For the longest time, Google Assistant was the bot to beat. While those of us in the Apple ecosystem have struggled to get Siri to follow our commands, Google Assistant could answer almost any query you had. It led the charge on conversational AI, which let you ask a follow-up without needing to restate the original question in full. I've never been one to rely much on assistants, but I'll admit that I've wished Siri could be a bit more like Google Assistant over the years.

Of course, Google Assistant isn't Google's assistant of choice these days. Since March of 2024, the company has let users swap out Google Assistant for Gemini, Google's flagship AI platform. Then, just one year later, the company officially replaced its popular bot with Gemini across its platforms and services. Google didn't outright kill off Google Assistant then and there; you've been able to use it if you wish, but it did say it would require Google Assistant at some point in 2025. 2025 has come and gone, and Google Assistant is still here, but that won't be the case for long.

Google Assistant has an official end-of-life date

As reported by 9to5Google, Google Assistant will officially begin shutting down on Friday, Sept. 4. The company alerted some Google Assistant users via email, letting them know that Google Assistant is being discontinued, and Gemini, "our next-generation AI-powered assistant," is now the official Android assistant. On that date, Google says it will begin removing access to Google Assistant from devices, though it may take "a few weeks to reach everyone." That means you may still have access to Google Assistant through the third week in September, though you could lose access at any point.

This Google Assistant end-of-life doesn't just apply to Android smartphones and tablets. Google says it will also revoke its legacy assistant from Wear OS watches, headphones, and Android Auto—at least when the feature is powered by the user's smartphone. Google says that "Google built-in" cars will still be able to use Google Assistant after Sept. 4.

Which devices will Google Assistant still work with?

At this time, Google TV devices and Google Home speakers and smart displays still have access to Google Assistant. However, in some cases, it seems you cannot revert back to Google Assistant if you choose to use Gemini on your device.

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Samsung released its latest earbud lineup during the Samsung Unpacked 2026 event in January, and now, Woot is offering an excellent deal for the flagship Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. If you don't mind the international version—which means you'd miss out on the standard manufacturer’s warranty (but still get Woot's 90-day limited guarantee)—you can get the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro for $161.99 (originally $249.99). That's nearly $90 in savings for an otherwise identical new pair, and cheaper than the refurbished version or the more budget Galaxy Buds 4.

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Samsung wants to compete with Apple with a similar design, features, and even price point. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 are strikingly similar to the Apple AirPods 4 in their design, with noise cancellation and the absence of silicone eartips that go inside your ears. They come with Hi-Res audio, IP54 for water resistance, a Live Translation feature similar to Apple's, a new design, improvements in call quality, and direct access to ask questions to AI and receive responses through the earbuds. The controls are swipe and pinch, and the charging case comes in black or white.

It's also easy to draw the similarities between the Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro and the Apple AirPods Pro 3. Apart from both being $249, the most obvious similarity is the in-ear silicone tip design that helps seal the noise and improve ANC. The Pros have all of the same features as the Buds 4, and are supposed to be more comfortable, have better ANC, which Samsung calls ANC 2.0; have a better water resistance with an IP57 rating, which handles immersion in water up to 1 meter; and perhaps more importantly, a two-way speaker (as opposed to a one-way on the Buds 4) that is meant to deliver better, high-fidelity sound, superior separation of frequencies, and reduced distortion. PCMag called these earbuds "excellent" in their review for their audio and integration with Samsung phones.

Full disclosure: I'm all-in on the Apple ecosystem, and I don't necessarily plan to switch anytime soon—but that doesn't mean I don't peek at what could be. I have few complaints about my aging Apple Watch, but, I'll admit, Android smartwatches can be pretty cool. While I don't think I'd be doing a whole lot of web browsing on my watch, the fact that the Galaxy Watch has a dedicated browser is a great feature. (For the uninitiated: Apple Watches have a built-in web browser that only appears when watchOS deems a search relevant. There is no Safari app for the Apple Watch.)

If you have a Galaxy Watch, you probably already know you can install Samsung Browser on your device. What you might not know, however, is that your wearable web browser just got an excellent upgrade that makes it function even more like a desktop web browser. As reported by SamMobile, Samsung Browser for Galaxy Watch now lets you download images from webpages. That means if you stumble across a picture on the web, you can download it directly to your Galaxy Watch, rather than switch to your phone, tablet, or computer to save it.

How to download images on your Galaxy Watch's Samsung Browser

First, update Samsung Browser to its latest version, then open it and navigate to a webpage of your choosing. When you find an image you want to download, long-press on the image, and you'll see a new "Download Image" option. Tap it, and your image will save on your watch. You can find all downloaded images in the "Downloads" folder on the Samsung Browser home page.

SamMobile notes that this option doesn't seem to work until the website has fully loaded. As such, you may need to wait a bit longer than you might expect before you're able to download an image. In addition, there are some limitations: You can download PNG, JPEG, JPG, and GIFs up to 10MB. If you come across a different file type, or the image in question is too large, you won't be able to download it.

This should work on any Galaxy Watch that can run the latest version of Samsung Browser. However, if you're in the market for an upgrade, Samsung recently announced the Galaxy Watch 9 at its July Unpacked event. The watch is due out Aug. 7, so you can preorder it now or wait until it comes out to see if older Galaxy Watches come down in price.

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If you own an Android phone, it's more likely to be a Samsung Galaxy handset than anything else—Samsung is comfortably ahead of the likes of Google, Xiaomi, and others when it comes to global market share. And if you've got a Galaxy, you've got access to a selection of features you won't find on other Android devices.

Samsung has added a bunch of its own ideas and settings on top of Google's mobile operating system, and if you want to make the most of your Galaxy, you need to know about them. Here are some of the best ways to hack your Samsung Galaxy experience.

