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Android Authority
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
After ditching Spotify for a week, I now understand why readers love YouTube Music
Andy Walker / Android Authority A few weeks ago, I ran an Open Thread asking readers why they prefer using YouTube Music over many available alternatives, including my service of choice, Spotify. It would be an understatement to say that it received a flurry of comments and strong opinions from our community questioning my views. With just under 400 replies at the time of this writing, not to mention the big win for Google's streaming service in the accompanying poll, it's clear that I was perhaps missing a trick by siding with Spotify. So, as I enjoy reevaluating my opinions, I once again signed up for YouTube Music to see what the fuss is all about. A little over a week later, I'm thoroughly impressed by the strides made by Google's offering. I was a happy Google Play Music user for many years, and regularly defended the service when people recommended alternatives. But when Google announced the end of the service in 2021, I was left disillusioned by its replacement. In its early days, YouTube Music was unintuitive and leaned too heavily on its video-hosting namesake. It often pushed video when I wanted an audio-first service. It was also heavily influenced by my YouTube browsing and viewing habits, and was astonishingly slow in operation. In short, it sucked, and I quickly jumped ship to Spotify. Which is the best music streaming service? 0 votes YouTube Music. NaN % Spotify. NaN % Neither (mention your preference in the comments). NaN % I don't use a music streaming service. NaN % The green team is where I still find myself now, and I've been pretty comfortable with it ever since. The Duo plan allows my partner and me to have separate and combined playlists, and collaborate in real-time via Spotify Jam if needed. I also appreciate Spotify's recommendations and the ease of finding new artists. It fits into my life perfectly. A surprisingly positive return Andy Walker / Android Authority So when I returned to YouTube Music earlier this month, the experience was a shock to my system. A wave of nostalgia hit me as I reencountered some treasured playlists I thought I had lost, from the pop-heavy Turbulence reel for managing my anxiety in the air to Sunny Days, a curated list of tracks that feel like a cool summer morning. From a more objective lens, the app has changed so much since its early days. A tighter, cleaner UI greeted me, frontloaded with playlists I've made or artists and albums I'd always tend to pick first. There's an angle towards content already discovered, which was a refreshing change from Spotify, where my mission was always to find new songs, genres, albums, and slot these into carefully designed playlists. There's something comforting about using Google's product, something functional and purposeful. I'll admit that because of this approach, Spotify can sometimes feel scattered. While YouTube Music keeps new content and known or saved music largely contained within distinct tabs or sensible filters, Spotify lays these cards out everywhere on the home screen. At least this is what it feels like visually. I can't say that I prefer either layout, but I will say YouTube's makes better use of its screen space in almost all areas. YouTube Music promotes content already discovered, which was a refreshing change from Spotify's constant new content push. What about the experience of playing music? I quickly realized why many people like the service, especially those who love deep cuts. Songs that I couldn't find on Spotify, I found here, which usually took the form of a video from YouTube. This included many long-lost EDM remixes from the 2011-2012 era, like Vicetone's remix of Zedd's Clarity. Leveraging the music service gives YouTube Music a huge content discovery advantage, and the option for users to upload their content to the service, even if it's a bit of a schlep to do it via the website, makes it incredibly valuable for those who want to carry their bespoke content selections around with them. Andy Walker / Android Authority Dare I say, I like YouTube Music's Explore tab far more than Spotify's Search tab, even if both act as portals into new content. While Spotify opts for a genre-categorized layout with themed collections above, YouTube Music tempts me with its more analytical system, which includes new releases from artists I already follow and a breakdown of top tracks in my country. Again, Google's service makes far better use of the available space on this tab, switching between recommendations and genuine trending content. This perhaps surprised me the most during my experiment. I have always regarded Spotify as the