Android

• The European Commission is investigating Alphabet, Apple and Meta for potential non-compliance with the Digital Markets Act.
• The DMA requires gatekeepers to allow developers to alert consumers to offers outside their app stores, for free.
• Meta is being investigated over its “pay or consent” model, which may breach rules on personal data gathering.

• Android 15 is expected to introduce a Powered Off Finder API.
• This API will enable compatible devices to be tracked even when switched off.
• The feature is expected to be available on the Google Pixel 9 series, and the Pixel 8 series.

• Google made Gemini in Google Messages official this week, announcing the feature amidst a slew of other MWC Barcelona news.
• Gemini in Google Messages is rolling out to beta testers gradually starting this week.
• You can use Gemini in Google Messages just like the standalone Gemini app, except without image generation.

• Oppo was forced to pull out of key European markets, such as Germany, due to patent disputes with Nokia.
• Oppo and Nokia managed to reach a deal last month after Oppo's years-long haitus in Europe, opening the door to a return to the region.
• Now, in the backdrop of MWC Barcelona, Oppo has announced plans to return to Europe with the next generation of releases.
• Current and past-gen devices will not be made available, so buyers in Europe will have to wait for the Find X8 series.

The percentage of Android users that switched to iOS decreased in 2023, but the five-year trend is steady.

• A report from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) found that 13% of iPhone buyers switched from Android to iOS in 2023.
• The number is a decrease from the prior year's figure, which saw 15% of iPhone buyers come from an Android phone.
• However, over a five-year period, iPhone buyers are coming from Android phones at a steady 11-15% clip.

• WhatsApp will be required to make its platform interoperable under the European Union's Digital Markets Act.
• In an interview with Wired, an engineering director for WhatsApp described how support for third-party messages could work.
• The feature is currently in testing, and plans will be announced in March. WhatsApp will have "several months" after that to roll out the new feature.

"One of the core requirements here, and this is really important, is for users for this to be opt-in," Brouwer explained. "I can choose whether or not I want to participate in being open to exchanging messages with third parties. This is important, because it could be a big source of spam and scams."

As we've seen in developer WhatsApp versions in the past, Brouwer confirms that third-party messages will show up in a separate part of the app from the main inbox. The third-party chat inbox is the name that has been thrown around, but we don't know what WhatsApp will call it.

• Google is rebranding Bard as Gemini across its AI suite and is seemingly dropping the Gemini name from its AI models, which will now be called Pro 1.0 and Ultra 1.0.
• The company is also launching Gemini Advanced, available with Ultra 1.0, starting today as part of a new Google One AI Premium subscription.
• Gemini, the company's AI chatbot, will be available natively on mobile in a new Gemini app for Android starting today. Gemini will appear in the Google app for iOS in the coming weeks.

Last year, Google announced that Play Protect would prompt you to scan unknown Android apps before sideloading. Google is now piloting enhanced financial fraud protection for Play Protect.

Play Protect will “analyze and automatically block the installation of apps that may use sensitive runtime permissions frequently abused for financial fraud when the user attempts to install the app from an Internet-sideloading source (web browsers, messaging apps or file managers).”

This enhancement will inspect the permissions the app declared in real-time…

Google is specifically looking for financial fraud apps that request the RECEIVE_SMS, READ_SMS, BIND_Notifications, and Accessibility permissions. They can be used by fraudsters to intercept one-time SMS or notification-based passwords and spy on screen content.

Google has another fix for the second major storage bug Pixel phones have seen in the last four months. Last week, reports surfaced that some Pixel owners were being locked out of their phone's local storage, creating a nearly useless phone with all sorts of issues. Many blamed the January 2024 Google Play system update for the issue, and yesterday, Google confirmed that hypothesis. Google posted an official solution to the issue on the Pixel Community Forums, but there's no user-friendly solution here.

The bad news is that I don't think many normal users will be able to follow Google's directions. First, you'll need to perform the secret action to enable Android's Developer Options (you tap on the build number seven times). Then, you have to download Google's "SDK Platform-Tools" zip file, which is meant for app developers. After that, plug in your phone, switch to the correct "File transfer" connection mode, open a terminal, navigate to the platform-tools folder, and run both “./adb uninstall com.google.android.media.swcodec” and “./adb uninstall com.google.android.media." Then reboot the phone and hope that works.