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Automate your life with Routines

Why keep changing the settings on your phone if your phone can do it for you? Routines is a Galaxy utility that will wait for certain triggers and then take certain actions—one example would be turning on Do Not Disturb mode whenever you reach the office, then turning it off again when you leave.

Head to Settings then pick Modes and Routines. The first screen is Modes—specific notification settings for sleeping, working out, gaming, and so on—but if you switch to the Routines tab you can start adding some new automations.

The available triggers include times, places, specific wifi networks (like home or the office), connected devices (such as headphones), and events (like incoming notifications). Actions to take cover everything from specific Do Not Disturb modes and display settings to tasks inside apps (such as creating calendar events) and accessibility options.

Get to your favorite contacts from the Edge Panel

Choose your favorite contacts for the Edge Panel. Credit: Lifehacker

If you haven't explored the Edge Panel feature much, you might not have realized just how capable it is. It's not just for shortcuts to apps—you can also add shortcuts to your favorite contacts, which is potentially even more useful.

From Settings, select Display > Edge Panels, then activate the feature via the toggle switch and tap Panels. Make sure the People panel is selected, and use the Edit button to select specific contacts. Tap the three dots then Reorder to put the contacts panel first.

There are plenty more Edge Panel customization options on these screens as well. You can choose which side of the screen it shows up on and how transparent it is, for example.

Create an ambient photo wallpaper

Samsung Galaxy phones can take one of your photos, apply it as the wallpaper on your device, and then dynamically adjust it based on the time of day and weather conditions—dimming the backdrop and covering it with raindrops if there's a storm at night, for instance.

You can configure this from Settings by tapping Wallpaper and style, then Change wallpapers > Create with AI > Weather. You'll need to pick an image and allow location access, and the new wallpaper will be applied to the lock screen. To make further changes to the lock screen, press and hold on it while your handset is locked. You're able to then adjust elements like the shortcuts and widgets on the display, as well as the wallpaper.

Enhance streaming videos with extra brightness

Your video apps can benefit from an extra boost. Credit: Lifehacker

Galaxy phones come with a special brightness and vibrancy boost for watching video content, whether it's something you've saved locally or something you're streaming. From Settings, tap Advanced features > Video brightness, select Bright, and then use the toggle switches to select the apps it applies to.

Add light effects to notifications

Besides beeps and vibrations, notifications on Galaxy handsets can have some cool lighting effects associated with them as well. It's a fun way to make sure you see your incoming alerts, and it also can give you a quick idea of what the notifications are for.

Open Settings, then select Notifications > Notification pop-up style > Add lighting effect. You've got a choice of styles and colors to choose from, and you can set the duration for the lighting effect. For the lighting effects where you can choose a color, you can change that color based on matching keywords by selecting Lighting effect color by keyword. You could put in a contact's name and assign them a special color, for example.

Change what the side button does

This one is simple but useful: You can change what a double tap on the side button does by opening Settings and choosing Advanced features > Side button. You can have it launch the camera, the flashlight, or a specific app, for example. On the same screen, you can also adjust what a long press on the side button does—you can have it either launch one of the digital assistants installed on the phone (like Bixby or Gemini) or bring up the power menu.

Switch to one-handed mode

There's a one-handed mode available in the interface. Credit: Lifehacker

There are likely to be multiple situations where you're trying to use your Samsung phone with one hand rather than two (walking the dog, carrying groceries), and that's where one-handed mode comes in.

It's enabled from Settings via Advanced features > One-handed mode, and you can then activate it by swiping down at the bottom of the screen to get a smaller, more reachable interface. Repeat the gesture again to go back to normal.

Multitask better with two apps on screen together

Multi Windows is another useful feature available on Samsung Galaxy phones—though it's likely to be most useful on the biggest phone displays. It lets you get two apps on screen at the same time, so you can read messages while watching a video, or whatever you want.

Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to the center to bring up the carousel of recently used apps, then swipe to your first app. Tap the app icon at the top, then Open in split screen view. You'll then be asked to choose another app to pair with it.

Adjust the screen resolution

Changing the screen resolution on a Galaxy phone. Credit: Lifehacker

One of the lesser-known options on Samsung Galaxy phones is the ability to change the pixel resolution of the screen—a higher resolution means sharper text and graphics, though it will also drain your phone battery faster too, so bear that in mind.

You can configure this by selecting Display > Screen resolution from Settings. The options you'll see will depend on the specific model of handset you're using, but above the options you can see a preview of the difference each one will make.

Check the wifi coverage around your home

It's a little odd that Samsung has hidden this menu away, but it's a suite of wifi diagnostics tools that you can use to check signal strength around your home, troubleshoot network problems, and check data usage. To enable the menu, which is called Connectivity Labs, open Settings and pick Connections > Wi-Fi. Tap the three dots (top right), then choose Intelligent Wi-Fi, and tap Intelligent Wi-Fi at the bottom of the screen seven times to add the extra menu.

Open Connectivity Labs and you'll see there are a host of options and features to work through. One of the most useful is the Home Wi-Fi inspection feature: Select this and your phone will guide you in measuring wifi signal strength around your home.

Smartphone manufacturers rarely innovate these days, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It's a sign that iPhones and Androids have gotten so good, there's little room left for major advancements and upgrades. When a company like Google announces a new smartphone line, most of us aren't expecting something that will convince us to upgrade from its previous generation; rather, you know that if it's time to buy a new phone, the latest generation will likely be the de facto "best" phone you can buy.

So it seems is the case for Google's upcoming Pixel 11 lineup. Rumors suggest that the company is making small updates in some key areas as you might expect, without changing too much from the Pixel 10. The biggest change, it seems, might just be the phone's price tag. If you're considering upgrading to a new Pixel 11 device, know you might just be paying more for it than ever.

