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Android 11's auto-reset permissions feature is rolling out to devices running Android 6.0 and above
Android 11's auto-reset permissions feature is rolling out to devices running Android 6.0 and above through Google Play Protect.
Google introduced a new auto-reset permissions feature with Android 11 to automatically revoke sensitive runtime permissions from apps that have not been in use for a few months. In September last year, the company announced that it would bring the feature to devices running older versions of Android starting December 2021. However, Google pushed the initial rollout back by a month in December and promised to bring the feature to devices running Android 6.0 and above by the end of Q1 2022. As promised, Google has started rolling it out to devices running Android 6.0 and above through Google Play Protect.
Android 11's auto-reset permissions feature is coming to older OS versions
Google is bringing Android 11’s auto-reset permissions feature to all devices running Android 6.0 through Android 10. Here's what this means.
With Android 11, Google introduced auto-revoking permissions that barred unused apps from accessing sensitive permissions granted by the user. While this privacy feature currently remains exclusive to Android 11 and above devices, it will soon be trickling down to older versions of Android — all the way back to Android 6.0.
The canceled Android-powered Nokia feature phone gets shown off in a hands-on video
Android-powered Nokia 400 feature phone reappears in hands-on video giving us a close look at its software. Read on to learn more.
Back in April of 2019, we first learned that Google was working on a version of Android for feature phones. Later that year, in September, we saw a leaked hands-on video of a Nokia phone running this new version of Android. Soon thereafter, we spotted a Nokia feature phone with the model number TA-1208 on the Wi-Fi Alliance website. The listing also revealed that the device would be called the Nokia 400 upon release, and it would run GAFP -- Google Android for Feature Phones. Although HMD Global ended up canceling the device, another leaked hands-on video showcasing the phone has now surfaced online.
How to enable dark themes in some Android apps on older Android versions
Enable dark themes for some apps like Instagram on Android 9 Pie and older versions of Android using these third-party apps.
With Android 10, Google finally introduced a system-wide dark mode to the platform. The new dark mode not only transforms the system UI but also lets you use supported apps in dark mode. Unfortunately, the toggle in Display settings is limited to devices running Android 10. In case you have a device running Android 9 Pie or older, however, there is a way to enable this same dark mode toggle, which apps that have added dark modes will respect.
Huawei launches MediaPad M5 Lite with M-Pen, Harman Kardon-tuned quad speakers in India
Huawei has launched the MediaPad M5 Lite in India with four Harman Kardon speakers, Kirin 659, 3GB RAM, and support for M-Pen Lite stylus.
The worldwide demand for tablets is being consumed by the ever-expanding smartphone screens. India, which is currently the only market with positive growth in terms of smartphone demand, has also seen a rise in the sales of LTE-enabled tablets. Among the leaders of this growth are Lenovo, Samsung, iBall, and Apple. Huawei is not counted among the top tablet brands in India in terms of sales but it has been to dig some space for itself in the niche with tablet launches. Today, Huawei announced the MediaPad M5 Lite in India with quad speakers, a 10.1-inch display, support for Huawei's M-Pen Lite, and more.
[Update: Confirmed] Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus reportedly won't be getting Android Oreo
Lenovo launched the Tab 4 10 Plus back in February of last year at MWC and a new report claims it will not receive an update to Android Oreo.
There are a lot of people buying smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches that don't care about updates at all. In fact, a lot of them are afraid of them due to one bad experience they had when they lost some of their data as it wasn't backed up. However, Android updates are important (especially security updates) and many who spend hundreds of dollars on a device expect it to get at least one major version update. Lenovo launched the Tab 4 10 Plus back in February of last year at MWC and a new report claims it will not receive an update to Android Oreo.
PSA: All app updates on the Play Store must now target Android 8.0+
The day has come: starting today, all app updates on the Google Play Store must support at least Android 8.0 Oreo or higher.
The fragmentation issue in Android doesn't extend to just phones and usage numbers. The issue extends to apps, too. A lot of app developers normally skip optimizing their app to the newest Android version immediately, either supporting it several months later or not supporting it altogether. This is done because of two reasons: either the new APIs are not a priority for developers (a new Android version often takes several months before reaching a sizable audience, so it's rarely on top of a developer's to-do list) or the app keeps targeting an old version of Android on purpose (Snapchat, for one, targeted Android Lollipop for years in order to avoid implementing the granular permissions introduced on Android Marshmallow).
Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) announced with Quad Rear Cameras
Samsung has just announced the Galaxy A9 (2018), the first Samsung phone (and first mainstream Android phone) with a quad rear camera setup.
It looks like Samsung is preparing a gradual, yet radical switch in their design philosophy, possibly the biggest one since the Samsung Galaxy S6 was announced. And this has been evidenced on both the software and hardware front. The Galaxy A8 Star, announced some months ago, features a design that notably differs from Samsung's usual design language. The dual camera setup was cornered to the left instead of centered, looking more similar to something like an iPhone Xs.
Android Oreo update rolling out for international LG G5 (H850)
Thanks to a tip from an XDA forum member, we have learned the international variant of the LG G5 has just begun receiving its Android Oreo OTA update.
It was an interesting time when LG officially announced the LG G5. The company was happy with the results of the LG G4 but it seemed like they were expecting more from its successor. So they had big plans for their 2016 flagship smartphone and that included modular support. Since then, their mobile division has been losing millions of dollars, but thankfully that hasn't stopped them from working on software. Thanks to a tip from an XDA forum member, we have learned the international variant of the LG G5 with the H850 model number has just begun receiving its Android Oreo OTA update.
Download Pixel Launcher with Assistant on search bar (as seen on Pixel 3)
As seen on the leaked Google Pixel 3 renders, there's a new Google Pixel Launcher version with the Google Assistant icon on the search bar.
Shortly after the release of Android Pie for the Google Pixel series, we discovered that Google was testing a newer version of the Pixel Launcher on an unexpected device: the Android Studio emulator. While the Pixel Launcher found in Android P DP5 and the subsequent Android Pie releases lack a voice search shortcut in the search bar, the Android Studio emulator's launcher had a Google Assistant shortcut on the search bar. Since we first discovered this updated launcher version, press renders for the Google Pixel 3 have shown this same Assistant shortcut on the search bar. Now, you can download the latest Pixel Launcher version with the same Google Assistant shortcut.
Download Google Pixel 3 Live Wallpapers Ported for Android 6.0+
Do you want the Google Pixel 3 Live Wallpapers but you don't have Android Pie? No worries, download a port of the Pixel 3 Live Wallpapers for Android 6.0+!
Earlier today, the official Google Pixel 3 wallpapers leaked online along with the Pixel Wallpapers app containing the new Live Wallpapers. While the high-quality still images of the live wallpapers are nice, what people really want are the new Google Pixel 3 Live Wallpapers. The few users who could install the leaked Live Wallpapers APK discovered that some of the wallpapers appeared on the Always on Display on their Google Pixel 2, but most users can't install it because the APK requires an Android Pie device. Now, XDA Recognized Developer Pranav Pandey has ported the Pixel 3 Live Wallpapers app so it'll work on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and later.
Nokia Camera port brings 3D Personas (Animojis) to any Android 8.0+ device
Port of the Nokia Camera app with new 3D Personas feature (HMD Global's version of Samsung's AR Emoji/Apple's Animoji) is here for any Android 8.0+ devices.
The Nokia 6.1 Plus launched with HMD Global's version of Apple's Animojis or Samsung's AR Emojis. It's called 3D Personas and it works similarly to other 3D emoji features by using the front-facing camera to map your facial expressions onto a 3D model. HMD Global only offers a few 3D Personas to play around with, unlike Samsung's many Disney-themed packs. The one advantage to this version from Nokia is that it has been ported for most ARM64 Android devices running Android Oreo or Android Pie.
[Update: Verizon Too] T-Mobile LG G5 starts getting the Android 8.0 Oreo update
Earlier this month, Android Oreo rolled out to the LG G5 ins Korea. Now ithe Oreo update is rolling out to T-Mobile users users.
LG has a reputation for being slow with software updates. They hoped to improve upon that with their Software Update Center, but the results since then have been mixed at best. They have updated several devices to Android Ore in the last few months. Still, there are plenty of aging devices that haven't seen updates in a while. Once such device is the T-Mobile LG G5. Earlier this month, Oreo rolled out to the LG G5 ins Korea. Now it's rolling out to Magenta users.
Download: Samsung Internet 9.0 brings major redesign to the web browser
Samsung Internet 9.0 will launch with Samsung Experience 10.0 based on Android Pie. We managed to pull the APK so you can download and install it now!
