Google’s Surprise New Update Brings Unique iPhone Feature To Android Phones

Android and iPhone users may jealously protect their phone platform of choice, but secretly, both camps know there are some features the other phones have that theirs do not. Google is now, it seems, addressing one place it underperforms, by improving Google Wallet so it can be better at something the iPhone does brilliantly: digital tickets and boarding passes.

March 21 update below. This post was first published on March 18, 2024.

Both Apple Wallet and the equivalent on Android phones, Google Wallet, are good when it comes to housing digital versions of credit and debit cards. But the iPhone version has always been stronger for passes—it’s no coincidence that it originally used to be called Passbook.

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Because it’s done this for longer, apps for airlines, theaters, concert halls and others routinely include a button designed to add them to the Wallet where they’re easily found.

It now looks like the passes that slide so easily into the iPhone Wallet app could pop into Google Wallet just as smoothly. Android writer Mishaal Rahman posted on X that files in the .pkpass format used by Apple can now be imported into Google Wallet.

And 9to5Google has followed up by saying that other users have confirmed that they have been able to do the same, though this doesn’t seem to have rolled out to everyone yet.

When it is more widespread, this will be a significant uptick in convenience. Those websites and apps with buttons inviting users to click to add passes to Apple Wallet all too often did not include an equivalent for downloading to Google Wallet.

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Samsung brings the ‘Try Galaxy’ app to Android with a Galaxy AI demo

What you need to know

  • Samsung states it has made the “Try Galaxy” app available to Android users, and an update to the app brings a Galaxy AI demo.
  • Users will find a widget that hosts several “core” Galaxy AI features users can see through tutorial demonstrations.
  • Samsung confirmed it plans to bring Galaxy AI features to several older devices in March.

Previously only available to Apple’s iPhone, Samsung’s “Try Galaxy” app is available today on Android, and with it comes demos of the company’s Galaxy AI features.

According to Samsung, as we move into the “era of mobile AI,” the Korean OEM is looking to give more users a chance to playtest its offerings. The Try Galaxy app simulates Samsung’s latest flagship device. That said, the company states users will find a new widget on the second page of the home screen, which highlights its “core” AI features and One UI 6.1.

Tapping a feature will provide a quick video explanation of how the feature would work if you had a Galaxy S24.

There are five features users can playtest, beginning with “Live Translate.” The app will offer a quick demonstration of what it’d be like to communicate with someone in a different language. Samsung states its “two-way call translation” is built into its phone app and supports 13 languages for text and audio transcriptions.

Note Assist offers AI-based summaries and note organization, turning chunky paragraphs into easy-to-read bullet points. Chat Assist enters with the ability to translate messages in real-time as it’s built directly into the Samsung Keyboard.

Users will also gain an up-close example of how Google’s “Circle to Search” tool can be used whenever a question arises.

Samsung's "Try Galaxy" app comes to Android with a Galaxy AI demo.

(Image credit: Samsung)

The demos continue for photos as the app features a tutorial about Samsung’s “Photo Assist.”

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Google Brings Gemini to Messages App in AI-Flavored Android Feature Drop

BARCELONA–Google opened MWC 2024 with a grab-bag of new features for Android phones. And as in previous Android feature drops, you don’t have to look hard here to spy AI.

An advance copy of the company’s announcement, posted Monday, leads off with the news that Android’s Messages app will now let you talk to an entity that we trust isn’t in any of your contacts lists: Google’s Gemini AI chatbot, renamed earlier this month from Google Bard. 

Google’s post features a GIF of Gemini suggesting ways to optimize a joke that was already in dad-joke territory. The results suggest that humor remains something best left to analog jokesters.

AI to work inside Android Auto

(Credit: Google)

Another new feature, earlier spotted in Android code by 9to5Google, puts AI to work inside Android Auto to reduce the cognitive load for drivers by auto-summarizing texts and chats and suggesting situationally relevant replies and actions, like sharing your estimated arrival time.

Accessibility also figures in this feature drop. Google Maps will be able to speak important details about nearby places, such as hours of business, when you point your phone’s camera at your surroundings. And Lookout, the vision-assistance app Google debuted in 2019, expands its support for auto-generated, English-language captions of images to places outside the US. 

For the Android versions of Google Docs, the news involves adding the option of leaving handwritten annotations in documents in your choice of colors. Writing on a phone’s screen with swipes of a fingertip may not allow for long-form comments, but “huh?” probably comes off more forcefully when drawn in large virtual red ink. 

Google’s Fitbit app, meanwhile, supports the Health Connect enclave shipped in Android 14 to show data from apps that have been updated to work with this secure data platform co-developed by Google and Samsung.