best of the two for naturally discovering new music, and, for the most part, I feel that the Swedish app offers a better hands-off experience in this regard. But if you're the type to flip through vinyls on a Saturday morning slowly, I can appreciate YouTube Music's charm here. In the four years since I last used YouTube Music, I'm surprised by how many elements Google has polished. My partner also mentioned another important point: some artists still boycott Spotify. She was delighted to participate in this experiment, as Spotify does not host Joanna Newsom's music, while YouTube does. That's essential if you're a fan of more obscure or opinionated artists who don't appreciate the latter's financial model. All in all, YouTube Music has a lot going for it. In the four years since I last used the service, I'm surprised by how many elements Google has polished. However, this is a Google product after all, and some quirks largely ruin its otherwise positive glow. Google still has work to do Andy Walker / Android Authority Remember when I said that YouTube Music uses its namesake to increase its music availability? Well, this does have some side effects. I can't help but notice YouTube Music listing a video playlist of CART/Champ Car races stretching from 1979 to 2007. No tracks are found in this playlist, even though the engine sounds could be considered music to some. So why is a video playlist in my music streaming app? This was one of the core reasons I left YouTube Music in the early 2020s, and it seems that Google still hasn't quite drawn a line between playlists on the two services. There are some other odd additions that I wish Google would reconsider. While the Comments feature is excellent in theory, usually remarks left by users offer no insight related to the track itself. It feels like a YouTube comment section, which isn't a good look. I'm not a fan of YouTube Music's Samples tab, either. While Spotify is also slowly trending towards music videos, it's far less intrusive. Dedicating an entire tab for music videos on an audio streaming platform feels counterintuitive. There are some annoyances YouTube Music still haven't shaken, and its silly promotion of video is one of them. But let's come back to Spotify. There are a handful of features that still sell the service to me. As I mentioned earlier, Spotify Jam is essential in my daily life. My partner and I often listen to music while doing chores, cooking, or driving. So, having an option to add individual songs to a playlist queue seamlessly is invaluable. More importantly, the feature has also rolled out to Android Auto, which makes road trips far more enjoyable and easier to manage. YouTube Music offers no equivalent. Then there's Spotify's advanced search chops. For a search giant, Google sure doesn't know how to implement smart search in its products. I can search for artist releases in a specific year using syntax in Spotify. YouTube Music does not. Of course, Spotify Connect is another indispensable feature I use daily on my PS4. I can control music on my phone while enjoying both game audio and my Spotify playlist, and then seamlessly jump that music over to my Nest Mini when I put the controller down. YouTube Music doesn't have this option, so it's either game chat or music for me. I'm sticking with Spotify… for now Andy Walker / Android Authority Although many readers thought I was biased against YouTube Music, I went into this experiment with an open mind. Google's service has genuinely impressed me with its clean UI, innovative use of space, far broader library, and focus on hands-on discovery. However, some of the annoyances that initially turned me off the service still exist today. There are other practical problems that I haven't yet mentioned, one of which is price. YouTube Music doesn't have a Duo equivalent, so I need to buy the whole Family package to share the service with my partner. Although only marginally more expensive than Spotify Duo, this is still a waste of money. YouTube Music may make a fan out of me in the future, but Spotify is a better fit... for now. Of course, Spotify wins on other fronts. As mentioned, Jam and Connect are two unique features that YouTube Music has yet to rival despite Google's expertise in the smart home and service space. The Swedish service is also more broadly available and compatible with the devices I already use and own, while it also offers best-fit plans for my lifestyle. This isn't to say that YouTube Music is trash. I'll give Google its deserved plaudits: it's an excellent music streaming platform, but it's the small things that Spotify offers that I've grown accustomed to and that I can't quite live without. Nevertheless, I can now understand why YouTube Music has plenty of fans, even if it still falls slightly short for me.