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What's new with the Pixel 11

As highlighted by Engadget, the overall design of the Pixel 11 line is virtually identical to the Pixel 10. That goes for all rumored models, including the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. If you have a corresponding Pixel 10 device, the Pixel 11 upgrade will have the same screen sizes, which means the lineup will have the following displays:

• Pixel 11: 6.3-inches (1080 x 2424)

• Pixel 11 Pro: 6.3-inches (1280 x 2856)

• Pixel 11 Pro XL: 6.8-inches (1344 x 2992)

• Pixel 11 Pro Fold: 6.3-inch outer display (1080 x 2342) and 8-inch inner display (2076 x 2160)

The camera bumps will remain unchanged as well, though the hardware itself may get a bit of an upgrade. The Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold may ship with 50 MP main cameras, which is a slight bump up from the 48 MP camera on the Pixel 10. The cameras on the 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL may get new sensors as well.

While it might seem like you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the Pixel 11 and Pixel 10 by sight alone, you actually will. That's because the rumors suggest Google will introduce new colors for the lineup. The Pixel 11 may ship in Midnight, Fuchsia, and Moss, while the Pixel 11 Pro may come in Dune, Pine, and Sterling. Finally, the Pixel 11 Pro may ship in Midnight or Pine.

Perhaps the biggest upgrade this year will be the Tensor G6 chip. Engadget says that Google's latest SoC (System-on-a-Chip) is built on a 2nm process, which may be the same as Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 series. While we'll need access to the phone for actual benchmarking and real-world tests, the new chip could offer better battery life and power efficiency than the current Tensor G5.

The Pixel 11 may be more expensive than ever

However, new chips are expected with new smartphone generations. Perhaps the biggest shock this year will be how much you actually have to pay to acquire Google's newest phones. Like Apple, Google may drop the 128GB base model options for the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro, and may instead choose to start at 256GB. While that's good for users who often run out of storage, it takes away the previous base model price tag of $799. Now, the new entry price will be $899: technically the same price, but it will cost $100 more to get a new Pixel than it used to.

The Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, however, may just get a price increase for no other reason than the ongoing memory crisis. Because of sharp demand for RAM and other computer components across the globe, companies are raising prices across the board. As such, Engadget suggests that the Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold may get a €100 increase, which could reflect a $100 increase in the U.S. as well.

If you need the latest and greatest from Google for your next phone, you'll have no choice but to spend the extra money. However, you might be better off finding a good deal on a Pixel 10 or a Pixel 10a. After all, there's not that much difference between the Pixel 11 series to necessarily justify the rumored price increase.

Earlier this month, Samsung officially killed off its proprietary messaging app. It wasn't much of a surprise. The company had announced the end of Samsung Messages back in April, and, before that, had slowly distanced itself from the app by keeping it off new Galaxy phones by default. If you have a newer Galaxy phone, it's possible you didn't even use Samsung Messages at the time of deprecation. But for legacy users, the app's retirement was sad and frustrating, as the only viable option to retain features and message history is Google Messages—a fine enough chat app, but yet another Google product Galaxy users must rely on.

As reported by Android Authority, app developer OzarksMade wants to continue Samsung Messages' legacy. Rather than keep the original app running, OzarksMade created a new messaging app that mimics the look and feel of Samsung Messages: Messages by OzarksMade. The new app is designed with both Samsung Messages and One UI in mind: To the untrained eye, not only does this look like a Samsung Galaxy app, it looks like Samsung Messages.

Credit: OzarksMade

Messages by OzarksMade also adds RCS support in the app. There is a catch, however: While you can send and receive RCS messages in Messages by OzarksMade, you'll need to tap into Google Messages via Messages by OzarksMade's "Companion Mode." You won't have to use Google Messages itself, but it will be powering RCS in the new app. You don't have to use Companion Mode, and can eschew Google Messages altogether, but you will be limited to SMS and MMS—the true Samsung Messages experience.

While you should be mindful of making any new chat app your default messaging provider, OzarksMade does say that all messages remain on-device, so it shouldn't store your texts on its servers. In addition, OzarksMade says it takes anonymous information for statistics purposes only, including "a random identifier that is generated on your device, the app's version and release channel, your device model, and your Android version." However, as Android Authority points out, this app closely resembles Samsung's own products, and the company may seek to shut the app down should it feel OzarksMade infringed on any copyrights.

How to try Messages by OzarksMade

This new app isn't out just yet, as it will launch on Thursday, Aug. 13. If you're interested, you'll need to join Messages by OzarksMade's beta, which is currently ongoing. To start, join the app's Google Group with the same Google account you use on your phone. Once you're in, you'll be able to see Messages by OzarksMade's Play Store page here. The developer says the Play Store will list the app at $0.99, but since you've joined the Google Group, you'll see an option called "Test Card, always approves" after tapping the payment. By choosing this option, you'll be able to download the app for free. If you don't see this option, you didn't properly sign up for the Google Group, and you'll need to try again.

If you're an Android user who is seeing ads pop up after your phone calls, you need not assume this is some new feature you have to learn to live with. It's actually an ad fraud scam, and you can do something about it. Researchers have identified dozens of apps on the Google Play Store that are able to display ads on top of the Android phone interface, a scheme known as AfterCall.

How ads are taking over Android calls

This scam originates with seemingly harmless utility apps downloaded from the Google Play Store, such as calendars, alarm clocks, and notepads. When installed, they request overlay permissions, which allow them to appear on top of other apps—and thus display ads over phone calls. These apps can detect when a call ends and will then launch full-screen ads wrapped in a fake call info screen. Since it looks like they are simply part of the call interface, users may be less likely to suspect that they are actually malicious.