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Second Android 14-based Galaxy A52s update brings December security patch

It was merely two weeks back that the Galaxy A52s started receiving the Android 14/One UI 6 update, but Samsung is already releasing a follow-up update to the mid-range phone in some markets.

This is the second Android 14-based firmware for the Galaxy A52s and it is rolling out in India and a couple of other countries in the Indian subcontinent. The update sports firmware version A528BXXS5FWL4, and it comes bundled with the December 2023 security patch.

Security enhancements are all that this update brings to the Galaxy A52s. The December patch fixes a total of 75 security vulnerabilities, 54 of which affect all Android devices while the rest were found only in Samsung’s software. The patch also includes fixes for four vulnerabilities discovered in some Exynos chips, which aren’t applicable here thanks to the A52s being powered by a Snapdragon chip worldwide.

If you own a Galaxy A52s, you can check if the latest update is available by tapping the Download and install option in the phone’s Settings » Software update menu (it may take a few tries for the updates to start downloading). Full-sized firmware available in our archives can also be used to upgrade the phone, but this procedure requires a Windows PC and a USB cable.

Galaxy A52s next and final feature update will be One UI 6.1

The Galaxy A52s, like the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A52 5G, is eligible for three generations of Android OS upgrades, so it will not be receiving future versions of Android. As for One UI updates, the Galaxy A52s is likely to get One UI 6.1 sometime next year. After it has been updated to One UI 6.1, the A52s will only remain eligible for security updates.

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New Firmware Update for OnePlus Nord 2 Brings October 2023 Android Security Patch

OnePlus is continuing to provide timely updates for its smartphones, even amidst the buzz surrounding Oxygen OS 14. The company has released a new firmware update, OxygenOS 13 F.48, for the OnePlus Nord 2. This update specifically brings the latest October 2023 Android Security Patch for the India Variant of the smartphone.

The update is being rolled out gradually and will become available to a wider audience only after successful verification on a smaller scale. Therefore, it may take some time for the update to reach all units, ranging from a couple of days to a few weeks. However, users can manually check for the updatenavigating to Settings > About > Software Update.

If any issues or bugs are encountered while using the new firmware, users can submit their feedback via the OnePlus Community or Google Dialer. This allows OnePlus developers to gather information and make necessary improvements to enhance the user experience.

In addition, OnePlus has been actively rolling out the OxygenOS 14 Update Program, which is based on Android 14. The program includes both Open Beta and Closed Beta updates for compatible devices. Devices such as the OnePlus 11, OnePlus 11R, OnePlus 10 Pro, OnePlus 10, OnePlus Nord 3, and others are already included in the program.

It is expected that the stable Oxygen OS 14 build for the OnePlus 11 series will be released in the coming days, as the series has already received the Open Beta 3 build recently.

In conclusion, OnePlus continues to prioritize software updates for its smartphones, with the latest firmware update for the OnePlus Nord 2 bringing the October 2023 Android Security Patch. Users can expect further updates through the OxygenOS 14 Update Program, which is already underway for various compatible devices.

Definitions:
– Firmware Update: A software update specifically for the

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WhatsApp brings multi-account feature for Android beta users: How to use

Meta-owned instant messaging app WhatsApp is reportedly rolling out a new feature to its Android beta testers. As reported by WaBetaInfo, the feature allows WhatsApp users to add multiple accounts to the popular messaging app. 

At present, individuals who want to include a second account on their smartphone resort to installing a cloned version of WhatsApp. The workaround, however, works on certain Android devices. The recently added multi-account feature in the latest beta version offers an account switcher that facilitates transitioning between the primary account associated with the smartphone and other WhatsApp accounts.

As indicated by the report, the multi-account feature is currently accessible to a limited number of beta testers who have updated to WhatsApp beta for Android version 2.23.17.8. It is anticipated to become available to a broader user base over the coming weeks. 

When enabled, WhatsApp will present a small downward-pointing arrow icon adjacent to the QR code in the settings menu. Thereafter a card will emerge, showcasing the primary account, along with an “Add account” button. Tapping this button will enable users to incorporate an account registered on another device, and recent messages will synchronize with their phone.

The report also shares a screenshot of the feature showing the popup card, which also serves as an account switcher, will display the phone number linked to the respective WhatsApp account. This functionality will empower users to distinguish between accounts effortlessly, alongside the profile photo and username. The feature had previously been observed in development back in June.

WhatsApp had earlier introduced a “companion mode,” allowing users to set up an iPhone or Android smartphone as a secondary device, thereby enabling the utilization of a single account across multiple devices. Nevertheless, users are currently restricted to employing only one account on a given device. Some Android devices, such

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