The latest update to Google Play Services, version 26.40, introduces several enhancements to Google Wallet, including:
- Receipt scanning and storage, allowing users to save and access purchase records.
- An in-app message center for centralized notifications and communications related to transactions.
- Improved merchant names for better identification of purchase locations.
- A refined payment process for a more seamless transaction experience.
Google transitioned from Assistant to Gemini on September 4, 2026. A method to restore Google Assistant on Android involves uninstalling updates to the Google app and accessing the Google Assistant listing on the Play Store. Users can decline the switch to Gemini when prompted and set Google Assistant as their default assistant. To keep Google Assistant operational, users must disable automatic updates for the Google app. This workaround may not be permanent, as future updates from Google could disable it.
Sifu, a kung-fu-based third-person brawler by Sloclap, is now available on iOS and Android for .99. The game has been fully optimized for mobile with new touch controls, improved interactions, a reworked camera system, and complete controller support.
DroidDeck is an open-source app that allows Snapdragon-powered Android devices to run Valve's Steam client and Windows PC games directly on the device itself, without the need for streaming.
Google has introduced a new feature in Google AI Studio that enables users to create personalized apps for their Android devices without any coding experience. This tool allows users to bypass the public Play Store, resulting in apps that function exclusively on their devices. Users can describe their desired app in a prompt, and the AI assists in the development process, allowing for easy installation and customization. There are no costs associated with creating these apps, which can replace single-function applications. The feature is designed for personal use, providing flexibility and control over app functionality.
- Android users may soon have the option to use a connected game controller to move a mouse-style cursor around their phone or tablet.
- The feature is currently in development and has not been officially released.
- The potential feature aims to provide a more seamless experience for users by allowing free mouse-style movement with a cursor that extends beyond current gamepad controls.
- The feature is focused on interface control and does not impact gaming performance, latency, or additional services.
- The reported feature could streamline navigation within the interface for UAE players who use Android devices for mobile or cloud gaming.
- The feature does not guarantee controller support for games that do not already offer it.
Poncle studio has launched the mobile version of Vampire Crawlers, a turn-based card roguelike game with dungeon exploration. The mobile version is priced significantly higher than the PC version on Steam, causing controversy among players.
Field sales applications, recruitment tools, and property management systems can integrate with messaging platforms on Android devices, addressing the need for users to view conversations directly within the app. A unified messaging API simplifies the integration process for developers, as each messaging channel has distinct authentication methods and message formats. The Android application should only communicate with a backend that interacts with the messaging API for security, event handling, and policy enforcement.
Users can link their accounts through a hosted authentication link, reducing coding efforts. The unified API supports various platforms, including WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Telegram, Instagram, Gmail, and Outlook. When a message arrives, the messaging API triggers a webhook, and the relay service verifies the request, stores the message, identifies users, and sends push notifications via Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM).
To ensure functionality in offline scenarios, the app should render conversation lists from local storage and manage outgoing messages with a WorkManager. Attachments should be handled efficiently by listing them as metadata and downloading them on demand, while uploads should involve client-side compression and resumable requests. By following this approach, developers maintain a single conversation model and sync engine, abstracting complexities associated with multiple messaging providers.
DroidDeck is an open-source project that brings the Steam client to Android devices, allowing users to download and run games locally on their devices. It supports Steam Input, performance monitoring, GPU driver management, upscaling, and frame generation. Early testing has shown promising results with games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Skyrim Special Edition running smoothly at high settings. The latest version, 0.3.2, includes new features and improvements, but requires Android 9 or newer and Adreno 730 or newer GPUs.
