Latest news with #AndroidAuthority
Forbes
an hour ago
- Business
- Forbes
Samsung's Galaxy ‘Kill Switch' Completely Changes Your Phone
This is a game changer Samsung is moving quickly to recover ground lost through its One UI 7 delays. The Galaxy-maker has now confirmed that early access to the One UI 8 beta is now available, 'kicking off a new era of software intelligence.' What happens next is critical. How far will Samsung fall behind Pixel's unbeatable June release? But the advantage Samsung has this time is the relatively modest scale of One UI 8 versus the wholesale One UI 7 update that still has not completed its rollout. But literally hidden in amongst the various tweaks we know are coming is a brilliant update that could be a game-changer. 'Think of it as a kill switch for your private digital life.' That's how Android Police describes the new 'Hide Secure Folder' button that instantly disappears the folder's icon and apps. 'When hidden, 'apps and data stored in Secure Folder are encrypted.' All apps within the folder will stop working and you will not receive any notifications from them until you unhide and decrypt the Secure Folder.' This I really like. It is an OS-level deployment of the kind of personal security and privacy that's much needed when kids and others might browse through your phone, playing games or watching media or looking at photos. It also stops awkward notifications appearing when your phone might be on view to others. Android Authority has done its usual deep dive on the new upgrade, and says 'Secure Folder on One UI 8 is easier to use and safer than ever.' This is especially welcome given the security vulnerabilities highlighted with Secure Folder in recent months, and that Samsung has chosen to go a different way to Android's generic Private Space. Galaxy's new 'kill switch' The other headline upgrade is forcing users to re-enrol their biometric security for Secure Folder, separating it into its own enclave. This means if you've enrolled someone else's fingerprint for generic phone access — one of your kids or your partner, that does not mean they will have access to the personal Secure Folder which is hived off. 'While your lock screen already helps keep the data on your phone safe from casual access,' Android Authority says, this 'offers an extra layer of security, particularly handy if you know that other people are going to be using your device. You can move your most private data to its encrypted protection, and even hide its presence entirely.' That kill switch will grab the headlines though, 'a new Quick Settings button not just hides the Secure Folder without forcing you to did through settings menus, but also shuts down the apps you've moved there and silences their notifications. Considering this is where Samsung encourages us to keep our most sensitive stuff, a super-quick way to just sweep it all under the rug feels like a completely on-brand addition.' This should completely change how you use your phone and think about carving out data and apps that are for you and you alone. Once live, if this is a seamless and polished as promised, it's something other phones — including iPhone — should copy.
Android Authority
an hour ago
- Business
- Android Authority
One UI 8 finally expands support for an Android 15 feature sorely missed on One UI 7
Paul Jones / Android Authority TL;DR One UI 8 finally lets you use Android 15's predictive back gesture on stock Samsung apps. One UI 7 restricted the usage of the predictive back gesture to Google apps. The feature is now enabled by default on the latest One UI 8 beta update. The One UI 8 beta has arrived for the Galaxy S25 series, and we've been digging into it to see what's new. One sweet improvement we've found is that Samsung is finally adding support for Android 15's predictive back gesture in its stock apps, a feature that was (and is) notably missing from the One UI 7 update. Predictive back was introduced with Android 15 and is enabled by default. It enhances gesture navigation by letting users preview the screen they'll return to before the back gesture is completed. In One UI 7, this feature works mostly only with Google apps. But with the One UI 8 beta, the predictive back gesture now works across several of Samsung's own apps, such as: Clock Calculator Weather Settings Voice Recorder Contacts However, the gesture still doesn't function in some Samsung apps, like Calendar and Reminders. Another noteworthy change is that the toggle for predictive back animations is now visible in the Developer Options menu. In One UI 7, this setting could be found through the Settings search bar, but would not appear when tapped, almost as if it were hidden. That inconsistency has been fixed in One UI 8 beta, where the setting is now fully accessible. That said, we didn't need to enable the toggle to get predictive back working on the Samsung apps. Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority One thing you need to know is that to use the expanded predictive back gesture in One UI 8 beta (or the older version in One UI 7), you must disable the One Hand Operation+ Good Lock module. If it's enabled, predictive back won't work. Of course, you also need to enable gesture navigation to use the feature. However, as we previously discovered, Google is also working to bring predictive back support to three-button navigation in Android 16. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Android Authority
3 hours ago
- Business
- Android Authority
Google confirms that Instagram battery drain you've noticed on your phones is real
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR The Instagram app on Android was causing excessive battery drain, as users reported. Comparisons showed that lately, Instagram was using significantly more battery power than other apps with similar screen-on times. Google has acknowledged the problem and advised updating to Instagram build 382.0.0.49.84, which users say has resolved the battery drain issue. Google has confirmed that the Instagram app has been draining the battery on Android phones, something many users, including several on Reddit, have noticed lately. According to several Android users, Instagram has been consuming significantly more battery on their devices compared to other apps with similar usage. For example, one Redditor with a Samsung Galaxy A53 reported that Instagram used 12.4% of their battery during 54 minutes of screen-on time, while WhatsApp, with a comparable 49-minute screen-on time, used only 2.4%. Reddit Some users who tried installing older versions of Instagram in hopes of avoiding the battery drain noticed their phones heating up instead. Others switched to Instagram Lite and saw a noticeable improvement in battery life, further suggesting the issue lies with the main app. In response, Google has issued an advisory titled 'Battery drain on Android devices,' urging users to update Instagram. 'Starting today, Instagram is rolling out an updated app that should fix a battery drain issue on Android devices. Please make sure you have the latest version of the Instagram app (build 382.0.0.49.84) to resolve this issue,' the company said. Following the update, users are now reporting that the battery drain issue appears to be resolved.
