While the last week was quite eventful in the world of tech, this past week was relatively slow. Other than a few new tidbits about the latest software releases, a couple of new WhatsApp features, and a few more Pixel 6 leaks, nothing significant happened this week. However, that's just the calm before the storm, as the coming week will be packed with some major announcements from Apple and Samsung. Nonetheless, if you missed any of our coverage this week, here's a brief recap of all the significant developments in the tech world this week.

New WhatsApp features

The Facebook-owned popular messenger WhatsApp received a couple of updates this week. One of the updates on the stable channel introduced a new feature that has been in development for over a year -- end-to-end encrypted backups. If you're a regular WhatsApp user, you can now install the latest update from the Play Store and encrypt your chat backup using a unique password or 64-digit key.

WhatsApp End-to-End Encrypted backups

WhatsApp also received some updates on the beta channel that gave us a look at some in-development features. We learned about an upcoming Community feature in an APK teardown of the app, which will likely be another way to better organize groups in the messenger. We also learned that WhatsApp is working on improving the voice recording feature with a new option that would let users pause voice recordings.

Rootless themes return to Android

Rootless themes are making a comeback with Android 12, thanks to the new Fabricated Overlays API. As XDA's Zachary Wander highlighted in a post this week, developers can use a loophole in this API to implement themes without requiring root access or signature-level permission. If you're interested in developing a rootless theme for devices running Android 12, you can learn more about the API by following the link above.

Along with this discovery, we got our first look at Android 12's Compatibility Definition Document (CDD) this week. While it doesn't include any interesting consumer-facing changes, it does outline new performance classes for devices running Android 12 for OEMs. You can learn more about these classes by checking out our previous coverage.

Windows updates and performance issues

Microsoft rolled out the first Windows 11 post-launch update this week. The update introduced several bug fixes. However, it reportedly didn't the performance issues on AMD processors. In fact, some reports suggest that the update exacerbates the issues, so we recommend not installing it if you have an AMD-based PC. You might not have to wait too long to install the update, though, as Microsoft has already started testing a fix on the Windows Insider Beta and Release Preview channels.

Windows 11 with blue background image

Microsoft also rolled out a new Windows 11 build on the Dev channel, with redesigned emoji, support for Update Stack Packages, and more. However, users are reportedly not happy with the new emoji redesign. In addition, Microsoft released Windows 10 build 19043.1288 and Windows Subsystem for Linux on the Microsoft Store. We also got a brief glimpse of Android apps running on Windows 11.

Even more Pixel 6 leaks

Google seems to be having a tough time keeping a lid on information about its upcoming Pixel 6 lineup. This week, we saw even more leaks about the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, including more high-resolution renders, information about the Pixel Pass, and a leaked advertisement for the devices. In addition, we spotted more details about the second-gen Pixel Stand in the latest update for the Pixel Stand app and learned that the Pixel 6 series could get Android 16 and an additional year of security patches.

Along with these noteworthy announcements, we shared the following stories that you might have missed:

XDA's thoughts on the latest hardware and software

Additionally, we published editorials, reviews, first impressions, and comparisons for several new devices and software this week. You can check those out by following the links below: