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This Trick Lets You Use Gestures with Third-Party Launchers on Xiaomi Phones but It’s a Hassle
Sagnik Das Gupta
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If you're a Xiaomi user, you probably already know the pain of not being to use third-party launcher with gestures on the phone. However, there's a workaround. This trick requires you to firstly download a third-party launcher -> set it as default launcher -> go to Xiaomi phone's Second Space -> head over to Home Screen settings -> select Gestures navigation -> switch back to regular space.
In all honesty, it's better to stay as far away as possible from the Google Pixel 8a. If you're still able to avail the Pixel 8 at $549, don't think twice and get that instead. If not, I'd still recommend not getting the 8a. The ugly bezels, plastic body and software optimization issues make it easy for me to never recommend it to anyone over the Pixel 8. The latter is just a more stable and premium device, and will give you your money's worth for sure.
Safe Mode in Android or any operating system boots the operating system with the bare minimum of apps and processes required for the OS to function. You can boot into safe mode by long pressing the power menu or using the physical keys while the phone is turning on.
Losing your Android phone is easily one of the worst feelings, as you risk your personal data getting into the wrong hands. Thankfully, Android's Find My Device experience has been overhauled, and it lets you find your Android device even if it's turned off or not connected to the internet.
This HyperOS Feature Is a Game Changer (But It’s Missing on Most Xiaomi Phones)
Sagnik Das Gupta
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Xiaomi undoubtedly has one of the largest catalog of products, and also the HyperOS interconnectivity feature to back it up as seamlessly as possible. But, the feature is not available across all of the brand's devices, even if they're running on the latest HyperOS version. If Xiaomi wants its ecosystem to thrive, it has to offer flexibility that brands like Samsung and OnePlus do. Keeping the feature limited to only premium offerings is a wasted potential, and the brand should definitely work towards expanding it.
Android phones are not impervious to issues and one of the most common issues is when an Android phone refuses to charge. Some of the reasons this may happen is due to a bad charger and cable, software issues, dirty charging port, phone heating up, and battery going bad.
Pixel 8a: Why is Google So Tone-Deaf on Pixel Pricing in India?
Abubakar Mohammed
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Google has announced the Pixel 8a in India at Rs 52,000, and it proves that with each passing year, Google distances itself from understanding the Indian smartphone scene. The steep price increase makes us believe that Google still doesn't understand the Indian market.
Google's new Find My Device network rolled out recently on Android, and it lets you find lost devices with ease. It uses other Android devices on the network as they act like beacons to communicate with each other and detect your device's Bluetooth signal and location. Here's how to effectively use it.
In this article, we have explored and created aa wish list of features and improvements that we would like to see in the the coming One UI 7 that will come out this year. We have included features like App Sandbox for privacy, customizable icons and multiple lock and home screen set ups, and improvements towards quick settings panel and camera Pro Mode.
Samsung is considering not upgrading Galaxy S25 series' battery specifications. Instead, to compensate, the Korean giant is developing "Battery AI," a feature that could boost the battery on the Galaxy S25 series by 5-10% by "killing unwanted processes" in the background.
Latest Pixel 8a Leak Reveals All Specs Ahead of Google I/O 2024
Abubakar Mohammed
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A new Google Pixel 8a leak has revealed almost everything about the upcoming Google Pixel 8a. The device will feature Tensor G3, dual rear cameras, 4,492 mAh battery with 27W fast charging, and rumors suggest 7 years of major updates.
Nothing Phone (3): Potential Release Date, Leaked Specs, Rumors, and More
Abubakar Mohammed
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It's almost that time of the year when Nothing launches a new flagship Nothing Phone. The upcoming Nothing Phone (3) could feature Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, a bigger 5,000 mAh battery with faster charging, improvements to Nothing OS 3.0 and Glyph interface, and hopefully better cameras.
Don’t Miss Out: Oppo Find N3 Flip on Sale for Rs 47,999 in India (Limited Time Offer)
Anshuman Jain
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The Oppo N3 Flip, originally priced at ₹94,999, is now available for ₹49,999 on Flipkart's Big Saving Days sale. This deal is valid for May 2nd with or without exchange, and includes a ₹2,000 additional discount for SBI Credit card holders, that brings the price down to ₹47,999.
Get the Galaxy S23 for Under Rs. 45,000 in Flipkart Big Saving Days Sale Now!
Abubakar Mohammed
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Flipkart currently has a sale ongoing and a few Samsung Galaxy smartphones are heavily discounted. The S23 deal stands out with the same being available for just Rs 46,999 versus Rs 64,999 usually. The S23 FE and S21 FE are available for Rs 39,999 and Rs 29,999, respectively.
