Time (and your photos) keeps on slipping
Although I love Google Photos and recommend it to all my friends, I recognize that the service isn't perfect. The user experience could be improved in a lot of ways; for example, the ability to order photos in different ways is missing — you get reverse chronological...
Facebook Messenger is learning to follow system dark mode settings
You won't have to manually switch from one mode to another when texting friends
After testing dark mode for a few months, Facebook Messenger rolled it out globally to all users in April 2019. Unfortunately, people had to manually turn it on or off in their app settings, meaning it couldn't follow...
Beloved app TV Show Favs is dead — this is what you should use instead
Lots of trakt.tv clients, but SeriesGuide takes the cake
The Venn diagram of people who watch TV series across various networks and services and people who obsess over tracking every little thing in their lives mustn't be all that big, but for those of us who fall squarely in the middle of these two...
19 temporarily free and 39 on-sale apps and games for Memorial Day
Don't miss out on the sales for This War of Mine, Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition, and 911 Operator
Welcome to Monday, everyone. Not only is today the start of the week, but it's also Memorial Day. So even though things are slow thanks to the holiday, I still have more than a few standout sales to...
Google Photos' free storage is ending — here's what you can do
Google is ending free unlimited (compressed) Photos storage tomorrow. The company first announced the move in November 2020 and later confirmed that even upcoming Pixel phones aren't going to be exempt from the adjustment later. But what does that change mean for you, and what can you do about it...
Hulu's latest app update adds a long-overdue tool for efficient binge watching
The 'skip intro' button for TV shows is finally here
There are plenty of TV shows with wonderful intros. But even the best ones will grate on you if you're watching your seventh episode on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Hulu realizes this, and has added a "skip intro" button to its interface on Android,...
15 new (and 2 WTF) Android games from the last week: The best, worst, and everything in between (5/24/21 - 5/30/21)
Huntdown, The Longest Road on Earth, Lilulu, plus more
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today's list is broken up into several segments, ranging from best, average, to mediocre. So whether you're...
Here's an hour of NieR Re[in]carnation in action, and it's better than you'd think
One of the most polished gacha RPGs yet
Earlier this week, Square Enix released a closed beta for NieR Re[in]carnation. So I've sideloaded the title not only to see how it plays but to record a lengthy gameplay video so that everyone can see exactly what's in store once the game is officially released...
How I set up a self-hosted replacement for Google Photos
Synology Photos is a free Google Photos clone, but you'll need hardware to host it
With Google Photos discontinuing free unlimited photo backups starting next week, we've been taking a look at the various alternatives available on the market to replace the service. Both options we've looked at so...
Google Pay keeps right on sailing past 3,000 US banks with another 8 more
That seems like too many banks, right? How are there this many?
Latest update
Latest 8
Since its initial release, Google Pay has come a long way, with a complete redesign now under its belt. Recently we crossed an eagerly anticipated milestone for the mobile payment app, with the service finally...
TWRP support expands to include even more Samsung, Motorola, and Sony phones
There's even an option for the 2019 Nvidia Shield TV
The last big release for the TeamWin Recovery Project was back in January, with the debut of TWRP 3.5. In addition to following some of the smaller tweaks to land since then, we've also been keeping an eye on the ever-expanding stable of devices...
Google Maps Insights show just what a social butterfly you're becoming
Monthly travel stats derived from your timeline
Google Maps keeps track of your daily timeline, and though its level of accuracy can feel a little too invasive, it's an excellent tool for tracking vacations, road trips, and any other travel. Timeline is getting a fresh coat of paint, along with a...
Happy sixth birthday, Google Photos!
Young enough to throw tantrums, old enough to know it shouldn't
It's been six years, to the day, since Google Photos debuted at I/O 2015. A lot has changed since for me; I got married, I moved countries, and more importantly, the world is very different than it was back then. What hasn't changed,...
Chrome Labs makes it easy to try out upcoming browser features
Google recently made Chrome Labs available for Chromebooks on the Dev channel
Update
Available for Chrome OS
Google regularly introduces new features in Chrome through 'flags,' toggles that are only accessible through the chrome://flags page. Even though the flags page is hidden, Google also sometimes...
18 temporarily free and 42 on-sale apps and games for Friday
Don't miss out on the sales for Crashlands, Lock's Quest, and 9th Dawn III RPG
Welcome to Friday, everyone. We've had a busy week, so make sure to check out Wednesday's sales since the list contains every Dragon Quest title on the Play Store, and they are still on sale. I also have some solid sales...