It's worth noting that overlay permissions can't be granted via a standard pop-up during the app installation process. They are a type of "special permission" that requires users to go into their system settings to enable. Android apps are supposed to request these permissions in context and give a clear reason for doing so. AfterCall scammers are using justifications like alarms not being able to go off or appear correctly without overlay permissions, though some apps will simply crash if users decline permissions.

How to remove AfterCall ads

Because the ads appear out of context—after a phone call and with content unrelated to the utility app—it's harder for users to figure out what's causing them. The utility apps aren't obviously malicious and don't appear on recent app lists when ads are displayed, so it's not obvious that they are connected to the problem.

If you are seeing ads pop up after phone calls on your Android, check for apps that have overlay permissions. Go to Settings > Apps > Special app access (this may be hidden behind a three-dot menu) and click on the permission type. Look for apps you don't recognize, or which shouldn't have "display on top" permissions, and uninstall them. You should regularly audit these permissions, and disable any that aren't essential.

On the user side, these apps seem to be mostly an annoyance rather than outright malicious programs that are harvesting your sensitive data, though installing any program that requests unnecessary permissions can introduce significant risk. If nothing else, however, these apps do appear to waste brands' advertising dollars and could damage their reputation with users—but you probably just care about how to stop seeing them after your calls.

Samsung's July Unpacked event is officially underway. Unlike its February event, which focused on Samsung's flagship smartphones, this event highlights the company's new foldables and smartwatches. As it happens, Samsung announced a total of five new products today, including one new Galaxy Z Flip, two new Galaxy Z Folds, and two new Galaxy watches. Here's everything the company revealed today at Unpacked:

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 introduces a new form factor

Credit: Sachin Bahal

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 has a new form factor this year. Instead of the usual tall book-style folding phone (which is now the Fold 8 Ultra), this foldable has a wider design that makes it feel like you're holding a small tablet when unfolded. The Z Fold 8 is just 9.7mm thick when folded and 4.5mm thick when unfolded. The phone is fairly light, and weighs 7.09 ounces (201g); for comparison, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is 7.54 ounces (214g). It's also IP48 water and dust-resistant.

The Z Fold 8 opens up into a 7.6-inch display, while the cover screen is 5.5 inches. Both displays use Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology, similar to the Galaxy S26 series. Powering the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 for Galaxy chip with 12GB or 16GB of RAM depending on storage capacity. Storage options include 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The battery in the Z Fold 8 is 4,800 mAh, which supports 45W Super Fast Wired charging and 20W wireless charging.

Unfortunately, the Fold 8 does not support Qi2, a faster wireless charging standard than Qi. There is a workaround, however, if you buy one of Samsung's official cases with Qi2 magnets built in. On top of that, just like the Fold 7, the Fold 8 has no S Pen support. For cameras, the Z Fold 8 has a dual-lens setup with a 50MP primary wide lens and a 50MP Ultra Wide lens. The front-facing cameras are 10MP.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 will be available in a few colors including Lavender, Graphite, and Cream. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 is available to order today from Samsung's website.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra succeeds the Z Fold 7

Credit: Sachin Bahal

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is Samsung's successor to the Z Fold 7. Samsung made this foldable even thinner than before: It's now 4.1mm when unfolded, though it's still 8.9mm thick when folded up. The Z Fold 8 Ultra is also a tad lighter at 7.58 ounces (215g) compared to the Fold 7's 7.62 ounces (216g).

The Z Fold 8 Ultra has an 8-inch main folding screen and 6.5-inch cover screen, both of which are Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays. The phone is also IP48 water and dust-resistant. Like the Z Fold 8, the Z Fold 8 Ultra comes with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 5 for Galaxy chip with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM. Similarly, you can choose from 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB models. The battery gets a bump this year, as it is now 5,000 mAh and supports both 45W Super Fast Wired charging and 25W wireless charging. Like the Fold 8, the Z Fold 8 Ultra also does not support Qi2, unless you buy an official Samsung case with magnets built in. It also doesn't support the S Pen.

The Z Fold 8 Ultra retains the 200MP wide lens and 10MP telephoto from the Fold 7, but the Ultra Wide gets upgraded to 50MP. Both selfie cameras are 10MP, so not much changes there. You can get your Z Fold 8 Ultra in a few colors, including Violet Shadow, Graphite, and Cream. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is available to order today from Samsung's website.

Samsung keeps things mostly the same with the Galaxy Z Flip 8

Credit: Sachin Bahal

If you're into compact foldables, there's the Galaxy Z Flip 8, which gets some minor updates from last year's model. Samsung flipped back to a Qualcomm chip this year, as the Z Flip 8 also gets the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip with 12GB of RAM.

The screens on the Galaxy Z Flip 8 haven't changed; the FlexWindow cover screen is still 4.1 inches, but Samsung did reduce the bezels around the display. Samsung also added support for 16 different apps you can use on the FlexWindow, so you can check in with them without opening up the phone.

Samsung didn't change the battery here, shipping the same 4,300 mAh unit as last year. The Z Flip 8 supports 25W wired and 15W wireless charging, and is IP48-rated for water and dust resistance. For cameras, there's a 50MP primary wide lens, a 12MP Ultra Wide, and a 10MP selfie camera. Storage options are limited to 256GB and 512GB. The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is available to order today from Samsung's website.

Samsung introduces the Galaxy Watch 9 series

Credit: Sachin Bahal

Alongside the new foldables, Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy Watch 9 series. The Galaxy Watch 9 comes in two sizes: a 40mm model with a 1.3-inch screen, and a 44mm model with a 1.5-inch screen. Each has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.