Samsung is reportedly testing Wear OS 5 on Galaxy Watch 6. With Google expected to showcase Wear OS 5 in its upcoming I/O 2024 event, we can expect the the first Wear OS 5 Beta for the Watch6 to come out soon.
A recent finding suggests that Android 15 could add to the betterment of user experience by incorporating a better landscape mode experience on the lock screen and notifications panels. The lock screen and notification panel would then be able to use the extended space effectively.
Scanning documents on your phone is easy on Android, thanks to built-in and third party document scanning apps. Most manufacturers include a built-in document scanner, but third-party apps like Adobe Scan have more editing features to make your documents look the best.
Android’s At a Glance is Moving to the Bottom of the Lock Screen
Abubakar Mohammed
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Pixel's beloved At a Glance widget, despite its usefulness, hasn't seen significant updates. While the ability to remove it from the home screen is being tested, a new change on Android 15 might place it at the bottom of your screen, similar to Live Activities on iOS.
Nothing Phone 2a has received a new Blue Edition in India, and I have gotten my hands on it ahead of its sale on May 2. The Blue color variant is my second favorite color option after the White. The phone's frame is also blue with black buttons. The Blue color variant also has better display tuning than the other two color options.
5 Android Features That Make Switching to iOS Impossible (For Me)
Abubakar Mohammed
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There are some features on Android that make so much more sense, and they've been missing on iPhones for now. While naming them all could be challenging, here are my five favorite features on Android that stop me from making the switch over to iOS.
Nothing Phone (2a) Gets a Sleek New Blue Color Exclusive to India
Abubakar Mohammed
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Nothing has unveiled a new "Designed for India" Blue colorway for the Nothing Phone (2a). This India-exclusive shade is a deep blue variant that can appears lighter or subdued based on the surrounding light conditions. It's a stylish addition to the Phone (2a)'s existing palette, which consists of Black, White, and Milky White color variants.
Google Play Store Finally Lets You Download Multiple Apps at Once
Abubakar Mohammed
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Google has finally started rolling out to the Play Store the ability to download multiple apps at once. Although parallel downloads are now possible, Google only allows you to download two apps at once. Additional downloads will wait in the queue until either one of the ongoing apps are installed completely.
The Pixel tablet released last year was supposed to be Google's redemption in the tablet market but it did not work out for them. So for their next tablet, they should go back to the drawing board and put efforts in improving the hardware and software features while also ditching any gimmicks.
Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event is reportedly set for July 10th in Paris. This aligns with Samsung's usual launch schedule for its second Unpacked event in the mid-year. As per reports, the company is expected to unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Z Flip 6, alongside the Galaxy Watch 7 series with a potential debut for the Galaxy Ring.
The Three Deaths of Nokia: A Look Back at What Led to Their Demise
Anshuman Jain
Abubakar Mohammed
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In this article, we take a look back at the history of Nokia as the different times the brand died, was given a new life and then died again. From refusing to adopt the touch screen to switching to Windows Phone and finally making the jump to Android with HMD. This story of Nokia is a brief lesson on what not to do as a smartphone manufacturer.
The Ultra XDR feature in Nothing OS 2.5.5 is a format that allows for more detail in bright and dark areas of images. It's a rebrand of the Ultra HDR feature found in Android 14 and above. The feature can be enabled in the camera settings and results in brighter images with more detail, but at the cost of larger file sizes. It's not exclusive to Nothing devices, with Samsung and OnePlus using similar features.
HMD’s First Non-Nokia Phones Are Here and They’re Self-Repairable
Abubakar Mohammed
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The lineup consists of three devices — the HMD Pulse, Pulse+, and Pulse Pro. The firm claims that with Gen 1 repairability, users can use self-repair kits from iFixit to replace components like the battery with ease. All Pulse come with Unisoc T606 Processor, 720p LCD 90Hz displays, 5000 mAh battery, and dual-rear cameras.
Gemini user experience could soon get better with the ability to respond over other apps. The current Gemini experience is tardy because whenever you ask questions, the app force switches and takes you from whatever app you have opened to the Gemini app to show the results
CMF may be launching its first smartphone. A new device with model number "A015" and codename "Tetris" was spotted, possibly indicating a budget-friendly CMF smartphone. Since the model number does not match up with previous Nothing smartphones and the brand name appeared as "CMF by Nothing" in BIS certification almost confirming that it is not the upcoming Phone (3).
New Android 15 Privacy Feature Could Protect You from Screen Recording Scams
Abubakar Mohammed
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Recent additions to Android's code suggest that Android 15 could soon use ways to protect your sensitive information when screen recording. A new option has been found inside Android 15's Developer Options called "Disable screen share protection". The feature could help you disable system protections for sensitive app content during screen-sharing.
How to Enable and Use Quick Share (Previously Nearby Share) on Chromebook
Abubakar Mohammed
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Quick Share (formerly Nearby Share) is Google's answer to AirDrop. It's available across devices in the Android ecosystem, and can help you swiftly transfer files from Android, to Chromebook, or even Windows. Enabling Quick Share on Chromebook is as easy as opening ChromeOS quick settings, clicking Quick Share, and selecting visible to my devices or visible to everyone.
Pixel 9 series is the next big thing for Google and the Pixel brand, and the Pixel 9 Pro has already leaked six months before launch! The leaks show the device in its full glory and suggest a sharp. The photos of device's bootloader suggests the phone is still using the older UFS 3.1 storage rather than the latest, much faster, efficient UFS 4.0 storage.
Will the Nothing Phone (3) Be the Flagship Killer We Desire? I Don’t Think So
Abubakar Mohammed
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Given the launch of Nothing Phone (3) is due in Q2 this year, based on what the firm has done so far, you'd expect Nothing to launch a flagship killer to fill the void, but here's why we think there's barely any chance that might happen. Our reasons to believe the same are Nothing has to please people in terms of quality and price both. Hence, the Phone (3) won't be as cheap to be called a flagship killer, and not as spec-rich to be called a flagship.
What Does Google’s AI-Hardware Merger Mean for Your Next Android Phone?
Abubakar Mohammed
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Google has decided to merge AI and Hardware teams, and for those wondering, here's what this decision could mean for Android. This could mean users will get faster updates, better ecosystem features on Pixel, better AI features, and improvements to existing AI features.
Android 15 Will Let You Keep Tabs on Your Phone’s Storage Chip Health, Here’s How
Abubakar Mohammed
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Google recently added support for APIs that can get your device's battery health and is now bringing to Pixels, the ability to check the health of your phone's NAND flash storage. When the DeviceDiagnostics Storage Health API is called, it returns a number which is the percentage of health remaining on the chip.
Notifications on Android may not show up or get delayed due to many reasons. A large part of the issue could be due to the optimizations put in place by your phone manufacturer to restrict apps from running in the background and prolong the battery life. However, some of the other reasons could be the missing notification permission, Airplane mode, Battery saver, and restricted data usage.
Motorola has launched the Edge 50 Ultra, in select European countries. It features Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, triple rear cameras, a 10-bit 6.7-inch curved 1.5K pOLED display with 144Hz refresh rate, and a promise of three major Android updates.
How to Use Phone as Webcam for Streaming or Video Conferencing
Arjun Sha
Abubakar Mohammed
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Desktop and Laptop cameras have hardly improved in decades and offer laughable video output. Hence, you might want to use your phone's cameras to take video calls or record videos. We'll explain how you can use your Android phone as a webcam via Android's native "Device as Webcam" feature. There are also third-party apps that you can use to do the same on both iOS and Android.
List of Trackers Compatible with Android’s New Find My Device Network
Abubakar Mohammed
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If you want to start using the latest Find My Devices, some of the best trackers that work with Android's new Find My Device network are Pebblebee Clip, Card, and Tag, and Chipolo One Point and Card Point. Other supported devices from Eufy and Jio will soon land in the market.
The Pixel 9 series will be getting a new Exynos 5400 modem that will satellite connectivity and fix the connectivity issues that have plagued Pixels for years. The modem will be coming to the Pixel 9 series, Pixel Fold 2, and a 5G Pixel Tablet which is under development. The feature will ask you a few questions, and will then message your emergency contacts followed by emergency services.
The Android Ecosystem Is Fractured: Here’s Why It Can’t Catch up to Apple
Anshuman Jain
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In this article, I discuss the state of the Android ecosystem in 2024, highlighting the lack of a unified ecosystem. Going over some aspects of why it is that way and what can be done to change or fix it and whether there is a future for a well connected Android space just like Apple's.
Android 15 Beta 1 is out and it comes with the option to change the default wallet app from the settings menu. This will facilitate NFC payments for your preferred app that you use regularly for making transactions. The feature only works with a limited number of apps as of now depending on the region but wider support should be available later down the line.