Fitbit users who don't realize they snore are in for a rude awakening
Find out if you sleep like a bear or a dolphin
Fitbit wearables have been able to track your sleep for quite a while now. In essence, they use heart rate and movement sensors to measure your sleep cycles, providing insights as to how well you've slept. The company is working on further improving these...
New Google Photos storage management tool is already rolling out
Pay for more space or manage the heck out of what you have
Update
Storage management tool is rolling out
We're about a week away from Google Photos turning off its most popular and unique selling point. Almost every user will soon lose out on unlimited backups and will either need to use up their...
Check your carrier's real-world 5G coverage with this new feature on Opensignal's apps
Time to compare network maps
There are plenty of internet speed testing apps out there, but Opensignal and its sister app Meteor have just received important updates that allow their users to see how their carrier's own 5G network coverage map stacks up against reports from the crowd. You know, in...
Apple Pay is a tap and a twist away from beating Google Pay
Two simple tweaks would make it the ultimate mobile payment platform
I admit it: I was a mobile payment naysayer for years. I always felt that the conversation around tap to pay was a lot of rigamarole — after all, how hard is it to get out your wallet? But, as credit card terminals slowly evolved...
OnePlus has a new live wallpaper to help you obsess over screen-on time even more
Well done, WellPaper
OnePlus recently put in more resources towards software development, but unfortunately, it isn't for what you might hope. These efforts, by the OneLabs team, are directed towards creating resourceful apps and experiences, the first of which we saw a couple of weeks ago — a cross-platform...
Google Messages could soon get two new features WhatsApp and Telegram have had for years
Pinned conversations and starred messages
Google Messages is getting more intelligent and intuitive by the day, and Google seems to have a lot more in the pipeline. Shortly after the app started getting a redesigned emoji picker and nifty conversation categories, evidence of a couple of new handy...
Firefox 89 comes to Android with sleek new interface elements (APK Download)
Subtle design tweaks make for a better experience, but we're still waiting for more add-ons
Update
Stable release
Firefox 89 for desktops comes with a brand-new interface dubbed "Proton" that brings along a simplified browser UI and toolbar, reorganized menus, a prettier new tab page, lighter iconography,...
Philo is raising its price, because that's just what streaming TV services do now
It's jumping from $20 to $25 next month with some extra DVR time
To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to reap. A time to increase the price of a streaming TV subscription, and that time is all the...
Google finally has a smart way to deal with people who insist on emailing photos
But it only works with JPEGs at launch
Most of Google's apps work pretty well together — as long as you ignore all of its various messaging clients. Gmail has allowed users to save attachments to Google Drive for years, but with Photos and Drive no longer as intertwined as they once were, adding an...
Hide the shame of skipping leg day with Fitbit's new two-factor authentication
Unfortunately it's not showing up in the app yet, at least for me
It's been more than a year since many of us got more acquainted with our webcams than we ever wanted to be. You've used the excess of personal time to invest in your personal health, right? Right? Well whether you have or haven't, keeping...
Don't miss Huntdown's campy '80s shooter action, now available on Android
A solid run-and-gun that shouldn't be missed
You may not have heard of it, but Huntdown is an excellent retro-futuristic run-and-gun title that's found tons of success on consoles and PC. It offers a slick '80s theme where you'll blast your way through hordes of enemies, and as of today, it's available...
NieR Re[in]carnation enters into its first closed beta, but only for a short time
If you got into the beta you have a week to check it out
Latest update
NieR Reincarnation's English closed beta test begins on Android
Square Enix has been hinting at a Nier spinoff for mobile titled NieR Re[in]carnation since March (2020), but up until recently, it was unknown if this...
12 temporarily free and 35 on-sale apps and games for Wednesday
Don't miss out on Dragon Quest's 35th anniversary sale
Welcome to Wednesday, everyone. In case you didn't know, today is Dragon Quest's 35th anniversary. This means every Dragon Quest title on the Play Store is on sale today, and these RPGs are definitely my top standouts in today's roundup,...
It's been 6 years and Backdrops is still my favorite wallpaper app on Android
Original and beautiful artwork for every style
There was a time, a decade ago, when I was obsessed with customizing my phone's homescreen down to the tiniest details. Wallpaper, icons, widgets, everything had to match to perfection, and each few days I'd spend several hours putting together a new...
