Send tips/talk to abner@9to5mac.com or @technacity (open DMs).
Abner Li has worked at 9to5Google since 2015 and in late 2020 took on the role of editor-in-chief. He is keenly focused on tracking what happens at Google, and is often the first to spot new features in Google’s ever-growing family of applications that are updated on a daily basis, including Search, Assistant, Maps, Workspace, Android, Chrome/OS, Wear OS, and YouTube Music.
To him, what Google does greatly impacts the technology space and modern life. Inside the company, he is particularly interested in the key products mentioned above, as well as services like Google Podcasts and Google Lens. Each are massive platforms that can be unwieldy to grasp, with Abner keenly bent on understanding their philosophy and future direction. He is most excited about Google’s plans for augmented reality glasses.
Abner spearheads the APK Insight program at 9to5Google to chronicle all changes in the company’s Android apps, often finding new features before they are officially announced. This includes redesigns and revamps, launches, and new products.
A big area of interest is Google’s hardware division, including Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest. He detailed all of the Pixel 3’s camera features before launch and scooped the 2nd-generation Nest Hub’s Soli-powered Sleep Sensing capability, including how it would integrate with Google Fit.
Recently, Abner detailed the Pixel Watch’s specs in full before launch, including bands and pricing. He also got wind of the Pixel Tablet’s ultimate form factor.
Calling cards in Phone by Google let you personalize calls to your contacts with a fullscreen image. The Google Phone app is now adding the ability to set “your calling card” that other people will see.
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Since launch, Gemini Live has primarily been a fullscreen experience, but Google is now rolling out a floating pill redesign on Android.
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Pixel At a Glance is getting its first new information types in quite some time today with Sports and Finance.
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Chrome on Android has offered a Reading mode for several years now, and Google is now significantly redesigning it.
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Like other Google apps, Messages for Android A/B tests many features. It can take the RCS/SMS client a rather long time to actually launch new functionality in stable. From various reports, Google announcements, and devices we’ve checked, this is the current state of Messages.
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After rolling out to iOS in August, Google Photos for Android now lets you create stickers from your images.
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Google Photos for Android is adding a rather convenient shortcut to access your local folders from anywhere in the app.
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Pixel Studio was introduced in 2024 with the Pixel 9 alongside Screenshots and Weather. In light of other Google image generation features and integrations, Pixel Studio is going away.
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After we spotted earlier this week, Google Messages is beginning to roll out its new real-time location sharing powered by Find Hub.
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The latest Gemini overlay redesign gives you access to more of the prompt box and Tools menu anywhere on Android.
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Google today released Android 17 Beta 2 for Pixel devices. This comes less than two weeks after the first release.
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Less than two weeks after the inaugural release, Android 17 Beta 2 is already rolling out to Pixel devices.
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Google is now beginning to roll out the “Past Chats” feature to free users of the Gemini app around the world.
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Google today announced Nano Banana 2 as its latest image model rolling out now to the Gemini app.
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Following the Gemini automation announcement today, Google is detailing how all this works under the hood on Android.
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Last October, Google announced Gemini Enterprise for business users, and the mobile apps are now available. Meanwhile, @Google Chat is now available in the Gemini app for Workspace users.
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Google’s Sameer Samat took the stage at Galaxy Unpacked today and teased “amazing things” coming to Android 17.
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At Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked, Google announced Scam Detection updates for calls and its Messages app.
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Besides Gemini automation, Google today announced the latest Circle to Search features for the Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10.
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At Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked, Google announced agentic automation capabilities for the Gemini app on the Galaxy S26, as well as the Pixel 10.
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After losing with the broader Material 3 Expressive redesign, the Google Messages Details page has regained edit history.
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Waymo autonomous vehicles date back to Google’s self-driving car project that started in 2009. As of today, you can get a ride in 10 cities across the US.
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In August of 2024, Google Messages started testing a circular redesign of read receipts. This has been slowly rolling out since then, and there now looks to be wide availability for beta users.
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Just under a year after expanding to the US, YouTube Premium Lite is adding background playback and offline downloads for “most videos.”
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