Google Phone might be making it super easy to switch to a Meet video call

What you need to know

  • Google is testing a feature in the Phone app that allows users to effortlessly switch from a regular phone call to a Google Meet video call.
  • Some users have noticed a new “Video call” chip in the Phone app during regular calls, showing up above the keypad, mute, speaker, and other options.
  • Tapping the button initiates a Meet video call without interrupting the ongoing voice call.

Google has been spotted trying out a fresh feature in the Phone app, which lets you switch super easily from a regular call to a Google Meet video call with a single tap.

A few users are seeing a fresh Video call chip in the Phone app when they are on a regular call, as spotted by Android Police. This new button pops up above the keypad, mute, speaker, and other options.

If you tap that chip, it initiates a Google Meet video call with the person you’re chatting with. Their phone rings, but the voice call keeps going, making switching a lot smoother than before.

This suggests that Google Meet is making a move to be more than just a business tool. With this potential feature in the Phone app, it seems Meet wants to be a bigger part of our everyday mobile chats.

For a while, iPhone users had it easy with FaceTime right in their dialer. Soon, Android users might get a taste of that too, as video calling gets seamlessly integrated into the Phone app.

If the person you’re trying to call doesn’t have the Meet app installed, tapping the chip whisks you to a screen suggesting you invite them to hop on Google Meet for video chat.

Some users have seen

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Gadgets NowGoogle to pay $700 million to settle ‘monopoly charges’: How much Android users and 50 US states get, other deGoogle's parent company, Alphabet, has proposed paying $700 million and making changes to the Play Store to resolve an antitrust complaint filed by….2 days ago

Gadgets NowGoogle to pay $700 million to settle ‘monopoly charges’: How much Android
users and 50 US states get, other deGoogle’s parent company, Alphabet, has proposed paying $700 million and
making changes to the Play Store to resolve an antitrust complaint filed
by….2 days ago
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Galaxy S23 FE Android 14 update making its way to the US

The Galaxy S23 FE has started getting the Android 14-based One UI 6 update in the US. The Galaxy S23 FE was launched on the same day Google released Android 14 for Pixel smartphones, but it came with Android 13 out of the box, pretty much wasting one of the four major OS upgrades Samsung is promising for the device.

Samsung also took its sweet time bringing One UI 6 to the S23 FE compared to the original Galaxy S23 trio. While the Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra started receiving the update on October 30, owners of the Fan Edition model had to wait another month.

The S23 FE has received Android 14/One UI 6 in quite a few markets over the last couple of weeks, and it is now being updated in the US, where the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1-powered version of the phone is sold. Some carrier-locked units (AT&T, Cricket) are getting the update as of December 12, and the rollout should expand to unlocked units sooner rather than later.

Since the Galaxy S23 FE is part of the Galaxy S23 lineup, it is getting all the One UI 6 features and improvements that are available on flagship Galaxy devices. You can download the update over the air by tapping the Download and install option in the phone’s Settings » Software update menu. Android 14 firmware are also available in our firmware library, which you can download to a Windows PC and install it on the phone using a USB cable.

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Google is making it easier to sign in to Android apps

Summary

  • Google’s Credential Manager is an API that’s supposed to simplify logins and enable passkey support on Android.
  • The Credential Manager automatically detects if multiple sign-in options are available for the same account and prioritizes the most convenient one for the user.
  • Third-party password managers can also hook into the API to make their passkeys available for use.


Passkeys are the latest step forward when it comes to protecting your precious data. They’re meant to replace passwords and two-factor authentication, all in one. However, with so many different authentication options available these days, it gets harder to remember which method you’re using to sign in to which service. Google is looking to combat this problem on Android with its new Credential Manager, an API developers can use to automatically guide you to the right login method in their apps.

The Credential Manager has been available in testing for about a year, and Google is now bringing it to the masses starting with November 1, 2023. As the Credential Manager rolls out across devices, developers will be able to rely on it to guide you through the login process. Along the way, the Credential Manager also enables simple and standardized support for passkeys for Android apps. Some popular services like WhatsApp and Uber are already using Credential Manager.

A schematic of all the steps you need to sign in with Credential Manager

The Credential Manager will automatically notice if you’re using multiple sign-in options for the same account (think a password, a passkey, and the “Sign in with Google” option) and pick the most convenient one for you automatically, without forcing you to dig through multiple options for a single account. Instead, it prioritizes listing different accounts you might have with a given service, making it simple to switch between your personal account and your family account, for example.

If you use Google Password Manager,

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The 5 Best Social Media Apps for Making Friends in Your Community

Whether you’ve just moved to a new city, are working from home, or have lost touch with old friends, there’s no need to feel isolated. There are apps at the tips of your fingers that will have you connecting with others in minutes.



What sets these apps apart from other social networking apps like Instagram and TikTok is that they encourage in-person meetings. When you’re connecting with people in your community, chances are that you’re also creating memorable experiences.

If you’re hoping to find like-minded individuals in your area, check out these social networking apps designed to promote a sense of togetherness.


1. Hey! VINA

Hey! VINA is an app created by women, for women. Unlike dating apps, Hey! VINA encourages friendship-only connections by matching you up with women in your area.

While initiating you into the app, it asks you to choose from communities and interests you identify with, such as: introverts, extroverts, dog owners, gamer girls, foodies, homebodies, mothers, expats, and LGBTQI+ to name just a few.

Profiles of women show up with a photo, their location, some personality traits, interests, as well as communities that the person belongs to. You can then swipe right or left if you are interested in connecting with that person. Just like a dating up, if there’s a match, you can begin chatting.

There is also a section where you can make plans, host your own events, and discover things going on in your area. To add a new level of fun, there is an assortment of quizzes and personality tests for you to play around with to get to know yourself better. If you’ve played the quizzes, your results show up on your profile for others to see.

Download: Hey! VINA for Android | iOS (Free)

2. Meetup

The Meetup app

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Google Messages is making read receipts visible without opening a conversation

The list view is getting a new indicator


If you’re one of those people who take forever to respond to messages, turning on read receipts for every messaging platform you use is always a good idea, if only to be transparent with your friends or colleagues. Many of the top messaging apps out there like Signal and Facebook Messenger come packed with this feature so that you know when your messages have been read by your contacts and vice versa. Google Messages has had this ability since the inception of RCS, but it just got new read receipt icons at the bottom of each bubble in a chat. Now, the app is bringing those delivery status indicators to the conversation list, so you won’t have to open a message to know if it’s been seen or not.

ANDROIDPOLICE VIDEO OF THE DAYSCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

In the conversation pane, Messages now displays read receipts to the left of your message. A pair of checkmarks inside a circle will appear if the message has been sent to the recipient. Those icons turn into a solid circle with checkmarks inside if the message has been read.

The latest change is useful as it allows users to see which of their messages have yet to be read and which ones have been seen. However, the downside is that the conversation list becomes more cluttered, especially with two checkmarks appending your message alongside the “You:” label.

In addition to more visible read receipts, Messages appears to be testing a new counter for unread messages in your inbox, as per 9to5Google. These counters will show up in the right corner of an unopened message, indicating how many messages in that conversation are still unread. This replaces the dot next to the timestamp,

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