Tag: latest

Android Firmware

Nintendo Switch Emulator Sudachi Latest Build Introduces Home Menu, Firmware 18.0.0 Support

Following the demise of the popular Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu, several other projects based on it began development, and one of them, Sudachi, was recently updated to support the console’s home menu.

The latest build of the emulator, build v0e54fcf, introduces support for the console’s home menu via QLaunch. The new build also introduces support for firmware 18.0.0, allowing the emulator to run games that require said firmware. Home menu support is now available for the Windows version of the emulator, and will be added to the Android version in the near future.

As already mentioned, Sudachi isn’t the only Nintendo Switch emulator that emerged from the demise of Yuzu. One of them, the Suyu emulator, encountered some issues soon after the first compiled build was made available online, although development is still continuing.

Despite the emulator being around for some time, Nintendo going after the Yuzu Switch emulator was only a matter of time, as over and over, the emulator was used to play games before their official release. According to reports, Nintendo used telemetry data from the emulator to prove that it was being used to play pirated games, and so the developers did have no choice but to settle with the Japanese company before the matter went to trial and avoid much worse consequences than paying $2.4 million and ceasing development.

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Android Google

Google’s latest Android 15 developer preview is now available

Google’s second developer preview for Android 15 has arrived, bringing long-awaited support for satellite connectivity alongside several improvements to contactless payments, multi-language recognition, volume consistency, and interaction with PDFs via apps.

These developer-focused betas are a proving ground for features that will likely make it into the final public release scheduled for later this year. According to Google, public beta releases should be available to test between April and July.

Here’s Google’s release timeline for Android 15, which may see a full release between August and October this year.
Image: Google

The latest developer preview addresses some nuisances and security concerns experienced by Android users, such as making apps more aware of why some services might be unavailable when devices are using a satellite connection. This is also the first official confirmation that Android 15 will come with satellite messaging, with Google’s press release saying that the new preview includes support for “preloaded RCS applications to use satellite connectivity for sending and receiving messages.”

Android 15 should make it clearer when satellite connectivity is enabled and potentially limiting some app functions.
Image: Google

Support for screen recording detection is being introduced for apps that enable them to notify users if their activity is being recorded. The reliability of one-tap contactless payments is also being improved for apps that use NFC, and the multi-language audio recognition introduced in Android 14 is being refined to avoid words being dropped when the user switches between languages.

Small cover screens on flip phones should also become more useful as developers gain direct access to more ways of interacting with them, while support for a new CTA-2075 loudness standard should help Android users avoid having to adjust inconsistent volume when switching between content. And finally, Google is making “substantial improvements” to PDF features in apps,

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Android Firmware

Galaxy A52s 5G is the latest Samsung phone to get Android 12 and One UI 4

Last updated: March 1st, 2024 at 21:09 UTC+01:00

Samsung began updating the Galaxy A52 with Android 12 last week, and not to be outdone, the refreshed Galaxy A52s model is now getting the same Android 12-based One UI 4.0 update.

Galaxy A52s 5G customers in Korea should now be able to download and install Android 12 and One UI 4.0. Customers can identify the new update by firmware version A528NKSS1BUL7. The firmware package is accompanied by the December 2021 security patch, but of course, the big news here is One UI 4.0.

It usually takes Samsung a few days to a few weeks before it releases a new firmware update outside of South Korea once it debuts there. So, it’s reasonable to assume that the Galaxy A52s 5G everywhere will be running Android 12 and One UI 4.0 soon.

With One UI 4.0 onboard, the Galaxy A52s 5G delivers a refreshed user interface with a reworked design for Samsung apps, new color theme options, and redesigned widgets. The Galaxy A52s 5G in and of itself is a fantastic phone (check our review below for more info), so the addition of One UI 4.0 only helps to make it even better.

We counted over 60 new features when One UI 4.0 beta first hit the scene, so there are tons of changes (albeit many of which are small) to look forward to with this update. Check the video below for a quick overview. Of course, the beta program is over, so you can rest easy knowing that the Galaxy A52s 5G update is ready for the public at large.

You can download Android 12 and One UI 4.0 for your Galaxy A52s 5G either from the Settings app on your phone, or from the firmware section on our website.

