Android Authority

AppWizard
July 9, 2025
Edgar Cervantes shared his experience with YouTube Music's podcast functionality, highlighting frustrations with its navigation and organization, which detracts from the user experience. He noted that YouTube Music prioritizes music and video content, making it difficult to locate podcasts, with subscriptions buried in the Library tab. The app defaults to video for podcasts, requiring users to switch to audio mode manually. Despite these issues, there is potential for improvement, and users like Cervantes continue to use the app due to its music streaming capabilities. To enhance its podcast experience, Google needs to implement a dedicated podcast tab, improve navigation, remember playback positions, and enhance search functionalities. Until these improvements are made, users may prefer dedicated podcast apps like Pocket Casts for a better experience.
AppWizard
July 9, 2025
Android's Photo Picker is receiving an update that introduces a search bar to help users locate specific images more easily. This feature is currently being tested with a select group of users and will be positioned above the Photos and Collections tabs. Additionally, Google is developing a timeline slider to improve navigation through large photo libraries. The update aims to enhance user experience by allowing users to search for photos using keywords and maintain privacy by enabling users to select which photos, GIFs, or videos they wish to share without giving apps access to their entire gallery.
AppWizard
July 8, 2025
Android users will soon experience an updated Photo Picker that includes a search bar for quicker photo selection. This update, which is gradually rolling out, enhances the previous basic gallery interface by allowing users to input keywords to find specific images. The search function does not utilize the same large language models as Google’s “Ask Photos” feature but aims to simplify the process of locating photos among many. The Photo Picker was initially introduced to improve privacy and security for applications accessing images. The update is currently being rolled out slowly, with many devices yet to receive it.
AppWizard
July 7, 2025
YouTube has introduced a new feature allowing users to watch YouTube Shorts in landscape mode on smartphones, currently in the rollout phase and not universally available. This feature can be activated through the YouTube app's accessibility settings. When enabled, it automatically shifts to landscape mode when the smartphone is rotated. However, viewing Shorts in landscape mode results in a smaller display surrounded by black bands, which may diminish the user experience. The rationale behind this feature is unclear, but it may cater to users with reduced mobility who prefer landscape orientation. YouTube is expected to address landscape mode for foldable smartphones and tablets by the end of 2024.
AppWizard
July 7, 2025
Google Messages has been redesigned to embrace Material 3 Expressive aesthetics, affecting various aspects of the application. In the beta version v20250701, pill-shaped buttons have replaced circular ones on the contact profile page, improving navigation. The update focuses on four key functions: Call, Video, Contact Info, and Search, aiming to enhance user experience and provide a cohesive visual experience.
AppWizard
July 1, 2025
Google's Personal Safety app is undergoing visual enhancements in its latest version (2025.06.12.772866699.3-release), aligning with Material 3 Expressive design. Updates include bold headers, white boxes for information fields, redesigned toggles showing an “X” or tick for status, and a new pill-shaped green button for adding contacts. A three-dot button for each contact allows for easier removal and reordering, although removal may be slightly more complex. These design changes are currently exclusive to Android 16 QPR1, which is also updating its Safety and Emergency section.
BetaBeacon
June 28, 2025
Google Contacts app version 4.55 may soon allow users to use images as contact photos and calling cards, potentially linking a user's profile image to a dynamic call screen. The feature could support full-screen images, custom fonts, and cloud synchronization for easy management across devices. This new feature aims to enhance the visual appeal of Android phone calls by allowing users to personalize their call displays with images and text. However, Google has not confirmed the existence of calling cards yet.
BetaBeacon
June 27, 2025
Utkarshdalal has made impressive contributions to various projects on GitHub, showcasing a wide range of skills and expertise in coding and project management. Their dedication to open source projects has been praised for attention to detail and commitment to quality. Android Authority highlighted their work as a shining example of collaboration in the tech industry, inspiring aspiring developers and emphasizing the power of community-driven projects.
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