Pixel series Archives

AppWizard

February 16, 2026

Pixel’s ‘Now Playing’ is becoming a real app, but not for everyone

Google is developing the Now Playing feature into a standalone application that will be available for download from the Google Play Store. This transition has been indicated by recent updates to Android System Intelligence, specifically in version B.21, which includes code suggesting users will be redirected to the Play Store for the new app. The standalone Now Playing app will feature its own settings, song history, and additional functionalities. However, it is expected to be limited to supported Pixel devices initially, as device-level checks are being implemented in the Android Canary builds. The launch date and potential future accessibility remain uncertain.

AppWizard

January 2, 2026

Google’s AI Android Updates Spark Phone App Glitches on Pixel Devices

The phone app within Google's ecosystem has faced significant user frustration due to recent updates that disrupt essential functions like dialing and contact management. Users report issues such as the app failing to register incoming calls and cumbersome navigation following software patches. AI features introduced to enhance user experience often misfire, raising privacy concerns. The Pixel series has experienced bugs, including one that automatically declined calls. Updates to Google's search algorithm have inadvertently affected app performance, leading to instabilities. Monthly system updates prioritize new features over rigorous testing, resulting in a bloated app with sporadic functionality. Policy changes regarding data handling complicate app interactions, making simple tasks more laborious. Google's rapid release cycle has led to volatility in app performance, with security patches sometimes introducing new bugs. The integration of third-party services has created inconsistencies, and the overall Android ecosystem suffers from misalignment between updates. Users express dissatisfaction with the prioritization of aesthetics over functionality in updates. Critics argue that Google's approach mirrors past missteps, and experts recommend proactive user measures and improved developer practices to enhance app reliability.

AppWizard

November 14, 2025

Older Pixel Devices Can Now Record Calls Directly in the Phone App

Google has expanded the call recording feature in its Phone app to include Pixel 6 and newer models. This feature allows users to record phone conversations, although it does not include transcription or automatic note-taking capabilities. Call recording is available in regions where it is legal, and users in the United States and Canada currently have access. To use the feature, users must have a Pixel 6 or newer device with Android 14 or higher, or a non-Pixel device with Android 9 or higher, and must update their Phone app. Users can activate call recording in the Phone app's settings and have options for automatic recording and deletion of recordings after a specified period. The call recorder will announce the recording to all parties involved in the call.

AppWizard

October 13, 2025

Android Pixnapping attack can capture app data like 2FA info

Security researchers have identified a 12-year-old data-stealing attack known as Pixnapping, which targets web browsers to extract sensitive information from Android devices. This attack allows a rogue Android application to access and leak information from various apps, including Google Maps, Signal, and Venmo, as well as websites like Gmail, and can capture two-factor authentication codes from Google Authenticator. The attack utilizes a hardware side channel to access screen display pixels, employing techniques inspired by earlier research on timing attacks. A collaborative team from institutions like UC Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon University developed the modern iteration of Pixnapping, which will be presented at the 32nd ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security. The Pixnapping framework enables a malicious app to push pixels into the rendering pipeline and read them by overlaying semi-transparent Android Activities. The attack systematically measures rendering times to infer pixel colors, allowing for the recovery of data through optical character recognition. Researchers successfully demonstrated Pixnapping on Android versions 13 to 16 across devices like the Google Pixel series and Samsung Galaxy S25. The attack does not require special permissions and exploits how the Mali GPU implements data compression, resulting in data-dependent rendering times. Pixnapping leaks only 0.6 to 2.1 pixels per second, which is still sufficient to recover Google Authenticator codes. Google has issued a patch for the underlying vulnerability tracked as CVE-2025-48561, with another patch planned for December, although there has been no evidence of exploitation in the wild. Despite attempts to mitigate Pixnapping, researchers have identified a workaround and suggest limiting an attacker's ability to compute on victim pixels as an effective strategy. They also discovered methods for attackers to identify all installed apps on a device, a capability restricted since Android 11 for privacy reasons, with Google indicating that fixing this issue may not be feasible.

