Following more frequent authentication on Android phones, Google Wallet for Wear OS might be requiring PIN code entry before allowing tap-to-pay transactions.

Roborock, the leader in high-tech floor cleaning with the most robotic vacuum sales worldwide of any brand, has released its latest flagship robotic vacuum/mop, the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra. This self-cleaning, all-in-one solution is primed to help you with “Cleaning Beyond Limits.”

Google Maps has long featured the ability to show buildings in 3D while navigating, but recently started rolling out that view to its Android Auto and CarPlay experiences. Here’s how to disable that.

Last week, Google announced that it would soon shut down the VPN service included with Google One. The company pointed to it only being used by a fraction of subscribers, and I wonder if part of that is due to a lack of consumer trust.

While I like Google’s particular brand of whimsy, the Messages app should really add an in-app setting to turn off its animations and other expressive effects. 

My technological “how often do you think about the Roman Empire” is the double twist shortcut introduced with the Moto X that would launch the camera from anywhere, including when the screen is off.

Google is working on a new way to show the health of storage in your Android phone.

Following the launch of Nothing Ear and Ear (a) this week, Nothing is also rolling out a new update for Nothing Phone (2) which delivers quite a few upgrades, including ChatGPT integration.

Welcome to the sixth episode of Pixelated, a podcast by 9to5Google. We talk about Android 15 Beta 1, widgets, and Google Wallet.

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Before we head off into the weekend, let’s gather up all of Friday’s best deals on Android games and apps. Joining today’s Google Play offers, we are also seeing notable deals on Google’s latest Nest Thermostat with Matter, the HD Chromecast with Google TV,  and Google Nest Cam Indoor, but for now we are focused on the apps. Today’s highlights include titles like Exolotl: Zian, Super Onion Boy 2, Million Onion Hotel, Bloons TD 6, and more. Head below for a complete look at today’s best Android game and app deals. 

The Motorola Razr is one of the most affordable foldable flip phones, and also one of the best you can buy today. Now, Boost Mobile is debuting a custom Motorola Razr in collaboration with “Coach Prime.”

Qualcomm first announced its new Windows chipset last year, but no machines have actually gone on sale with Snapdragon X Elite thus far. Now, though, Qualcomm is teasing some sort of announcement on April 24.

Huawei this week revealed its super interesting new flagship smartphone, but around the corner still is the new “Watch Fit 3,” which does nothing to hide the fact that it’s a clear clone of the Apple Watch.

The Google Maps app for Android Auto is picking up some minor tweaks to icons which offer a bit more contrast to the design.

A new all-time low has the Nest Cam Indoor marked down to $67 to go alongside some of Google’s other Assistant cameras. Jabra’s Elite 8 Active ANC earbuds now have wind cancellation and sell for $161 on sale, and the first drop of the year takes 33% off the HD Chromecast with Google TV at $20. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

Every video you watch on a smartphone, tablet, or other device has to be run through some decoder, and AV1 has long been touted as the “next big thing.” To get around AV1 hardware requirements, though, Google has quietly added a software-based AV1 decoder to the vast majority of Android devices.

Following renders back in January, there’s now a leak of real-life Pixel 9 Pro images showing off the new design language.

Google is finally rolling out the Find My Device network on Android, and with it comes the AirTag-like trackers we’ve been waiting on for almost a year now. Pebblebee, after initially revealing a May launch date, has now officially confirmed when its Android trackers will start shipping.

While it’s not live just yet, it appears that Google Messages is adding support for powerful parental controls that can stop a user from sending a message until they’re granted approval.

Google today released new Android 14 QPR2 builds with the April 2024 security patch for the Pixel 7, 7 Pro, 7a, Fold, 8, and 8 Pro, though there isn’t an on-device OTA update at the moment.

YouTube videos streamed through Meta Quest may start looking sharper, as the app now supports streaming at 8K resolution.

In an update shared recently, Roku has announced that all customer accounts will be forced to use two-factor authentication following a couple of massive security breaches.

Google Keep is super useful as a notes app, but it also features the ability to create reminders too. Soon, it appears that Google Tasks and Calendar will be able to show reminders from Keep.

Thursday afternoon is here and now it’s time to gather up all of the day’s best Android game and app deals. On your way to scope them all out, check out the deals we have on Jabra’s Elite 8 Active ANC earbuds, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A9+, and the ASUS Chromebox 5 with Thunderbolt 4. Moving on, highlight titles on sale today include Down in Bermuda, Cyberlords – Arcology, Million Onion Hotel, SpongeBob – The Cosmic Shake, Chicken Police, and more. Head below for a complete look at today’s Android game and app deals. 

Sundar Pichai is out with an internal email today detailing the big “Platforms & Devices” reorganization of Android, Chrome and Pixel, as well as other company-wide changes.