Articles by Abner Li

While people like desktop Tab Groups, the reception is much chillier in Chrome for Android. Google is fortunately listening to feedback and is “experimenting with changes to this feature’s behavior.”
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Chrome 93 is rolling out as a quieter release than usual on desktop and mobile today. However, a small tweak in Chrome for Android sees Google switch the dark theme to a darker shade of gray.
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Back in July, “Backup by Google One” started rolling out as an expansion to the existing Android backup service. This more granular and expansive approach to storage is now more widely available.
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The rise of remote work and video conferencing has boosted webcam sales over the past year. It has also led some to connect their DSLRs and other dedicated cameras to their PCs, while people are doing the same with their smartphones. Reincubate Camo i…

Google Play today announced that Android app ratings will be localized by country and device type to make the star count “more personalized and indicative of the experience each individual user can expect.”
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Google is infamously known for starting multiple projects to accomplish what is more or less the same task. That practice extends to gaming, with court documents today revealing an Android and Google Play-focused “Games Future” that’s appa…

The Pixel 4a was announced just over a year ago and curiously remains on sale following yesterday’s Pixel 5a with 5G unveil. In fact, it’s the only phone from the Made by Google 2020 lineup to remain in stock in the official US store.
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Over the weekend, the new Google Assistant on Pixel phone started losing its original translucent UI. The design that replaced it is now appearing on other (non-NGA) Android devices with minor tweaks – a shorter panel – and greater emphasis on Lens.
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Following iOS 14 last fall and Android 12 in the coming weeks, Google has a renewed focus on homescreen widgets, a UI element that it pioneered. One of the first revamped widgets to launch widely is “Your memories” for Google Photos.
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Ahead of the broader Material You redesign, Google is rolling out a small tweak to one particular important and frequently used component in apps. The time picker UI across Google’s Android apps are getting updated to a new, more touch-friendly …