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Browservio is a speedy WebView-based browser with a built-in ad blocker
Browservio is a WebView-powered open-source browser for Android that packs an interesting feature list. Read on to know more!
One of the great things about Android is the ability to choose a different default browser. You have the most popular option in Google Chrome, along with other Chromium-derived ones like Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Brave, and more. However, if you have a cheaper (or older) device, you may find the top picks unsatisfactory and memory-hogging.
Here's why WebView kept crashing last month and how Google is making improvements
Google explains why Android System WebView caused app crashes last month and how the company plans to avoid such issues in the future.
Late last month, Google pushed a buggy Android System WebView update that caused many Android apps to crash. The issue was quite widespread, and a significant number of users on Reddit and Twitter reported the problem. Thankfully, Google promptly rolled out updates for Android System WebView and Google Chrome via the Play Store to resolve the issue, and all was well. The company has now shared some insight about what actually caused the issue and how it plans to make improvements to prevent any future mishaps.
[Update: Fixed with update] Google confirms an issue with WebView is crashing many Android apps
A recent update to Android WebView has caused many Android apps including Gmail, Amazon and more to crash. Google says it's working on a fix.
Many Android apps have suddenly started crashing in the past few hours, with apps throwing the dreaded “keep closing†warning messages when users try to open them. Twitter and Reddit forums are filled with reports of apps crashing. DownDetector is also showing a big surge in outage reports for Gmail and Amazon. Desktop Gmail Web interface and Google Workspace services are not affected.
[Update 3: Flag for Settings Toggle Live] Google Chrome's dark mode may also darken web pages
A recent commit to Chromium's Gerrit indicates that Google plans to allow dark mode setting in Google Chrome to also darken web pages. Read on to know more!
Google's Material Theme overhaul has been predominantly bright white, and not everyone is a fan of the blinding white color used everywhere. It took them a few years, but Google is finally realizing that a lot of users do seek a darker UX. Several Google apps have since adopted a dark theme, and Google Chrome is now catching up. Google Chrome for macOS was reported to receive a native dark mode, and Google Chrome for Windows 10 also received a dark mode in the Canary release channel. Google Chrome for Android is also testing a night mode with the Chrome 73 Beta, but this setting was limited to the browser UI.
Google Chrome app is no longer the WebView provider in Android 10
Google Chrome used to serve WebView-related tasks before Android Pie, but starting on Android 10, they're served by their own app. Read on to learn more!
Android's WebView feature has had a rocky history and has morphed several times in the past few years. Android 4.4 KitKat first introduced a Chromium-based WebView component in 2013. Back then, it was built into the system, but it became a separately-updated component later down the road, with Android 5.0 Lollipop. With Android 7.0 Nougat, however, all WebView-related duties were just handled by Google Chrome in an effort to simplify things. For Google, this seemed like the logical way forward: relaying WebView to Chrome meant one less app to update or care about (even though they still updated the app: it was still there, it was just not used), but with the latest Android release they seem to be reversing course and going full circle again.
Android Go - How does Google's lightweight ecosystem compare to the original?
Android Go is Google's lightweight version of Android and features a number of specially made applications too. We've compared them to their full versions.
Android Go is Google's lightweight mobile platform that aims to run on lower system specifications than usual. It's aimed at developing and lower-income areas, where devices with poor processors and small amounts of RAM will be most prevalent. It exists basically to make sure that those in developing nations can still avail of applications and products in the smartphone world. As such, lower specifications requires some applications to be reworked in order to work within smaller RAM constraints. YouTube Go, Maps Go, Gmail Go, and Google Go are all examples of these applications, and third-parties offer them too. But that's not all, as a number of modifications are made to keep system requirements even lower. RAM compression, reduced system memory usage, and better memory management ensures the device will be as quick as can be.