It might not be the juggernaut that is Google Chrome, but Samsung Internet has gained a dedicated following thanks to the extra features that it offers on top of Google's browser. Just recently we reported on the new Samsung Internet 8.2 beta that brought features like parallel downloading for faster file downloads and Do Not Track mode. In the first Samsung Experience 10.0 build based on Android Pie for the Samsung Galaxy S9+ that we found, we were able to get an even newer version of Samsung Internet. Samsung Internet 9.0 brings a major redesign to the browser with the new rounded corner UI found in Samsung Experience 10.
Verizon LG V20 starts getting Android 8.0 Oreo update
You will be excited to hear that the Verizon Wireless variant of the LG V20 is finally getting its update to Android 8.0 Oreo.
A lot of us enthusiasts here at XDA not only want major version updates as quickly as possible, but we also want to receive those monthly security updates as soon as they are announced as well. However, there's another segment of the community who dislike Android's OTA updates and have actually become afraid of them due to a bad incident in the past. So depending on which side of the fence you fall on, you may or may not be excited to hear that the Verizon Wireless variant of the LG V20 is finally getting its update to Android 8.0 Oreo.
NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV gets SHIELD Experience 7.1 with NVIDIA Share and 120Hz support
The NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV box is getting SHIELD Experience 7.1 based on Android 8.0 Oreo which comes with NVIDIA Share and 120Hz display output support.
The NVIDIA Shield Android TV box is one of the best supported Android devices on the market. Launched in May of 2015, the company has been keeping it up to date with a pretty solid consistency. Android 8.0 Oreo arrived back in June with the SHIELD Experience 7.0 update, swiftly followed by a bugfix update to SHIELD Experience 7.0.1. Now, SHIELD Experience 7.1 is beginning to roll out for NVIDIA SHIELD TV owners in the closed preview program, and it brings NVIDIA Share and 120Hz display output support. You can check out the changelog below.
Paranoid Android's Android Oreo ROM is here for some Sony Xperia phones
Paranoid Android is back and based on Android Oreo. You can get it on a number of Sony phones already, with more to come in the near future.
Paranoid Android has returned with an Android Oreo ROM! It's been nearly a year since the last official release, which saw the team update its Android Nougat based custom ROM with a new camera application. The team has been hard at work since then brushing up and improving upon the next iteration based on Android Oreo. Thanks to an announcement post on Google+ made by known designer Espen Flagtvedt Olsen, we're now getting a look into the inner workings of the AOSPA team as of late. What's more, you can actually flash and install Paranoid Android on the following Sony devices.
Does Android's volume dialog take 20 seconds to dismiss? Here's why that happens.
Have you noticed that the volume dialog on your Android takes 20 seconds to disappear, unless you tap on the screen manually? Here's why that happens.
Have you noticed that the volume dialog that appears when you press the volume buttons takes a bit too long to disappear on its own? When you first got your Android phone, the volume dialog would automatically dismiss after a few seconds without your intervention. Then, sometime in the past few days, weeks, or months, it would take a long time to go away unless you tapped on your screen. If you're experiencing this problem and it infuriates you, you're not alone.
Samsung mid-range phones to get Android Oreo in 2019 per leaked roadmap
Samsung's mid-range and low-range Android phones will be receiving Android Oreo during the first quarter of 2019, according to a leaked roadmap.
While Samsung flagship phones and tablets are among the best out there, lower-end Samsung devices are arguably not the best choice when in the market for a midrange device. They'll do the job just fine, don't get me wrong, but Samsung just doesn't pay the same attention to their middle-end and low-end devices (Galaxy J line, Galaxy C line, Galaxy On line, Galaxy Tab line) as they do to their flagship phones. Samsung normally skips on some "premium" features that are present in their flagships, making their lower end offerings look, feel, and perform cheaper than other midrange devices on the same price slot. Furthermore, these devices very rarely get updates aside from the occasional security patch, and while platform updates are not unheard of in these phones, they often take several months.
Android Oreo's "Turn on WiFi Automatically" feature is available for all in Android Pie
Android Oreo added a "Turn on WiFi Automatically" feature when you area near a high-quality saved network. This feature is available for all in Android Pie.
Google Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P owners will remember the disappointment when getting the official Android 8.0 Oreo update and not getting features like Night Light and automatic Wi-Fi wakeup. The latter feature was introduced with the Android Oreo update for the Google Pixel and Pixel XL. What it does is automatically turns on Wi-Fi to connect to a high-quality saved network. The feature isn't available for all Android Oreo devices as OEMs have to choose to enable it, but it will be available for all devices running Android Pie!