• Beeper says that it received and verified reports of 30 users of Beeper Cloud or Mini that had their Macs banned from using iMessage by Apple.
• Apple Support says the Macs were banned from accessing iMessage due to "spam."
• Beeper has disabled new iMessage connections to Beeper Cloud, and it's unclear when or if functionality might return.

We spotted two weeks ago that Google might rebrand “Assistant with Bard” to just “Bard.” The company might not have decided on a new Assistant with Bard name yet as the latest version of the Google app introduces “Gemini” as a candidate.

• The microphone icon, which is found in the search bar on the Pixel Launcher home screen, has now been re-mapped.
• The change was announced earlier this month alongside the removal of 17 features in Google Assistant.
• The microphone button was previously a Google Assistant shortcut. Now, it will respond to questions with Google Search results.

• A leaked set of renderings seemingly spills what Google has planned for the Pixel 9 Pro.
• The images continue to show a flat display, but the 9 Pro may offer a smaller 6.5-inch display alongside a thicker design change for its rear camera shelf.
• More details on its specifications are unknown, however, the device will supposedly sport a periscope telephoto lens with its primary and telephoto lenses.

During the Pixel 8 event, “Assistant with Bard” was announced for 2024. Before it launches on Android, Google might be dropping the “Assistant” moniker and rebrand to just “Bard.”

• Android used to let you place widgets on the lock screen, but this feature was killed off in Android 5.0 Lollipop.
• Code within the latest Android 14 QPR2 beta suggests that this feature might return in some form.
• We don’t have the full details on what lock screen widget support might look like in Android 15, nor whether third-party widgets may be supported.

Google is reorganizing the Devices & Services teams responsible for Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit hardware. This change was announced to employees today, and Google confirmed the changes in a statement to 9to5Google.

As part of this reorganization, we’ve learned that Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman, as well as other Fitbit leaders, are leaving Google.

This reorganization will see Google lay off a few hundred roles across Devices & Services, though the majority is happening within the first-party augmented reality hardware team. This downsizing suggests Google is no longer working on its own AR hardware and is fully committed to the OEM-partnership model. Employees will have the ability to apply to open roles within the company, and Google is offering its usual degree of support.

• Google has announced that it will focus on quality and reliability for its voice assistant, Google Assistant, by removing almost 20 features starting January 26.
• The features being removed include controlling audiobooks, setting media alarms, managing stopwatches, and sending emails. Google suggests alternative methods for these tasks.
• The company is also changing how users can access Assistant on their phones, with the microphone button in the Google search bar starting a search instead of pulling up Assistant.

Nearby Share was officially announced in August of 2020 to let Android users locally send files from one device to another. Google is now “collaborating with Samsung” to create a “singular cross-Android solution” called “Quick Share,” and it begins rolling out next month.

• Google announced the terms of a $700 million settlement that alleged it overcharged customers due to Play Store policies.
• As part of the deal, third-party payments will be allowed for in-app purchases. Previously, these were part of a limited pilot program. (USA users only)
• Google will also make sideloading easier and change the wording used to warn users about potential risks.

In the barely two weeks since its debut, Beeper Mini and its sibling, Beeper Cloud, have experienced several major outages to iMessage support on Android and other platforms by Apple’s hand and, this evening, it’s happening yet again.

Google is working on a feature that will scan apps for signs of phishing or other deceptive behavior.

It’s all too common to want to keep Android apps hidden, with quite a few launchers offering a way to hide or disguise an app from onlookers. OnePlus and Samsung both even offer a built-in way to stash apps into a “Hidden Space,” ensuring your privacy stays intact if you ever need to hand your phone to someone else.

The Epic vs Google court battle has come to a verdict, with a jury unanimously voting in Epic’s favor, and declaring that Google has an “illegal monopoly” with the Play Store and Google Play billing.

As reported by The Verge, the jury voted that Google has a monopoly over Android app distribution and in-app billing, that Google has engaged in anticompetitive practices around its markets, and that Epic was injured by Google’s behavior. The case seems to have particularly come down to the multiple reveals throughout the case that Google’s practices and deals were deemed as anti-competitive.

While the verdict is in, the case isn’t over just yet. Judge James Donato still hasn’t announced what Epic has won or what changes Google will be required to make.

Epic, in a blog post, says that the verdict is “a win for all app developers.”

Today’s verdict is a win for all app developers and consumers around the world. It proves that Google’s app store practices are illegal and they abuse their monopoly to extract exorbitant fees, stifle competition and reduce innovaion.