Articles by Jay Bonggolto

Gmail brings its search filters from the web to Android.

What you need to know

Google has begun rolling out new search filters to its mobile app for Android.
The filters allow you to sort emails by sender or time frame.
These capabilities were released to Gmail on the web last year.

Gmail’s search capabilities on Android are getting a significant update that will narrow results to help you find a specific email. The app’s new search filters were first rolled out on the web last year, with the goal of simplifying the way you sort through large amounts of search results.

The new update to one of the best Android apps introduces a variety of filters that allow you to search through emails by sender or time frame. You can further refine the results by choosing to view only emails with attachments.

These search filters will show up right below the search box in the app. You can tap any of the four buttons, including “From,” “Sent to,” Date,” and “Attachments,” independently or po…

The Galaxy Tab S7 tablets pick up new features that were previously exclusive to Samsung’s latest foldable devices.

What you need to know

Samsung’s newest tablets are now updated with new multitasking features ported from One UI 3.1.1.
The latest update brings multi-window support and persistent taskbar to Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7, Tab S7+ and Tab S7 FE.
These capabilities were previously available only on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3.

Samsung has started pushing new updates to the Galaxy Tab S7 series, including a handful of multitasking features first seen on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3.

The new features are rolling out to Samsung’s best Android tablets as part of a new One UI 3.1-based update, as per SamMobile. While the firmware update is a minor upgrade from One UI 3.0, it brings with it a couple of handy features from One UI 3.1.1 that should improve your productivity experience with the tablets.

One feature being ported from Samsung’s foldable lineup is the pers…

The instant messaging app is doubling down on personalization and video recording features.

What you need to know

Telegram has gained a host of new features as part of its latest update.
The new capabilities allow you to set themes for individual chats, send interactive emoji, and record live streams and video chats.
Telegram’s read receipts capability also works the same way as WhatsApp’s with the latest change.

Telegram continues to add new features aimed at improving its personalization, video recording, and other experiences. The latest update to the instant messaging app now lets you personalize the look of specific chats, send interactive emoji, and record live streams and video chats along with more improvements.

One of the significant changes in the latest update is the ability to natively record live streams and video chats. The new feature is available to group admins and allows for the sharing of recorded videos in a group for everyone’s viewing. Admins have the opti…

You no longer have to play Stadia games in an experimental setup on Samsung’s recent flagship phones and tablets.

What you need to know

Stadia is now compatible with more Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets in an official capacity.
Samsung’s Galaxy S21 and Note 20 devices as well as its recent tablets have gained Stadia support.
There’s no word on when Google’s cloud gaming service will officially support Samsung’s foldable devices.

Google has expanded the list of devices that are compatible with Stadia. The cloud gaming service now officially supports some of the best Samsung phones, including the Galaxy S21 and Note 20 lineups.

There are 11 additional Samsung devices joining the older Galaxy flagships in Stadia’s official list of compatible devices. As reported by 9to5Google, these include the company’s most recent high-end smartphones and tablets.

Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
Samsung Galaxy Note 20
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
Samsung Galax…

Google’s “Hold for Me” feature is now available in preview to some Pixel phone users in Canada.

What you need to know

Google’s “Hold for Me” feature is apparently rolling out to some Pixel phones in Canada.
The feature waits on hold for you until a real person is ready to talk.
It is available in preview for now, so you might not get it immediately.

Google appears to be expanding the availability of its unique feature that’s meant to sit through a call hold on your behalf. “Hold for Me” has been spotted in preview on some Google Pixel phones in Canada.

Some Pixel owners took to Reddit to report seeing the feature, which debuted last year in the U.S. alongside the Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G. The capability, which is powered by Google Assistant, handles call holds so you don’t have to wait on the line until a real person returns to the call. This comes in handy if you are multitasking and need to call support from your power company, for example.

However, the feature is only…

The Google Pixel 6 Pro could come with automatic reverse wireless charging, five years of software updates, and more.