Powering the watches is the Qualcomm SW6100 chip with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The watches are IP68 water and dust-resistant and can withstand 5ATM (five atmospheres of pressure). The smaller model comes with a 390 mAh battery, while the larger has a 445 mAh battery, and both models support fast charging. The 40mm comes in Cream and Graphite colors, and the 44mm will be available in Silver and Graphite. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 series is available to order today from Samsung's website

Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is here

Credit: Sachin Bahal

If you're looking for a bit more from your smartwatch, there's the new Galaxy Watch Ultra 2. This device has a 1.52-inch display with a peak brightness of 5000 nits. The Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 has a rating of IP69K, and can survive up to 10ATM. Samsung says it can be used for ocean swimming and diving. Powering the Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is the Qualcomm SW6100 chip with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The watch features an 800 mAh battery with fast charging support. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 is available to order today from Samsung's website.

Amid another busy Galaxy Unpacked event and the reveal of several new Samsung foldables and smartwatches, there's also news from Google in partnership with Samsung: Several new Android features are going to show up first on the Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8, before appearing on Pixels and other phones.

This has become something of a tradition with Samsung's mid-year product launches, as a smattering of new features—including gaming support for Circle to Search—appeared first on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 last year.

For 2026, the emphasis is on Gemini. First, the Gemini Intelligence feature that completes tasks for you, launched in beta in May, is being expanded to support more than 40 apps and is available out of the box on the new Galaxy foldables. Plus, you can launch your agentic assistant with a screengrab now as well as a prompt (so maybe a picture of an item of clothing you want the AI to look for online).

Google hasn't specified which 40 apps are now included, but the idea is the same as before: Gemini can carry out more admin for you, like booking cabs or reserving tables, in your apps. You'll still get an overview of what the AI is up to on your screen, as well as final approval on any important actions, and you can stop the process at any time.

Gemini Notebook is preinstalled on the new Samsung phones. Credit: Google

Next up is the newly rebranded Gemini Notebook (the AI research tool previously known as NotebookLM). There are no new features here, but the app is going to be preinstalled on the foldables that Samsung just unveiled, and on the Z Fold 8 devices, you can take advantage of the wider screen to drag and drop elements (such as images and web links) into your notebooks from other apps.

Additionally, if you buy a Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, or Galaxy Z Flip 8, you get six months of Google AI Pro for free (usually $19.99 a month). Compared to the free tier, Google AI Pro gets you video generation, the Antigravity coding tool, YouTube Premium Lite, 5TB of storage to play with, and significantly higher usage limits across all of Google's AI tools (including Gemini and Gemini Notebook).

The third Gemini perk for those investing in a new Samsung device applies to the Galaxy Watch 9. On the new smartwatch, Gemini will start listening for instructions as soon as you raise your wrist to talk—no wake word required. It's a small tweak, but means you'll get faster access to the AI.

Lastly, Google has also announced "streamlined switching" from iPhones, built into Android 17 and available on the new Samsung phones. You'll no longer need a cable, as it now works wirelessly, and extra data types are now supported as well—including your Google Account details and wifi credentials, on top of photos, videos, contacts, messages, and calendars.

This improved switching method has already started rolling out on Pixel devices, Google says, and will, reportedly, soon be showing up on other Android devices as well.

Gboard is the default keyboard for Pixel smartphones and many devices that use stock Android, but it’s not the only option out there. Recently, Gboard has been swept up in a privacy controversy highlighting how your data is used by Google for its own training and collection. The data that Google collects can be intercepted and tied to individual users. Luckily, you can disable some of those data-sharing settings.

But what if, down the line, Gboard changes its policy or privacy settings? Or we learn about additional ways Google sneakily collects your data from your keyboard? If that concerns you, consider using an open-source keyboard that runs completely on device, no data servers required. Unlike closed software, security experts can audit open-source programs, so vulnerabilities are found and patched quite quickly. As it happens, there are two solid open-source alternatives to Gboard. One is so like Gboard, you won’t even miss it. The second is as private as a keyboard gets.

FUTO Keyboard is a direct Gboard replacement

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

FUTO Keyboard is designed to be a direct Gboard replacement. It looks like Gboard, and it works like Gboard. But underneath, it’s completely open-source, free, and private. By default, none of your keystrokes leave your device.

FUTO includes on-device AI models for text prediction and voice typing. The text prediction model works completely offline and doesn't use any online servers. In my testing, it kept up with my typing, and the suggestions were more or less what you'd expect. For voice typing, the app uses a lightweight Whisper-based model, also running on-device, with no servers involved. In my testing, I found the default model to be a bit underwhelming when compared to Gboard. Downloading the highest-tier model resolved this issue, though, and I saw voice typing results similar to Gboard. (The English-244 voice model is a 280MB download.)

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

FUTO gets a lot more fun when you start customizing the settings and the layout. You can resize the keyboard to make it larger, add a permanent numbers row to the top, an arrow bar, and change the theme to your liking. There are also fine-tuning settings for users who like adjusting every bit of how their keyboard works. For example, there is a section on Long-Press Keys that lets you customize how the backspace long-press gesture works.

In my testing, I found that the FUTO keyboard offers a smoother, more reliable typing experience compared to Gboard. A small example is the spacebar gesture. In Gboard, you can move the cursor by swiping on the spacebar, but it’s a bit confusing for me. You hold it for a split second, and then swipe. In FUTO, swiping on the spacebar instantly moves the cursor, every single time. The downside to being completely private is, of course, that you lose out on cross-device support. Your personal dictionary, or clipboard, can’t sync between all your devices. While Gboard is a more complete package, FUTO's privacy features do make up for that loss.

