Latest news with #UIUpdate
Android Authority
11-06-2025
- Android Authority
Google experiments with ditching the Favorites tab in the Phone app for a simpler layout
TL;DR Google is testing the removal of the Favorites tab in the Phone app. Favorite contacts appear as a horizontal row at the top of the Recents tab in the new layout. The frequent contacts section no longer has a place in this redesign. Google is testing a significant change to its dialer app, and it could mark the end of a familiar tab. On at least some Pixel 8 Pro devices running version 178.0.765584175-publicbeta of the Google Phone app, the standalone Favorites tab has been removed. Instead, favorite contacts appear in a neat row across the top of the Recents screen, similar to how some other dialers integrate shortcuts for frequent contacts. Credit to Telegram user @h_muc, who first spotted this change live on their device. The first screenshot below shows the app's current UI, while the other two display the new layout. In the updated design, the Favorites tab is gone, and the top of the Recents tab now displays pinned favorites, followed by your most recent calls. A new Add button appears at the end of the contact row, presumably linking to the contact list so you can add more favorites. Another casualty of this redesign is the frequent contacts section, which previously appeared underneath favorites in the old tab. That section no longer appears in the new layout, and it's unclear whether it has been removed entirely or simply relocated. You can get a better idea of how the potential new layout will look in this video: The new layout is certainly cleaner, but it may frustrate users who liked having a dedicated space for both favorites and frequent contacts. It's unclear how widely this change is rolling out yet, but we'll keep an eye on things and let you know if this layout becomes the new default. 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
10-06-2025
- Android Authority
The latest Android 16 QPR1 beta finally organizes Android's messy sound settings
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Google is cleaning up Android's 'Sound & vibration' settings page in the upcoming Android 16 QPR1 update. Instead of one long list, the new layout groups settings into distinct categories like 'sound patterns' and 'Audio.' The volume sliders also get a modern design, while other options are relocated to make the page feel less cluttered. After more than 16 years of development, the Android OS is packed with features. If they weren't organized, navigating them would be a mess. For a long time, that's exactly what Android's sound settings page felt like, but Google is finally cleaning it up in the next quarterly release of Android 16. After installing Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 on our Pixel device, we noticed that the Settings > Sound & vibration menu has received a major cleanup. Instead of presenting every setting in a single vertical list, the latest Android 16 QPR1 beta separates them by category. For instance, the 'phone ringtone,' 'default notification sound,' and 'default alarm sound' options are now grouped under a new 'sound patterns' section. Meanwhile, the 'Spatial Audio' and 'Media' items are under a new 'Audio' section. The five volume sliders remain at the top of the page, but they've been updated with the more modern Material 3 Expressive design seen in the volume panel. Furthermore, the 'audio will play on' entry no longer sits awkwardly between the media and call volume sliders but has been moved to the very top. Here's a gallery showing the Sound & Vibration settings page in Android 16 versus Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2: Sound & vibration settings in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 Sound & vibration settings in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 And if that's not enough to showcase the difference, here's a list that shows just how unorganized this page was before and after the update to Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2: Sound & Vibration settings in Android 16 Media volume Audio will play on Call volume Ring volume Notification volume Alarm volume Phone ringtone Live Caption Spatial audio Now Playing Media Vibration & haptics Default notification sound Default alarm sound Clear Calling Dial pad tones Screen locking sound Charging sounds and vibration Tap & click sounds Always show icon when in vibrate mode Sound & Vibration Settings in Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 Volume Audio will play on Media volume Call volume Ring volume Notification volume Alarm volume Vibration & haptics Sound patterns Phone ringtone Default notification sound Default alarm sound Audio Spatial Audio Media System sounds & vibrations Dial pad tones Screen locking sound Charging sounds and vibration Tap & click sounds Always show icon when in vibrate mode Live Caption Adaptive Sound Now Playing Clear Calling I'm glad to see Google finally start to tidy up Android's sound settings in Android 16 QPR1. This is something I complained about back in 2023, as I noticed Google was reorganizing many other pages in the Settings app while leaving the Sound & vibration page untouched. The Material 3 Expressive redesign, which places menu items in separate cards, goes a long way in making the Settings app feel less cluttered. However, the Sound & vibration page previously undermined this by keeping all its options in one long, vertical list. While the new page still has too many settings under the 'system sounds & vibrations' section at the bottom, it's much better than before. 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.
Phone Arena
28-05-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
Google pushes out new Google Search widget for Android with custom shortcut icon
Google has started disseminating a redesigned Google Search widget for Android phones. The previous look for the Search widget was a pill-shaped field with the Google "G" logo on the left. An additional Search shortcut could be seen as you moved toward the right of the pill followed by the microphone icon for voice input. The new look starts with the same search bar in a container with an extra circle that is next to the right side of the container to hold the icon of the custom shortcut you select. So let's repeat what the new look features. The "G" logo, which opens the Google app when tapped, stays on the left with the microphone icon toward the right. That is followed by Google Lens to close the container. There is then a separate circle that you can add a custom shortcut to. This new Google Search widget is a little thicker than the old one. The new look is a 4 x 1 layout instead of the 3 x 1 look for the bar that has been replaced. To select which icon you want for the circle at the very end of the widget, long press on the widget and tap the pencil icon that appears. This will take you to a page where you can select from several themes for the Search widget including System, Light, Dark, Device, and Custom. Tap on Shortcuts to choose the custom icon from these options: None Translate (for text) Song Search Weather Translate (Camera) Sports Dictionary Homework Finance Saved News Keep in mind that this is the Google Search widget and not the iconic Pixel Launcher search bar. It is unknown whether Google will add the new look to the Pixel Launcher search bar although at this stage there are no changes to that search bar. How to set the custom shortcut icon on the new Google Search widget for Android. | Image credit-PhoneArena The Google Search widget is part of the version 16.19 update to the Android version of the Google app. It is a server-side update and if it doesn't show up, try a Force Stop of the app. To put the widget on your phone, long press on the Home Screen and you'll get a box with options including Wallpaper & style, widgets, Apps list, and Home settings. Tap on Widgets and scroll down to Google. Tap on the 4 x 1 search bar widget. Follow the directions we gave you earlier in the story for adding a custom shortcut icon and you will have the new Google Search widget on your Android phone .
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
Google Maps users are starting to see the new account switcher on Android
Andy Walker / Android Authority TL;DR Users are starting to see the new Google account switcher in Maps on Android. The redesign brings the UI closer to what you see on the web. Since August 2024, we have been keeping tabs on a new account switcher that's in development for Google's apps. The last time we saw it was in an APK teardown that showed Google was preparing the new UI for apps like Keep, Maps, and Calendar. Now, it seems some users are finally starting to see the redesign pop up. On Telegram, a user who goes by Xsir shared the following screenshot of a new account switcher design. The UI, which was found in the Maps app, appears to match our earlier findings, a design that resembles the web version. Specifically, you can see a profile picture of the primary account, a greeting, 'Manage your Google Account' button, and a collapsible 'Switch account' menu. Xisr It appears the new account switcher has not only rolled out for Xsir. We have seen a handful of other users who have also mentioned the redesigned UI. The change has yet to roll out for our own devices. Which means we're currently seeing the old version, which includes the profile picture that's to the right of the primary account and arrow button, the 'Manage your Google Account' button that's below those elements, other connected accounts, an 'Add another account' option, and the option to 'Manage accounts on this device.' It's unclear how long it will take for this rollout to become available widely. 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.