Android Authority
4 days ago
- Android Authority
How I use Synology and Google Photos to build the perfect photo backup system
Andy Walker / Android Authority Google Photos is the go-to photo backup app for quite literally everyone. It's fast, reliable, and everyone has a Gmail account, so it's the most accessible app out there for backing up your family memories. It's got tons of smart features and uses AI like no other photos app, from its almost magical AI editing to something as simple as natural language searches. It just works. However, a lot of things have weakened the case for Google Photos. For instance, I have to deal with media compression to save space — otherwise, I'd be hitting storage caps if I were to upload everything in full quality. Or worse, I'd have to keep upgrading my subscription and pay Google more every few months just to preserve my media in original quality. My current plan wouldn't even last a couple of months, and 2TB isn't worth the fee for me, despite the perks. I'd rather get my own storage for the same price — and I don't mean an external hard drive that awkwardly dangles from my computer. Would you consider moving away from Google Photos? 0 votes Nope, never ditching Google Photos NaN % Maybe, if I find a nice alternative NaN % I already use a hybrid setup like Synology + Google Photos NaN % I invested in a Synology NAS a few years ago. While it has streamlined my digital life but my most prized setup remains Synology Photos. It has changed how my family and I back up our media and turned it into a unique system. I'll tell you how I pieced it together and why it's perhaps the go-to strategy for a lot of home users who own a NAS. For once, I don't mind a clone Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority We all know how good Google Photos is. It's the benchmark in smart media management that all other apps should look up to. Besides its AI perks, it's also the easiest tool to create cross-platform shared albums. I have numerous of them with my family and friends, all of which I treasure. So, it was out of the question that I'd ditch the app entirely, no matter the platform I'm on. I want all the convenience, but I wanted something that didn't cap me in any way. When I first got my trusty Synology DS920+, I played around with a lot of its built-in features. What stood out were Synology Drive and Photos — almost exact replicas of Google's apps, as if Synology was trying to make things familiar for people switching over — if their names weren't already a dead giveaway. Synology Photos has quite a lot of similarities with Google Photos, from the general layout to facial tagging for easy searches. You can create albums, share media with your family, cast them to your TV, add widgets that auto-rotate your photos, and whatnot. And the best part — you're not limited by cloud storage capping. Sky's the limit (or the remaining hard drive space). I'll admit Synology Photos isn't the most intuitive app by far, so it's not something I'd want to use every day. It feels more like a 'tool' you pull out when needed — which is why I needed a middle ground. Why pick one when you can go hybrid? Rita El Khoury / Android Authority I didn't want to give up Google Photos and was tempted by the freedom Synology offered. So, I did what any sane person would do — I included both in my setup. And they now work beautifully together. Google Photos remains my primary app to access media on my phone. It's fast, easy, and always accessible. Most importantly, I'm not missing out on the thousand AI features Google keeps adding. Whenever I need to look up an old photo, I fire up Google Photos like it's muscle memory — even on iPhone. It's my default for quick photo editing and album sharing too. Synology Photos is my bottomless pit where I dump all my high-res photos in bloated formats while all my 4K videos stay crisp. Meanwhile, Synology Photos also gets the same copies of my media — but in full quality. It's my bottomless pit where I dump all my high-res photos in bloated formats while all my 4K videos stay crisp. All our phones and devices back up to the NAS with zero worries about running out of space, poor internet, or compressing files. My NAS is my safe space for all our family media. Things happen to our devices and the cloud all the time. Even if I hit the limit with Google Photos, lose my phone, or accidentally delete something from Google, I know a full-res copy still exists on local storage. They live on a server I control, and won't be subjected to random cloud policy changes I must reluctantly agree to. My only hiccup Rita El Khoury / Android Authority But there is one downside to this otherwise flawless system. Indian summers don't let me run the NAS all day — it'd fry the drives if I did. In the little window that it works every day, there are times when Synology Photos misses backing up some media. And if it goes on for a few days, I end up with a backlog of unsaved photos. It's made worse by the fact that I don't open the Synology Photos app on my phone that often, putting it in deep sleep, I have to wake it from every few days — or weeks — depending on my memory. That's the only hiccup in this otherwise fully automated setup. How the twins play together nicely Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority This setup is the reason I can get by with the basic Google One plan with 100GB shared across my family. Since our photos go up only in storage saver mode, we're all well below that limit. And the full-res versions? They're safe on the NAS. It actually aligns with the expert-recommended strategy of keeping an off-site backup for extra safety. And this dual strategy works really well for anyone tired of ballooning Google One bills, but who can't stop taking a zillion photos and videos on vacations. And honestly, you shouldn't either — capturing memories over everything else, always! This dual strategy actually aligns with the expert-recommended strategy of keeping an off-site backup for extra safety. If you're a first-time NAS user or on a tight budget, any brand would work in case you want something to just set and forget, though Synology Photos remains more intuitive among NAS offerings (not a high bar). Even 8TB is more than enough for regular home use and storing 'unlimited' photos, while Google handles all the smarts in a low-storage version of your library. That double backup is far more trustworthy and gives extra peace of mind. And given how moth-eaten and torn my old, physical photo albums are, I wouldn't take any chances with my memories.