What you need to know

A new leak of the Google Pixel 6 Pro has surfaced online, backing up some previous rumors surrounding the phone.
The leak claims the upcoming device won’t ship with Active Edge as previously rumored.
It also spilled the beans on other key specs surrounding the phone’s display, camera, battery, and more.

Google’s upcoming flagship smartphone might not come with Active Edge after all, a new leak has revealed. The feature has been a longstanding capability in some of the previous Pixel generations, allowing you to squeeze the sides of the phone to trigger Google Assistant.

The latest information comes from XDA Developers’ Mishaal Rahman, who shared a plethora of details about the upcoming Google Pixel 6 Pro. It debunks an earlier rumor that claimed the device would come with Active Edge. That feature was supported starting with the Google Pixe…

It’s finally live on Samsung’s latest flagship phone a few months after it arrived for the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

What you need to know

Samsung has pushed a new update to the Galaxy S21 Ultra with eSIM support.
The latest release is available on the flagship device running the Android 12-based One UI 4.0.
It is rolling out in phases to Samsung’s flagship device.

Samsung has begun rolling out eSIM support to the Galaxy S21 Ultra running the Android 12-based One UI 4.0 in the U.S. The latest change appears to have quietly arrived on the flagship device, and it’s presumably available on the other Galaxy S21 devices as well.

Android Central’s Alex Dobie can confirm that the eSIM option is now live on his Galaxy S21 Ultra (U.S. version), as shown in the screenshot on the right. The feature doesn’t come as a huge surprise, though, seeing as the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra picked up eSIM support from T-Mobile earlier this year alongside a security update.

The release coincides with today’s…

You don’t have to launch navigation in Google Maps to open the Assistant Driving Mode now.

What you need to know

The new Google Assistant Driving Mode home screen UI is now showing up for some users.
It was first unveiled during Google’s I/O event in 2019 as a replacement for the Android Auto app on mobile.
The new interface appears to be live on devices running both Android 11 and 12.

Google’s Android Auto replacement on mobile is finally picking up its long-delayed home screen UI more than two years after it was unveiled, as spotted by 9to5Google.

The new Google Assistant Driving Mode interface that Google debuted during its I/O event in 2019 is now showing up for some users. It is triggered when you say the wake words “Hey Google, launch Driving Mode” or “Let’s drive.” The refreshed UI is noticeably different from what was rolled out in the U.S. in 2020 and other territories earlier this year.

When the service is idle, it displays a search bar near the top of the sc…

You might soon be able to mirror your Google Pixel app on your Chromebook with Android 12.

What you need to know

Android 12 looks set to introduce a new feature that will link Google’s Pixel phones and Chromebooks.
The rumored “Push” feature will allow you to mirror a mobile app on Chrome OS.
Push could be a Pixel-exclusive feature at launch.

Google’s rumored cross-device integration feature that borrows from Apple’s Handoff capability could launch exclusively on the Pixel phones at first. The new feature, dubbed “Push,” is supposed to let you stream your phone screen to your Chromebook.

Push is expected to roll out sometime after Android 12 arrives presumably in the first week of October. According to 9to5Google, the feature can be triggered by opening the Recents menu and then tapping Push. This method will present a list of Chromebook devices with which you can mirror a mobile app, allowing you to pick up where you left off.

Another way of pushing apps from some of the be…

You can now shoot up your cloud storage to 5TB for $24.99 per month.

What you need to know

Google One has expanded its storage options to offer a middle option between its 2TB and 10TB plans.
The new plan costs $24.99 per month for 5TB of storage space.
It provides the same perks as the 2TB tier and more benefits.

Google One has introduced a new storage plan that offers a more affordable option without charging for storage space that you may not need. The cloud storage service now adds a 5TB tier for $24.99 per month, as spotted by 9to5Google.

The new plan offers the same perks available in the 2TB tier, including quick access to Google experts, family-sharing option and VPN access for some of the best Android phones. In addition, you will get 10% off your purchases in the Google Store.

If you opt for the annual payment plan, the new tier costs only $249.99 per year. That’s a 17% savings over the monthly plan. In comparison, the 2TB plan sets you back $9.99 per month while t…