Android Authority
7 hours ago
- Business
- Android Authority
Use Tile's Bluetooth trackers? Don't be surprised if you're soon pushed to this app
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR Tile was acquired by Life360 back in 2021. So far, the Life360 app has supported Tile tracking, but not full device setup. Life360 has now updated its app with full Tile support, raising questions about how long the old Tile app will stick around. Bluetooth trackers are one of those fantastic modern conveniences whose value you may never properly appreciate until you invite them into your life — and then quickly find yourself unwilling to go without them ever again. Trackers are getting even better on Android with growing UWB support, but when it comes to the classic approach, there are few brands better known than Tile. Its trackers have been around for over a decade, but a few years back we learned about a controversial acquisition that was in the works, as oft-maligned family tracking app Life360 bought up Tile. While the relationship between the two has so far allowed for a little breathing room, it's starting to feel like that's finally changing. Today, Life360 shares that Tile trackers are now fully supported within the Life360 app. You've already been able to track Tile hardware in Life360, but the Tile app itself was still required for critical setup and configuration steps. Going forward, that's no longer necessary, and owners can take full advantage of Tile devices without needing anything but the Life360 app. If you're already a Life360 fan, this is good news, but the app has more than its fair share of detractors. Beyond just disgruntled users strong-armed by their families into sharing personal location data in the name of 'safety,' Life360 has faced some well-deserved criticism for its policies regarding selling user data for profit. Right now, even following the Life360 app's absorption of all functionality needed to support Tile trackers, you still have the option to just stick with the old Tile app. But with Life360 using language like 'One App to Track It All' and 'No more switching back and forth' in its announcement of today's news, you'd forgive us for feeling a little paranoid that the company is leaning increasingly on its primary app, in what could very soon be to the Tile app's detriment. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
Android Authority
9 hours ago
- Business
- Android Authority
Google Photos celebrates turning 10 with a new and improved editor and easier album sharing
Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR Google is celebrating 10 years of Google Photos with a fresh look and new tools for the editor. You can now share entire albums instantly with people nearby with just a QR code. The rollout for the new photo editor begins next month for Android users, and iOS later this year. For a lot of people, Google Photos is where all their memories live in terms of cloud-based storage. With at least 15GB of space on the free tier, Google Photos is one of the better options available. And believe it or not, Google Photos has been around for an entire decade. Since a decade of Google Photos is quite a feat, Google is celebrating the milestone with a brand new look for the Google Photos editor. The redesigned editor has a more simplified interface that puts all of the editing tools in a single place along with helpful edit suggestions to get the perfect photo. In a single tap, you can select the subject, background, or any other part of the photo. With some help from AI, a menu containing several suggestions tailored for that particular area pops up, all designed to enhance that part of the image. Or if you want to edit the entire image, there are AI-powered suggestions that combine several effects for a quick and painless edit. There are also new tools like Reimagine and Auto frame, which originally made their debut with the Magic Editor in the Pixel 9 series. These new tools can be found with the other manual adjustment tools like brightness and contrast. Reimagine utilizes generative AI to make a scene more ideal (turn a gloomy overcast sky into a sunny one), and Auto frame helps achieve the proper crop. Ryan Haines / Android Authority Reimagine in Magic Editor Once you get those edits in, you'll likely want to share those results quickly with others. If those people happen to be nearby, you can now share entire albums faster by generating a QR code for people to scan. Once someone scans the code, they're able to view and even add photos to the album if needed. So when are we getting all these new goodies? We got an early look at that QR code sharing feature in an APK teardown last month, but it's now rolling out for all Google Photos users. For the redesigned Google Photos editor, however, it will begin landing on Android devices running Android 8 or newer in June, with iOS devices later this year. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