Android Authority
5 days ago
- Android Authority
Chrome for Android users can now choose which end of the screen the address bar is on
Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR Chrome for Android's bottom address bar is rolling out widely. Users now have the option to keep the bar at the top of the screen or lower it to the bottom. Google is giving Android Chrome users another way to customize their mobile browsing experience. Announced last month, the Android browser is finally getting a bottom address bar to make navigation a little more mobile-friendly. That update is now rolling out widely. If you've been waiting for Chrome on Android to get a bottom bar, today is the day your wishes have been answered. In the latest version (version 138) of Chrome, you should now see an option to move the address bar to the bottom of the page. If you're not seeing it yet, you may have to go into App info and force stop the app a couple of times. Once it's available, you should see a notification near the address bar as soon as you start browsing. This notification reads, 'You can touch and hold to move the address bar to the bottom.' Following those directions will open a new menu where you can 'Move address bar to the bottom' or 'Copy link.' Tapping on the former will automatically move the bar to the bottom of the screen. There's also a second way to move the address bar. This alternative method requires you to tap on the three-dot menu, scroll down to Settings, and find the new 'Address bar' option. Tapping on this option will open a page where you can choose top or bottom. We have already tried the new bottom browser experience and found it to be a bit of a mixed bag. Our own Andy Walker notes some of the quirks keeping this experience from being as good as it should be. Of course, if you don't like having a bottom address bar, you can continue using the traditional layout. But it's always nice to have the option to switch. 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
10-07-2025
- Android Authority
Minimalist Android fans, Niagara Launcher's Theme Collection is your new playground
Andy Walker / Android Authority If there's one thing Niagara Launcher users love, besides debating which apps to favorite, it's showcasing their home screen setups online. For a launcher that emphasizes minimalism, it certainly inspires a flood of creativity and innovation from its users. Over the past few months, I've explored numerous personalized layouts of varying taste. It's clearly a facet of the launcher that its fans can't get enough of. Do you use Niagara Launcher? 0 votes Yes, it's my main launcher. NaN % Yes, but I jump between it and others regularly. NaN % No. I tried it, but it doesn't gel with me. NaN % No, I use another third-party launcher (mention which in the comments). NaN % No, I use my phone's stock launcher. NaN % Although I've mostly moved away from using Niagara as my default launcher, I still appreciate how the developers continue to add polish while its users make it shine. I've been using the latest version of the launcher for a few days to try its new Theme Collection feature, and even as a hands-on serial tinkerer, I am impressed. Pick a new theme, apply it, and off you go Andy Walker / Android Authority While I enjoy navigating various menu trees and toggles to build my ideal home screen setup, I also appreciate one-tap solutions that do the heavy lifting for me. Sometimes, I want my phone to create the perfect wallpaper and icon theme pairing to match my mood. Niagara's new theming feature does just that. By going to Settings > Look > Themes, users can now access a carousel of ready-made home screen styles uploaded by the launcher's creators. Each theme combines Niagara's three main visual elements: wallpaper, icon style, and font style. Some themes are plain and ideal for minimalists seeking basic night/light themes, while others are more intricate, featuring adventurous wallpaper or icon combinations. Some draw attention with stylized fonts, while others use a central color throughout. Whichever theme you focus on, each has a distinct personality. It's clear that the developers have drawn inspiration from the community here. Niagara Launcher now offers a collection of themes that can be applied with just one tap. While there are only 17 available themes at the time of writing, at least one should appeal to you. Developers have also promised to add more themes over time, which is an intriguing prospect. Although it's unclear how this feature will progress, there