treble, a major rearchitecting of the Android OS, it's possible to boot a generic, AOSP-based system image without modifying the boot or vendor image. OEMs seeking Google certification are required to test their devices for Treble compliance by booting this "Generic System Image," or GSI, and verifying basic hardware functionality, but they...
Google says Chrome OS 80 will bring easier Android app sideloading for developers
0 Comments

Google says Chrome OS 80 will bring easier Android app sideloading for developers

October 28, 2019
Last week at the Android Dev Summit, Google announced a feature that Chrome OS enthusiasts have wanted for years: the ability to sideload Android apps without enabling Developer Mode. We've seen code commits in the past that would have enabled this feature, but none of those implementations ever made their way to the stable channel....
Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon Wear 3300 may be the Wear OS smartwatch chip we’ve been waiting for
0 Comments

Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon Wear 3300 may be the Wear OS smartwatch chip we’ve been waiting for

October 28, 2019
Google's Android OS for smartwatches, Wear OS, isn't nearly as successful as Android for smartphones, tablets, or televisions, and there's a lot of blame to go around for that. We can blame Google for not having enough confidence to launch its own smartwatch hardware or for barely giving Wear OS the time of day at...