AppWizard

October 3, 2025

Android 16 Revolutionizes App Icons with Material You Customization

Google's Android 16 update introduces innovative app icon customization features, allowing users to modify app icons with various shapes, styles, and thematic integrations. The QPR2 beta mandates monochrome filters for all applications, ensuring a cohesive aesthetic across the home screen. Users can choose from five distinct icon shapes, addressing feedback on rigid designs. The update also includes forced dark mode and auto-theming for legacy applications, enhancing the overall user experience. Customizable Quick Settings panels and live notifications improve efficiency for power users. Starting October 15, 2025, developers will be required to provide adaptive icons due to new mandatory theming rules. Privacy features, such as protections against SMS one-time password hijacking, are also included.

AppWizard

September 30, 2025

This Niagara Launcher feature should be standard across all Android phones

Rita El Khoury has been using the Niagara Launcher for about a year and appreciates its simplicity, notification grouping, and customizable app icons. A standout feature is its ability to display apps on the home screen only when connected to Bluetooth devices, which helps manage limited home screen space. This feature, available in the premium version Niagara Pro, is not found on Pixel or other Android devices tested by El Khoury, although Samsung offers a similar function through its Modes and Routines feature. However, Samsung's approach is more limited as it triggers a single app rather than providing a list of relevant apps like Niagara does. There is hope that future Android updates will incorporate more versatile contextual app access features.

AppWizard

September 18, 2025

Android 16 QPR2 Beta 2 rolls out with customizable app icons and fitness upgrades for Pixel users

Android 16 QPR2 Beta 2 has been rolled out for Pixel devices, including the Pixel 10 series, introducing platform stability and new features. Users can customize app icons and benefit from enhanced fitness tracking metrics. Security improvements include developer verification and enhanced SMS OTP protection, which delays message delivery to prevent OTP hijacking. The beta is available for Pixel 6 and newer models, as well as the Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold, and can be downloaded via an over-the-air process. The Pixel 10 features the Tensor G5 chip and Gemini AI capabilities.

AppWizard

September 3, 2025

Explore Android’s exciting September update: Music sharing and your own custom bot await

Google has launched LE Audio Auracast, allowing users to connect two LE Audio Bluetooth headphones to a single device for synchronized listening. This feature is available on the Google Pixel 8 series, select Samsung flagship devices from 2023, and some Xiaomi and POCO models. Additionally, Google introduced Androidify, a tool for creating personalized Android bots using AI by uploading a selfie. The revamped Gboard now offers AI-driven texting suggestions, spelling and grammar assistance, and an updated Emoji Kitchen for creating unique stickers. A redesigned Quick Share feature enhances file sharing with a progress indicator. The Pixel 10 smartphone features the Tensor G5 chip and new Gemini AI capabilities, including Camera Coach and Magic Cue.

AppWizard

August 13, 2025

How many software updates will the Google Pixel 10 receive?

The Google Pixel 10 is anticipated to offer seven years of operating system upgrades and software updates, following the precedent set by the Pixel 8. The Pixel series is known for its regular Pixel Drops, which provide new features quarterly along with security patches. The Pixel 9 also has a commitment to seven years of updates, and the Pixel 10 is expected to maintain this standard. This extended support is supported by Google's Tensor G5 chipset, which enhances the longevity of software updates for Pixel devices.

AppWizard

March 10, 2025

Here’s why Google is finally making big changes to Android updates in 2025

At MWC 2025, Google discussed its plans for Android 16, which will launch earlier than usual, specifically in Q2, allowing users to expect the update by June. The company aims to streamline Android updates and enhance support from OEMs, with a focus on longer software support. The Pixel series promises seven years of OS upgrades and security patches, and a collaboration with Qualcomm could extend this support to eight years for devices using Snapdragon 8 Elite and future 8-series and 7-series chips. Google is committed to improving the quality of updates, ensuring they enhance device performance.