Latest news with #JoeHindy
Android Authority
2 days ago
- Business
- Android Authority
YouTube Shorts are about to get some Google Lens magic
Joe Hindy / Android Authority TL;DR Google Lens integration will be added to YouTube Shorts in the coming weeks. The feature will allow users to fire up Lens within a Short and quickly search for what they're watching. Ads in search results will likely be a part of the experience when it rolls out widely to all users. Shorts is one of YouTube's most important and fastest-growing categories right now. The company is constantly adding more features to the format, and another one coming in the next few weeks will bring some Google Lens magic to YouTube Shorts. According to a recent community post by Google, YouTube Shorts will soon gain Google Lens integration. You'll be able to use Lens to search for what you're watching in a Short. For instance, if you're watching a YouTube Short filmed at a location you would like to visit, you can fire up Lens, select a landmark in the Short, and get search results for it. To try out the feature once it's live, you'll have to pause the Short you're watching by tapping on the screen and selecting Lens from the top menu. You can then draw, highlight, or tap on anything you're watching to search via Google Lens. If you're wondering why this sounds familiar, it's because the feature overlaps with Circle to Search, an AI tool we're sure you've heard of already, and one that many Android phones, including Pixels and Samsung Galaxy devices, promote in abundance. The only difference between Lens in YouTube Shorts and Circle to Search might be the UI of how those search results are displayed. Google writes, 'You'll see visual matches and search results overlaid on the Short, and from there, you can easily and quickly jump back into the content you were watching.' Unfortunately, the company didn't show an example of what this would look like in its post, but we're sure we'll get to see it soon enough. Lens integration in YouTube Shorts will start rolling out to the beta version of the app this week. Google notes viewers won't see ads in the search results during the Lens in Shorts beta phase. That means ads will likely be a part of the experience when it rolls out widely to all users.
Android Authority
23-05-2025
- Android Authority
Google's fresh, clean account switcher is rolling out now to more apps
Joe Hindy / Android Authority TL;DR Google's been developing a new account switcher since last August. The new account switcher is rolling out in Translate, Wallet, and Tasks. This new look appears more like the web version, and recently showed up in Maps. Many of us have multiple Google accounts, and it can be annoying to switch back and forth between them all the time. Thankfully, Google lets users add all those accounts to their apps and devices and switch when needed. However, Google's account switcher has been undergoing a redesign that brings it more in line with the web version, and now that new look is showing up in more apps. The redesigned account switcher is now rolling out to these three Google apps: Translate (version 9.9.58.761479923.3-release), Wallet (version 25.20.761154377), and Tasks (version 2025.05.19.760395213.0-release). We saw it surfacing a few weeks ago in the Google Maps app as well, and an earlier APK teardown revealed it in Calendar and Keep. The previous version of the account switcher involved a lot more taps to actually change to a different profile. You had to view your primary account, then tap 'Manage your Google account,' and then tap your account email to reveal a menu with your other accounts — a bit convoluted and requires a lot of tapping. This new look is much more streamlined and more like what you see on the web. You'll see the profile photo of your primary account at the top with 'Manage your Google Account' underneath, but now there's a collapsable 'Switch account' menu. Tapping this brings up your other accounts, the 'Add another account' option, and 'Manage accounts on this device' setting. It's a lot less tapping, which is always welcome. The new look hasn't hit all of Google's apps yet, but we can only imagine that it'll be a matter of time. 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
13-05-2025
- Android Authority
Your Android phone will soon warn you about that sketchy app sneakily changing icons
Joe Hindy / Android Authority TL;DR Google Play Protect will soon detect when an app changes its icon, and alert users to this behavior. Malicious apps sometimes change their app icon to evade removal, so this should help in a big way. Play Protect is also gaining improved on-device detection of malware. Google Play Protect is one of the first lines of defense against malicious apps on your Android phone. Google recently beefed up this service with real-time scanning protection, and the company has now announced more additions. Google confirmed that Play Protect's live threat detection feature can now detect when an app changes its icon, subsequently alerting users about this behavior. Malicious app developers sometimes change their app icons to make it more difficult for users to remove them. So this will be another welcome layer of defense against sketchy apps. Google says this new capability will be available in the coming months on the Pixel 6 series and newer and a 'selection of new devices from other manufacturers.' This isn't the only addition, as Play Protect also brings enhanced on-device detection capabilities: Google Play Protect now uses a new set of on-device rules to specifically look for text or binary patterns to quickly identify malware families. If an app shows these malicious patterns, we can alert you before you even install it. The company adds that these on-device rules will be 'frequently' updated to protect you from new and emerging types of malware. This feature may have been in the pipeline for a while, as we discovered a rules-based approach to on-device scanning almost a year ago. In any event, Google says this enhanced approach to malware scanning is now available to all Android users with Google Play Services. 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.