HeliBoard is the Gboard alternative for security purists

Credit: Khamosh Pathak

HeliBoard has a rich open-source pedigree. It’s based on the old OpenBoard project, which itself was based on the pure Android AOSP keyboard, the original stock Android keyboard.

The times have changed, though, and HeliBoard has kept up, without sacrificing its open-source roots. The app promises a zero-exposure experience, asking for no network permissions whatsoever. As this is a purist’s keyboard, there are no AI features to speak of: no LLM transformer for text prediction, no AI voice typing model.

That said, all the basic features you’d expect from an Android keyboard are all here. You can add an optional number row to the top, and there’s support for gesture typing, along with an on-device clipboard (which can be disabled). You can customize the appearance as well. You can resize the keyboard, bring back the old Holo keyboard style, change icons, and change the color of the keyboard. (You can even use an image as the background.)

The only caveat to using HeliBoard is that it’s not available in the Google Play Store. Instead, you’ll have to download it from the F-Droid third-party app store that specializes in securely hosting free and open-source apps. But that’s easy to do, and once installed, you can explore other useful open-source apps like NewPipe, my preferred way of watching YouTube ad-free on Android.

When I first started covering tech, OnePlus was the brand to beat. It was never an Apple or a Samsung, but that's what it had going for it: The company made high-quality smartphones with enthusiast features at reasonable price points. I wouldn't even have called it an underdog, necessarily. It didn't have much "market share," but it was winning in the eyes of the tech community.

Fast-forward a decade, and the situation couldn't be more different. OnePlus is officially dead in much of the world, as the company announced it will no longer produce new phones for the U.S. or Europe. This change didn't happen overnight: In recent years, OnePlus slowly stopped making phones for enthusiasts and started chasing mainstream flagships at flagship prices. And while it may have had some success, the U.S. smartphone market still looks roughly the same as it did when OnePlus first started—it's all about Apple and Samsung. Now, the company isn't just lagging behind in the U.S.: It no longer exists.

If you don't own a OnePlus device, you might not think this impacts you much, but it does. One fewer company in an already limited market means even less competition for Apple and Samsung than before. Google and Motorola are really the only two other companies making Android devices for the States, and who knows where they go from here. But the biggest impact, of course, is to current OnePlus users. Whenever you own the product of a company that decides to exit the market, there's uncertainty, confusion, and concern. If you're a OnePlus user in the U.S., here's what you need to know:

Where do OnePlus users go from here?

The good news is that OnePlus isn't leaving U.S. users in the lurch. In the company's "Notice of Business Adjustment," it confirmed it will continue to support existing devices with software updates, security patches, and "after-sales" support, per your device's warranty. For the immediate future, it shouldn't feel like OnePlus is gone at all. Your phone will still get updates; you'll be protected from security vulnerabilities; and OnePlus will service your phone if something happens to it under warranty.

Perhaps the biggest change will come once Android 17 arrives on OnePlus devices. OnePlus announced that, rather than continuing to support its OxygenOS software, the company will enroll users with eligible devices into ColorOS, the operating system its parent company Oppo uses. OnePlus users won't transition to ColorOS until ColorOS 17, its take on Android 17. "Legacy models" that don't support ColorOS 17 will instead stay on OxygenOS and receive software maintenance, but no new feature updates.

While it is a separate OS, ColorOS is quite similar to OxygenOS, especially these days. It comes with a familiar UI and many of the same features, though different regions get different app distros—with some going so far as to call it bloatware. ColorOS has never launched on a U.S.-based device, so I can't say what it'll look like for U.S. OnePlus users, but it is possible ColorOS will add apps and services to your device that aren't currently there. As such, some users may find they miss the old OS after updating, or that they don't want to transition at all. Luckily, OnePlus says that users will be able to both decline the update, and roll back to OxygenOS if they don't care for ColorOS.

It's still early days, so there are plenty of questions left for OnePlus to answer. I'll update this post with any news we get, so OnePlus users can continue to plan accordingly.

If you have an Android device, you likely download most of your apps from the Play Store. Maybe you sideload the occasional app from a website, or from your device's proprietary store (e.g., Samsung Store) but, for the most part, the Play Store is the go-to place for apps on Android. That seems to be changing.

While the Play Store isn't going anywhere, Google is making third-party app stores available through its own official app store. As reported by The Verge, starting July 22, developers will be able to roll out their own app marketplaces for users to download on the Play Store. Those third-party app marketplaces can then sell their own apps, as well as pull from apps that Google hosts on the Play Store. In fact, all apps created by U.S.-based developers will be made available on these third-party app marketplaces, unless those developers opt out.

While third-party app marketplaces can distribute apps outside of the Play Store, they are still subject to Google's rules. In fact, there's a host of requirements developers must follow, including terms regarding security, privacy, and user safety. In addition, app marketplace developers will need to pay Google $5,000 upfront for security and policy reviews to onboard Play Store apps, and will need to pay the fee annually.

Why are third-party app marketplaces coming to the Play Store now?

As The Verge explains, this decision is the byproduct of an agreement between Google and Epic Games. Epic Games has been taking Google and Apple to court for years, ever since Fortnite was pulled from both the iOS App Store and the Play Store. Epic Games was frustrated by both platforms' steep fees for developers, and, in protest, offered a way for users to pay Epic Games directly to skirt the fees—violating App Store and Play Store policies.