Here's what's new in Chrome 91
Prettier buttons, OTP autofill improvements, battery-saving optimizations, and much more
Update
Stable launch
Chrome 91 has just hit the first few phones, and while you might not notice too many differences on the surface, there are quite some things going on if you know where to look. The most...
Google Weather is killing the hamburger menu
Dropping hamburgers faster than McDonalds
The arrival of gesture-based navigation on Android hasn't boded well for hamburger menus, and Google is now actively doing away with them. The Google Play Store recently killed the hamburger menu, and now the Google Weather app is following suit.
Spotted...
Google Chrome 91 is now available for download (APK Download)
Coming with better visuals for websites using forms and buttons
Update
Stable release
Like clockwork, Google has just published the latest Chrome release, version 91. It brings a slew of visual changes to websites using fillable forms and buttons, a GravitySensor interface so web apps can more...
Google Pay cruises past 3,000 US banks to add another 12 more
That seems like too many banks, right? How are there this many?
Update
12 more
Since its initial release, Google Pay has come a long way, with a complete redesign now under its belt. Recently we crossed an eagerly anticipated milestone for the mobile payment app, with the service finally surpassing...
Chrome for Android is getting a Material You tweak — here's how to enable it
Subtle UI tweaks that make the experience more consistent
Google unveiled a brand new design language for Android 12 last week at this year's I/O conference. It's dubbed Material You, and it employs humanistic principles like pastel color palettes and creative shapes. Google intends to apply its playful...
WhatsApp's privacy policy war is over, and WhatsApp lost
For now, anyway
A couple of weeks ago, news broke that WhatsApp would start encouraging users to agree to its problematic new privacy policy. And by "encourage," we mean that they would start disabling some of the app's features for users that refused to agree. It was, to put it lightly, a big freakin'...
The latest Google Photos Memories collections showcase group photos and your favorite cup of joe
All of the good times with family, friends, and the adventures you've had
Latest update
Blissful buzz and Memories together
Since late last year, Google Photos has been using a streamlined, but powerful algorithm to generate bunches of themed slideshows from users' libraries of photos and videos...
Destiny 2 cross-play beta officially starts today on Stadia, but only for a limited time
You have until the 27th to check it out
Update
After a false start, Destiny 2's cross-play beta drops today
One of the more persistent problems with Stadia is that, due to a relatively low amount of players versus established platforms like Xbox, PlayStation, and PC, its multiplayer games can sometimes...
AutoVoice 4.0 combines Tasker and Alexa to automate your entire home
And you don't even need an Echo device to use it
Tasker's a capable tool for power users, but it's not the only app developed by João Dias. AutoVoice is one of the easiest ways to sync your smart home gear with Tasker and Google Assistant, adding custom actions, routines, and more. The app has lost...
Could Microsoft OneDrive be your Google Photos replacement?
It's far from great compared to Photos, but it can serve as storage for your images if you need it to
Google Photos will get rid of its free storage tier starting June 1, which is when the company will flip a switch and any new image uploaded will count against your Google account storage. While we...
This app will count literally anything you show it
'CountThings from Photos' is an industrial analysis tool that counts all the things
Humans aren't especially good at counting things. That's why we invented math to make it easier and harder at the same time, then we invented computers to do math for us. Thousands of years of societal achievement...
Gboard's rounded Material You redesign is starting to roll out more widely
You probably need to be on the beta to see it
Google has been testing different Gboard redesigns for quite some time, but it seems some of these changes are now coming to more people. No sign yet of the updated typeface — Google Sans Text looks like it will be replacing Roboto eventually — but rounded...
Google Docs is getting the hottest new feature of Word 97
Images can now be placed behind and in front of text
Google Docs is a pretty good word processor, especially considering you won't have to drop a dime to use it. It's not quite as fully featured as Microsoft Word, but most users find it perfectly acceptable for notetaking, writing essays, and working...
Microsoft just gave the maligned Surface Duo new life as an intriguing game-streaming machine
An update to the Xbox Game Pass app gives its lower screen dedicated touch controls
Admit it, Nintendo fans: when Microsoft revealed its first official Android-powered smartphone, all you saw was a $1400 Nintendo DS Pro. With its newfound focus on streaming games in the Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft is...
Google Photos unlimited backups are dying, but here's how you can avoid some of the pain
Pay for more space or manage the heck out of what you have
We're about a week away from Google Photos turning off its most popular and unique selling point. Almost every user will soon lose out on unlimited backups and will either need to use up their existing cloud storage space or pay up for extra....
