⌚️Samsung is going all-in with the squircle design for the Galaxy Watch 8 series!

There’s a base and Classic model and the rotating bezel is back on the Classic! Unfortunately, they use a new band system that’s incompatible with previous 20mm bands.

The new watches are thinner, brighter, faster, and packed with more health and AI features. Both run One UI 8 Watch based on Wear OS 6.

More details 👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-galaxy-watch-8-series-launch-3574215/

✨⌚️Gemini is finally rolling out on Wear OS watches!

If you have a watch on Wear OS 4 or later, Gemini will start to replace Google Assistant in the coming days.

Here’s everything Gemini can do on Wear OS 👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/gemini-wear-os-roll-out-3575266/

🔍Circle to Search is getting some new features!

- You can now use Circle to Search on mobile games to get in-game tips.

- You can now access Google’s AI Mode from Circle to Search. An AI Mode shortcut is also coming to Google Lens.

More details 👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/googles-ai-mode-circle-to-search-galaxy-z-fold-7-flip-7-3574972/

⏩The first devices to launch with Android 16 out of the box are from Samsung!

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 series ship with One UI 8, while the Watch 8 series ships with One UI 8 Watch.

Kudos to Samsung for shipping Android 16 so quickly!

Google has announced the Android Canary Release Channel, an "experimental new option for developers."

"Canary offers the latest, still-in-development version of Android." The current build available is ZP11.250606.010.A1 and you can install it on the Pixel 6 and later.

📱Android's first Canary build adds screen saver features made for phones with Qi2

A new Low Light Mode option and 'while charging and upright' trigger have been added to Settings, fixing two big issues with screen savers on phones

More details👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-screen-saver-changes-qi2-3576461/

💡 This new Android feature will let you stop HDR photos from blinding you at night

The first Android Canary adds the "enhanced HDR brightness" feature I mentioned before that lets you control HDR brightness levels.

More details 👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-canary-hdr-settings-3576420/

🎶 The first Android Canary release adds a new lock screen shortcut for the Pixel's Now Playing feature

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/now-playing-lock-screen-3576491/

📲 Android's first Canary release brings a major upgrade to split-screen multitasking

The Android Canary release adds a new 90:10 split screen ratio that will make multitasking better on Android phones

Click the link👇for more details + hands-on

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-canary-90-10-split-screen-3576796/

🫧 Chat bubbles finally get the big-screen revamp they deserve in the Android Canary release

The new bubble bar feature makes chat bubbles easier to reach on Android tablets.

Click👇for more details + images of the feature

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-canary-bubble-bar-3576893/

✨ The Gemini overlay is adding a handle that you can drag up to open the app in full screen

So far, I only have this on my Galaxy Z Fold 7, but let me know if you see it on your device!

More details 👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/gemini-new-full-screen-swipe-gesture-3576084/

📷 Google is rolling out a new UI in Google Lens

It adds a floating pill for the mode switcher and gets rid of the "Homework" option

I'm seeing this UI on two of my devices. LMK if you have it!

Screenshots 👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/google-lens-new-ui-3576595/

💻 Google confirms it's 'combining' Chrome OS and Android into a single platform

In November, I revealed that Google plans to unify its desktop OS efforts behind Android. Now, the President of the Android ecosystem essentially confirmed it.

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/google-combine-chrome-os-android-3577035/

✨This could be our first look at Gemini Space, which could be Google's version of Now Bar for Pixel phones.

Last month I reported on the existence of Gemini Space, now my colleague AssembleDebug has managed to get it partially working.

Images👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/google-pixel-gemini-space-first-look-apk-teardown-3577101/

Android's lock screen widgets are getting a slick new background blur effect

In the first Android Canary build, the lock screen widget page now shows a blurred version of your wallpaper

More details👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-lock-screen-widget-background-blur-3577218/

🔍⌨️ Android's screen magnifier can't zoom the keyboard, but a fix is finally on the way

Android’s new “magnify keyboard” option lets you zoom into the keyboard to see emojis and letters when you’re typing text

More details + short demo👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-screen-magnifier-zoom-keyboard-3577421/

🔎 Google is tweaking Chrome's new tab page to bring AI Mode front-and-center

Google is testing a new search bar in Chrome for Android that adds AI Mode and moves the other shortcuts below

Thoughts on this?

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/google-chrome-android-ai-mode-shortcut-3577296/

🖥 Android's Desktop Mode gets a handy shortcut to pin your favorite apps to the taskbar

A new “pin to taskbar” option now appears in the context menu for apps in Android’s desktop mode launcher, but only in the Android Canary release so far.

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/android-desktop-mode-pin-to-taskbar-3577417/

📁 Samsung fixes the Secure Folder flaw that let anyone see what apps you're hiding

One UI 8 fixes a flaw in the Secure Folder that let anyone with access to your device see your hidden apps and photos

Here's how the flaw worked & how it was fixed 👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-fix-secure-folder-flaw-3577852/

⌚️🔋The Galaxy Watch 8 gets a key battery health feature that more smartwatches need

The new battery protection feature in One UI 8 Watch keeps your Galaxy Watch 8 charged between 85 and 90%

Hopefully this will arrive on other Galaxy Watches👇

🔗 https://www.androidauthority.com/galaxy-watch-8-battery-protection-3578152/