is massive room for growth. Conceptually, this feature has room to expand into a larger community-supported project that possibly includes vetted user-created designs. I am getting ahead of myself, though. Of course, Niagara doesn't rope off the customizations once you apply a theme. You can still tweak individual options of each theme to get the perfect look. Individual elements like wallpaper, font style, and icon packs can all be adjusted. You can still upload a custom font, use a third-party icon pack, or shuffle through your collection of cat wallpapers. Although the feature aims to be approachable for new users, there's still plenty of room for heavy customizers. A few absent options would make Niagara's theming system a clear cut above the rest. Currently, there's no facility to save custom user-made themes that could be saved and reapplied later. I feel this is an oversight, but there is scope for this in future updates. I'd also quite like a theme scheduling system that triggers a particular style based on ambient light, time of day, or the day itself. Niagara developers have also rolled out a new feature suggestion system with this update, so users can propose such features if they desire. Niagara's other significant summer updates Andy Walker / Android Authority With this update, Niagara has added a few more features beyond the theme library. Users now have three new Anycon styles, bringing the total to eight. This is perhaps my favorite Niagara feature, and it really puts Google and Samsung's surface-level icon theming features to shame with its remarkable coverage and consistency. Niagara Launcher has a bright future ahead of it. Its recent updates have added valuable pep to the project, setting it apart from rival launchers on Google's platform. I still value Android widgets too much to stick with it, but I appreciate the developers' moves. More Anycon options and tweaks to animations join the Theme Collection offering with this update. Could the Theme Collection feature bring me back to Niagara? I can see how this feature would appeal to many users who want a customizable yet focused home screen experience — one that shirks grids and prioritizes the handful of apps we all tend to use repeatedly. I appreciate the Niagara developers' work in this regard, and Theme Collections will only add positively to the experience. However, the other smaller features have caught my eye this past week. I've grown reattached to its Anycons feature, Niagara's smart notification summaries, the new animations that appear when a new track starts playing, and the smart Niagara button that I use reliably as a search trigger. The Theme Collection feature is just the cherry on top. You can find the Theme Collection, the new Anycon options, and other minor enhancements in Niagara Launcher version 1.14.0. Also, note that not all themes are accessible through the Niagara free version. You'll need to upgrade to Pro to gain all the goodies.
Android Authority
08-07-2025
- Android Authority
This $10 accessory was the best thing I ever bought for my Galaxy Watch
Andy Walker / Android Authority I've only bought a handful of items under $10 that have genuinely changed my life — an incredible Basque cheesecake I snuffed down a few months ago comes to mind — but few are tech-related. I've written about the cheap Android Auto dongle that has made my car so much smarter, but it was pushing $25. However, I use another product daily that costs far less than that, and even less than a good brunch. Consumers don't spend nearly enough time pairing their smartwatches with suitable bands. I can claim this because I was one of them. For the most part, we purchase them as is, sticking with the stock bands until they snap. Disregarding the chipset, bodies, and sensors, the watch strap is probably the most crucial element on the wearable. After all, it's the one thing responsible for holding the device to our skin. What is your preferred smartwatch strap material? 