Galaxy

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Android Apps

Google Chat’s latest visual update hides an important tab

Summary

  • Google Chat has added Starred messages to its mobile apps, allowing users to prioritize important messages.
  • The redesign includes moving the Mentions tab into a three-dot menu within the navigation bar, which may cause some confusion initially.
  • The changes will be available to all Google Chat app users on iOS and Android, but it could take a couple of weeks to become widely available.


Google Chat has undergone a couple of design changes since late last year, starting with the introduction of a bottom navigation bar on its mobile apps. This was followed up by a logo redesign in line with a few other Google Workspace apps. Google Chat is now picking up another visual upgrade with the addition of Starred messages on iOS and Android.

The web version of Google Chat added support for Starred messages back in November, as noted by the Workspace blog. This feature is now ready to make it to the mobile apps, involving a rearrangement of the bottom navigation bar. To accommodate this, Mentions has been moved inside a three-dot menu within the pill-shaped container, joining the new Starred option, as shown below. In its previous form, Mentions was the fourth option in the navigation bar after Home, Direct Messages, and Spaces.

Google Chat Starred Mobile

Google says this change “helps you stay on top of your most important messages,” but it can be quite confusing at first glance, especially with the Mentions option disappearing. As 9to5Google notes, the existing arrangement of the pill-shaped container is still present within the Gmail app’s Chat experience, pictured below.

Google Chat Mentions Gmail-1

The navigation bar of the Google Chat app inside Gmail

When the feature is available, users will be able to star messages by long-pressing the chat and tapping the star. You can unstar a message by going to the

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Android Google

Google says YouTube’s latest slowdown isn’t linked to ad blockers –

YouTube on smartphone stock photo 15

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

TL;DR

  • Google has confirmed that the latest YouTube slowdown has nothing to do with ad blockers.
  • The problem seems to stem from the latest AdBlock and AdBlock Plus updates.

Google has confirmed that the latest slowdowns people are experiencing on YouTube aren’t linked to its war against ad blockers.

A fresh wave of slowdowns hit users this past week, with many taking to Reddit to complain about the problem. YouTube users reported that they are experiencing major lags on the platform with ad blockers enabled. Some with a YouTube Premium subscription are also experiencing slowdowns because they use ad blockers for other purposes. Strangely, Google has confirmed that ad blockers have nothing to do with the ongoing issue.

Recent reports of users experiencing loading delays on YouTube are unrelated to our ad blocker detection efforts,” the company said in a statement to Android Central. “Our help center offers troubleshooting tips for users experiencing issues,” the company added.

It’s definitely worth following the troubleshooting steps suggested by Google, but it’s also important to note that YouTube performance will undoubtedly be affected if you use ad blockers. It seems the issues are also related to the use of the latest versions of AdBlock and AdBlock Plus.

As per uBlock Origin developer Raymond Hill, the regression hits harder for those who had the idea of using both AdBlock and AdBlock Plus simultaneously. He explains that the problem lies with the ad blockers rather than Google pushing fresh code to slow down YouTube.

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Android Apps

5 Android apps you shouldn’t miss this week, and all the latest app news

Photo of an Android phone with Beeper Mini app

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority

Welcome to the 513th edition of Android Apps Weekly, where we discuss the latest in mobile news and take a closer look at some of the most interesting new apps and games. This week saw the release of another app claiming to replicate iMessage for Android users, but this time it actually seems to work. Google was also in the news for a few reasons, such as price increases for YouTube customers including those previously grandfathered into older plans. 

Let’s jump right in and take a look at some of the biggest highlights from the last week: 

  •  Apple doesn’t officially offer iMessage for Android users but a few workarounds have surfaced over the years, including Beeper, which lets you use iMessage but requires you to hand over your ID in the process. Nothing introduced a similar solution recently, until it was suddenly pulled after it became clear the app was a security nightmare. The good news is that a true solution has finally arrived in the form of Beeper Mini. The app doesn’t require you to hand over your iMessage credentials and, at most, takes minutes to set up. The only downside is the service isn’t free and will set you back $1.99 a month. Beeper claims that this is just the beginning and that Beeper Mini will eventually integrate WhatsApp, SMS, RCS, and Facetime support. 
  • YouTube has been cranking up prices on YouTube Premium in more and more locations as it continues its war against ad-blockers and attempts to force users over to Premium. Now South Korea is joining the club with a price increase. That’s not the only bad news, YouTube Premium is also moving all its previously grandfathered accounts over to new pricing plans. If you were currently paying $9.99 a month
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