Back in 2021, a judge decreed that Google had an illegal monopoly over Android applications, and, as such, needed to allow third-party app stores to operate on its platform. Google has been trying to undo the ruling for nearly two years since, and nearly succeeded, by getting Epic Games to settle the case for $800 million. Google had agreed to allow third-party app stores, but not through its Play Store, which the judge found insufficient. Both Google and Epic Games were due in court on Thursday to continue the discussion, but Google has since withdrawn its motion. A spokesperson for the company shared the following with the judge:

"We’ve agreed with Epic to withdraw our motion to modify the U.S. Court’s injunction rather than prolonging this process which creates uncertainty for the ecosystem. This allows us to focus on executing our recently announced global business model evolution to deliver greater app store choice, lower prices, and more opportunities for developers and users. We remain committed to maintaining Android’s industry-leading security and fostering a competitive ecosystem where every app store and developer has the freedom to compete. In parallel, we continue to comply with the U.S. Court’s injunction."

We won't know exactly how things will work until these third-party app marketplaces hit the Play Store. In theory, it should be a similar experience for users, since Google has such strict requirements for app marketplace distributors. But while Epic Games is sure to roll out a third-party app marketplace, we'll have to see who else decides to take the plunge. Apple offers third-party app stores, but only in the EU, where regulations force them to.

Gboard is the default keyboard on many Android devices, including Google Pixels, and has more than 10 billion downloads on the Google Play Store, making it a widely used and trusted typing tool. It has plenty of useful features (some of which require a network connection), but it also has a few downsides—including some privacy concerns. While these issues may not be enough to get you to quit Gboard altogether, you should know what data it collects, where that information goes, and how to keep your inputs safe.

Gboard's data privacy issues

Many Gboard users have expressed concern about the keyboard logging inputs and sharing data with Google. Reporting from Android Police found that Gboard activity could potentially be intercepted, decoded, and tied directly to users' identities.

According to the data safety policy listed on Gboard's Google Play Store page, the keyboard may collect a range of data, including device IDs, app activity (e.g., installed apps, in-app search history, and app interactions), voice or sound recordings, and diagnostics and performance data. Google says it doesn't share this data with third parties, but users also cannot request that their data be deleted.

Google's own support page states that Gboard sends searches, usage statistics, and voice recordings from talk-to-text to Google, though saved words and anything else you type (such as passwords or chats) aren't transmitted. Google may, however, use your inputs for on-device training of its AI models, a process called federated learning, and send that information back to its servers. It may also request access to your audio snippets to improve speech recognition.

You can opt out of Gboard data sharing

Again, you may not need to give Gboard up altogether, but you can make some conscious choices about what it sends to Google. First, you can turn off federated learning (which is enabled by default) and clear all on-device data to prevent it from being used for AI training. Go to your Android Settings > System > Language & input > On-screen keyboard > Gboard > Privacy and select Delete learned words and data. If you think you may have opted into audio data sharing, tap Settings > Privacy at the top of your keyboard and toggle off Audio donations.

Under Settings > Privacy in Gboard, you can also disable usage statistics sharing, personalization, and "Improve for everyone" data collection, which sends patterns of words and phrases to Google's servers.

Users who are especially privacy-conscious may want to consider a Gboard alternative, such as HeliBoard, which is offline, free, and open source, or FUTO, which also works offline and doesn't collect or share user data. Of course, these tools will have their own limitations compared to Gboard's features.

If you're an Android user, you may want to keep an eye on your Google storage space. As of July 7, all of the data included in your backups count toward your cap (whether you have 15GB for free or pay for more via Google One). However, Google is also giving users more granular control over what's backed up and what isn't, so you can prevent redundant or unnecessary data from pushing you over.

Google's updated storage policies

As Android Police describes, Android backups include app data, call history, contacts, device settings, and SMS and MMS data, among other things. Previously, only images and videos uploaded to Google Photos and MMS counted toward your Google storage quota, but all of the data in your Android backup settings will now apply.

This isn't the only recent update to Google's storage. In May, Google began testing a new policy that caps some new Gmail users at just 5GB of free cloud storage—compared to the 15GB that has been available since 2013—unless you link a phone number to your Google account. While the initial test appeared to affect sign-ups mostly in African countries, it is possible that users in the future may be required to be on paid tiers to access more storage. Google's own support page states that each Google account includes "up to 15 GB of storage" in describing what counts toward your quota.

Manage your Android backups to clear up storage space

According to Google, Android backups should only increase by 40MB under the new settings, so most users likely won't have to worry much about this pushing them over the limit if they weren't already close. But if you need to manage space, Google is also allowing users to exclude SMS/MMS messages, call history, device settings, and/or app data from backups.

On your Pixel, you'll find these toggles under Settings > Accounts and backup > Google backup > Other device data. Simply toggle off anything you don't want or need backed up. Alternatively, you can search "backup" in your device settings.

There are a few other considerations when it comes to Google storage limits. In February, Google announced that it would start copying and uploading local files from your Android Downloads folder to Google Drive and is now rolling out a Documents backup feature covering file types like .DOC, .PPT, .XLS, and .PDF. If you don't want this to eat up space, you can change your preferences in your device settings.

Finally, if you're close to running out of storage, Google has a support page for cleaning up space and troubleshooting storage issues. I also wrote a guide to creating a comprehensive backup plan that doesn't rely solely on a single storage method.

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You would think that whenever Google releases new apps or features on only one platform at a time, it would choose Android over iOS. After all, the company makes Android too, so it'd only seem logical for Android users to get the first crack at new Google products. As it turns out, however, it's often the opposite. Google will sometimes release new features for some of its apps on iOS first, before bringing them over to Android. Back in April, for example, the company released "Edge Eloquent," an on-device AI transcription app, on Apple devices only.

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Chrome for Android is getting a dedicated back button

Today, however, Google is bringing one of its previously iOS-exclusive Chrome features to Android. As highlighted by Android Authority, Google is now rolling out Chrome 150, which comes with a change for Android devices: a dedicated back button.