0 votes TPU, silicone, rubber, or similar materials. NaN % Fabric, like nylon and similar textiles. NaN % Leather or vegan leather. NaN % Metal, including metal mesh. NaN % Another material (mention in the comments). NaN % I don't have a preference. NaN % Often, the stock TPU, fluoroelastomer, rubber, or plastic strap is uncomfortable and can even be a health risk in some cases. But a replacement band needn't be expensive. The best thing I bought for my trusty Galaxy Watch 4 was a simple fabric watch strap that has completely changed how I use my device. Why a cheap Galaxy Watch strap is the best wearable purchase I've ever made My fabric strap. The stock fluoroelastomer strap. Sound contact between the device's sensors and your arm is essential for fitness tracking accuracy. A good watch strap ensures this. Bands also reflect our style and are one of the few aesthetic items we can change on our devices beyond the watch face. That said, can a $10 strap really make such a difference to a device worth multiple times its value? Well, I'd argue yes. Fabric bands are perfect for daily wear, activity, and parading your personal style. But, best of all, they're cheap. I regularly removed my Galaxy Watch 4 to air out my skin when using the stock band. The material simply doesn't allow my wrist to breathe, trapping sweat and leading to annoying skin irritation. On other devices I've used in the past, I've found metal bands bitterly cold in winter and unbearably warm in direct sunlight. Even woven metal, which solves the breathability problem, tends to pinch and grab at my skin and hair. These materials just weren't a good daily solution for me. Andy Walker / Android Authority I simply don't have these issues with my fabric band. Made of woven nylon, the band is breathable, soft, and far less abrasive. Thanks to this and its hook-and-loop fastening system, I can wear it more tightly to my wrist than any other material. I thought that this would be a terrible way to secure the device to my arm, but it's by far the most comfortable solution. As I mentioned in the previous section, this good fit also has the added benefit of improved sleep and heart rate tracking, as the sensors are constantly in suitable contact with my skin. How often do you replace your watch bands? 0 votes Every week NaN % A few times per month NaN % Once or twice per year NaN % Never NaN % Finally, as it uses a standard 20mm push-pin system, it's usable across several devices that support its dimensions, including my Garmin Venu Sq. For me, a fabric band is a series of wins. Which fabric Galaxy Watch band should I buy? Andy Walker / Android Authority OK, there is a caveat. You likely won't be able to find the exact band I purchased, which was snagged from a South African retailer. I couldn't find it listed on any international store, at least. That said, I'm not sure if my bright sunlight yellow strap would appeal to everyone. Thankfully, there is no shortage of highly rated options available on Amazon. Some highlights include: Astorgos Braided Solo Loop ($2.99 at Amazon): This is one of the most affordable fabric Galaxy Watch bands on Amazon, and is even cheaper than the band I own. The design includes a metal clasp, which may or may not appeal to you. This is one of the most affordable fabric Galaxy Watch bands on Amazon, and is even cheaper than the band I own. The design includes a metal clasp, which may or may not appeal to you. Eweison Magnetic Band ($9.97 at Amazon): Trading a metal clasp for a magnetic fastening system, this band should be a little more comfortable for those who prefer a looser fit. It's available in 25 different colors and patterns, too. Trading a metal clasp for a magnetic fastening system, this band should be a little more comfortable for those who prefer a looser fit. It's available in 25 different colors and patterns, too. ShuYo Soft Nylon Bands ($15.99 at Amazon): Don't be fooled by the price — this is a pack of 10 different bands, providing more than one option for every day of the week. If I were to repurchase a fabric Galaxy Watch band, I'd likely opt for a larger assortment like this. I understand entirely if fabric bands aren't for you. Just as I dislike metal bands, I admit that the mined material has many benefits, from aesthetics to durability. I won't pretend that fabric bands don't have problems of their own either. I was an avid hiker in another life and quite enjoyed trekking through rough brush, rushing streams, and rouge mud. I simply couldn't imagine how dirty and debris-ridden a fabric band would become, especially when dragging my limbs through prickly foliage. Several users on online forums have also highlighted hygiene issues experienced with these bands, particularly relating to odor. Personally, my fabric band keeps my skin happy and healthy. In fact, thanks to the improved breathability of the material, I no longer worry about itchy or irritated skin. Of course, everyone is different, so your mileage will vary. I'd still argue it's worth owning at least one fabric band for your Galaxy Watch, whether for sleep or casual daily wear.
