Posts From Mishaal Rahman

Mishaal Rahman
Mishaal Rahman

I am the Editor-in-chief of XDA. In addition to breaking news on the Android OS and mobile devices, I manage all editorial and reviews content on the Portal. Tips/media inquiries: [email protected]

Google Home app prepares to let you control Quiet Time and Quick Responses for Nest Hello doorbells

Google Home app prepares to let you control Quiet Time and Quick Responses for Nest Hello doorbells

July 7, 2021
The Google Home app is your one-stop shop for controlling all Google Assistant-enabled devices, including Google's own Nest-branded products. Google is still migrating features from the Nest app to the Home app, a process that began over a year ago, and the latest version of the Google Home app rolling out today reveals more Nest...
July 2021 Android security update is now rolling out to Pixel phones

July 2021 Android security update is now rolling out to Pixel phones

July 7, 2021
The monthly Android Security Bulletin is typically posted on the first Monday of each month, but the first Monday of July 2021 — ie. July 5th — was the day that many American workers observed the country's Independence Day holiday. (If you're wondering why then, it's because when a U.S. federal holiday falls on a...
Google Photos for Android prepares to add a homescreen widget for your Memories

Google Photos for Android prepares to add a homescreen widget for your Memories

June 30, 2021
Back in October, Google released an update to the Google Photos app for iOS that added a homescreen widget. This widget cycles through the "Memories" albums that Photos automatically generates. On Android, Memories are visible at the top of the "Photos" tab, but Google is preparing to let users see them on the Android homescreen...
New Jetpack library adds backward compatibility for Android 12’s Splash Screen API

New Jetpack library adds backward compatibility for Android 12’s Splash Screen API

June 30, 2021
With the release of the third developer preview of Android 12, Google added a new platform API for apps to customize their app's splash screen. Although Android 12 automatically generates a splash screen that shows the app's icon on a light or dark background, developers can customize the splash screen with a custom icon or...
This is our first look at the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic

This is our first look at the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic

June 30, 2021
Earlier today, we learned that the second model in Samsung's new Galaxy Watch series isn't the "Galaxy Watch 4 Active" but rather the "Galaxy Watch 4 Classic." Now, we're getting our first look at this upcoming smartwatch, courtesy of leaked renders. Leaked renders of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic were shared by AndroidHeadlines earlier today, and...
AT&T’s Android phones will use Google Messages for RCS

AT&T’s Android phones will use Google Messages for RCS

June 30, 2021
Rich Communication Services, or RCS for short, is the successor to SMS, the protocol used by most carriers for text messages. Unlike SMS, RCS supports advanced messaging features like group chat management, higher quality file sharing, read receipts, typing indicators, and end-to-end encryption. RCS has to be supported by the carrier's network, the phone, and...
Google Play System Update now shows percent progress on the boot animation

Google Play System Update now shows percent progress on the boot animation

June 30, 2021
With the release of Android 10 back in 2019, Google debuted Project Mainline, an initiative that lets Google directly deliver updates to key Android components. The goal was to bolster security, protect privacy, and improve developer consistency by standardizing certain system components and delivering updates to them on a consistent schedule. The mechanisms of Project...
Android Automotive is made for cars but this developer ported it to a Samsung tablet

Android Automotive is made for cars but this developer ported it to a Samsung tablet

June 29, 2021
Android Automotive is a special fork of Android designed to run as the primary operating system of an In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) system. In contrast, Android Auto is an app that runs off of your phone that projects a driving-optimized UI onto the car's built-in dashboard. Both Android Automotive and Android Auto let you run driving-optimized...
This third-party library brings Android 12’s Material You theming to any app

This third-party library brings Android 12’s Material You theming to any app

June 29, 2021
Material You is the latest revision of Google's design language. With Material You, Google is emphasizing personalization, which is why in Android 12, there's a new dynamic theming system that recolors your UX using colors extracted from your wallpaper. This dynamic theming system, code-named "monet", went live in Android 12 Beta 2, but Google has...
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 will launch with One UI Watch later this summer

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 4 will launch with One UI Watch later this summer

June 28, 2021
Today, Samsung unveiled its vision for the future of smartwatches and took the wraps off its new Wear OS-based operating system. One UI Watch is built on top of the new, unified Wear OS platform co-developed by Samsung and Google, but it adds a few tweaks to provide a "consistent experience and look with other...
Second-gen Motorola Edge series gets detailed in an extensive leak

Second-gen Motorola Edge series gets detailed in an extensive leak

June 25, 2021
Motorola is gearing up to launch multiple new products in the Edge series, according to Evan Blass of @evleaks fame. The leaker revealed specifications and some features of multiple upcoming products from the Lenovo-owned brand. The four devices, code-named “berlin”, “berlna”, “kyoto”, and “pstar”, are likely to launch later this year, though their exact launch...
These phones support HD Voice, WiFi Calling, and 5G on AT&T

These phones support HD Voice, WiFi Calling, and 5G on AT&T

June 23, 2021
American carriers make things unnecessarily complicated when it comes to bringing your own unlocked device, and that's usually on purpose. Even if your phone has all the necessary hardware, unless it passes some additional "certifications" to get put on the carrier's whitelist, your perfectly capable phone won't be able to access features like voice over...