You'll notice the change after updating your Chrome for Android app, and opening the three-dot menu. Before, you'd only have the option to go forward a page in the Chrome app, and had to rely on Android's native back button or gesture. It's a small change, but one that makes Chrome for Android feel a bit more like Chrome for desktop, and will certainly be an easier adjustment for anyone switching to Android for the first time.

It's not clear why Google felt the need to bring the button over now, but I understand why it might have thought it didn't need to in the past. Unlike Android, iOS has no dedicated back button, so it makes sense that Google would add the back button to Chrome for iOS. And while users could get the same effect with Android's system-wide back button, it isn't necessarily the most intuitive experience in a browser, since you might not be sure whether you're going back a web page, or returning to the previous app you were using. This update might add a bit of redundancy to Chrome for Android, but I think it's for the better.

Other Chrome 150 changes for Android

You'll also notice the site info button (i) is no longer in the same row as the navigation buttons. Now, you'll find it in the overflow menu under "Site controls." "Add to home screen" is now "Install and create shortcut," which is far more vague in my opinion. If you're used to adding webpages to your home screen, I wouldn't be surprised if you simply thought Google took the feature away with this update.

Speaking of updating, your app may update automatically. But you can check manually by heading to Chrome's page in the Play Store. Alternatively, you can go to your profile in the Play Store, tap "Manage apps & device," then under "Updates available," choose "See details" to look for Chrome.

Back in April, Samsung announced its plans to shutter its proprietary Messages app. It shouldn't have come as too much of a shock to Galaxy users: It's been a long time since Samsung Messages was the default choice on Galaxy devices. In fact, the company didn't even ship the app with newer devices, choosing Google Messages as its new messaging standard. Galaxy S26 users can't even download the app at all.

In its initial announcement, the company said Samsung Messages would shut down sometime in July, but declined to offer a definitive date. So when July 1 hit, and the app was still working, perhaps some users felt a small sense of comfort: Maybe Samsung wasn't serious about ending the app. That, unfortunately, wasn't the case. It seems the company chose July 7 as its deprecation day, as the app is officially defunct. You can still open Samsung Messages, but if you try to send a message, you'll find the text field grayed out.

What should Samsung Messages users do now?

While Samsung Messages is no longer supported, the app isn't gone forever. As I said, you can still access it, which means you can also see your message history. And, per Samsung, you can still use the app, albeit under extremely limited circumstances. If your device runs Android 11 or something older, Samsung Messages will continue to work. In addition, all users can contact emergency services from Samsung Messages, as well as their emergency contacts. If you set someone as an emergency contact, you have a workaround for continuing to use Samsung Messages.

There is another workaround here, but I don't recommend it. As Android Authority highlights, you can uninstall app updates to restore access by heading to Settings > Apps > Samsung Messages > More options and choosing "Uninstall Updates." From here, head to the Galaxy Store, then go to Menu > Updates > Samsung Messages > More options. Here, disable "Enable auto-update" to ensure that the Galaxy Store and One UI don't check in with Samsung Messages anymore. Per Android Authority, this should let you keep using Samsung Messages as if it were not shut down, but I discourage you from doing so for more than a short period. Now that the app isn't receiving new updates, any security vulnerabilities that pop up in the future will not be patched. As such, Samsung Messages users will likely be targets for phishing and hacking, putting their devices and data at risk.

Switching to Google Messages is the best course of action

Unfortunately, the best course of action for most Samsung Messages users is to switch to Google Messages. While I imagine many Samsung Messages fans are loath to switch to Google's app, it really is the easiest transition. Once you make Google Messages your default messaging app, your conversation history will automatically begin migrating over from Samsung Messages—though Samsung says there are no guarantees about how long this process can take.

That said, there are third-party apps out there you can choose from instead. Focusing specifically on SMS apps, you'll find similar features with Textra, Chomp SMS, and Handcent SMS. The issue is that your Samsung Messages history might not automatically transfer over when moving to one of these apps. You can try a third-party SMS backup too, like SMS Backup & Restore, but again, it's not clear whether you'll be able to migrate your messages over. If your main concern is moving your messages over to a new app, Google Messages may be the best move here.

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Samsung announced the Galaxy S25 Series back in January 2025, a three-phone collection that competed with Google's Pixels for the title of the best Android phones you could buy in 2025. Out of the lineup, the Galaxy S25+ is the middle-of-the-pack model, and a cheaper alternative to the then top-of-the-line Galaxy S25 Ultra. After the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event this week, Amazon dropped the price on the S25+ shortly after the preorders for the new Galaxy phones went up. Currently, you can pick one up for $699.99 ($300 off the original $999.99 retail price), and still get one of the best Android phones you can buy in 2026.

After the discount, the S25+ is cheaper than the most basic model, the Galaxy S25, offering much better value for your money.

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The S25 line offers upgrades from the S24 lineup: The best features in the OS are shared by all Galaxy phones, giving you features you can only get from One UI 7, including exclusive media and notifications features. Two of the best are Now Bar and Now Brief, which show you brief alerts or notifications personalized to your feed and activities. PCMag gave the Galaxy S25 an "excellent" review for its useful AI features, better battery life than the Ultra (around 15 hours on a single charge), outstanding cameras, and long software support.

The main things you'll be missing compared to the newer S26 are some AI features and some minimal design. Arguably, the best competition for the Galaxy S25+ is the Google Pixel 9, which is currently $628. If you're already in the Google or Samsung ecosystem, the best option is probably to stay loyal to your brand, unless you plan on swapping out every other accessory.

The Galaxy S25+ runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, has three rear lenses, including a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 6.7-inch and 120Hz OLED display. The RAM is a generous 12GB, with the storage options starting at 128 GB, but this $699.99 option is for the 256GB.