Gadget Hacks

Google Photos is rolling out a setting that lets users disable the background music on Memories, the auto-generated photo and video montages that surface in the app's carousel. A new Background music toggle turns that soundtrack off entirely, rather than letting someone mute one compilation while leaving music playing on the rest.

Samsung has closed out the Galaxy A07's beta program and shipped a stable One UI 9.0 build, but the supplied reporting does not confirm the Samsung Galaxy A07 One UI 9 update has reached India. The stable firmware, A075FXXU7DZJ5, is a 2,833.43MB package for the 4G/LTE variant, first documented in Iran, according to SamMobile. That is the extent of what is confirmed: a real stable build exists and is rolling out in at least one market, and India is not named as one of them.

Samsung's One UI 9 splits apart a Quick Panel pairing that's been fixed in place for years: the Sound Mode toggle no longer has to share a tile with the volume slider, and Display Mode is no longer bundled with brightness. That split, plus new resizing options for several panel controls, is the core of One UI 9 Quick Panel customization, based on hands-on coverage published last month and a community post describing the beta build.

Apple's redesigned Siri app works like other AI chat apps, keeping a running log of conversations instead of clearing them after each session. Testing from iDownloadBlog found the app keeps a permanent archive of conversations by default, one that stays in place until someone changes it. For iPhone, iPad, and Mac owners running the update, learning how to automatically delete Siri conversations is the reported way to keep that history from growing without limit.

A Galaxy M17e owner posted last month that turning on Mobile Hotspot killed Wi-Fi automatically, leaving no way to run Wi-Fi and mobile hotspot at the same time on that phone. A commenter in that same thread suggested the Samsung Wi-Fi sharing hotspot setting, which can let a phone share Wi-Fi instead of mobile data through its hotspot, might be reserved for Galaxy S series phones and pricier A-series models. Samsung's published hotspot documentation confirms that Wi-Fi Sharing exists, but does...

Google is testing a Google Photos overnight backup mode built to keep the app running in the foreground and the phone awake so large batches of photos and videos can finish uploading without getting cut off. The option surfaced inside a modified build of Google Photos version 8.0, according to Basinca (2 days ago), which dug into the app's code and surfaced screens Google hasn't shipped publicly yet.

Google Find Hub's "Notify when left behind" alerts are rolling out to Android users, warning them when a tagged item, like a wallet, keys, or bag, separates from their phone. The rollout was first reported by 9to5Google yesterday, and Engadget, Android Authority, and SammyGuru each published their own coverage today, all citing 9to5Google's original find.

Xbox started testing a way to use your phone as an Xbox controller on a smart TV this week, no gamepad required. The preview, which Xbox announced Wednesday, lets a supported Android phone or iPhone act as a game controller for Xbox Cloud Gaming on supported smart TVs, with controls loading directly in the phone's mobile browser instead of through a dedicated app (Xbox Wire).

Some Android Auto users on Pixel and Galaxy phones say the Android Auto Gemini "who do you want to call" bug is blocking hands-free calls and texts this week. Ask Gemini to reach a contact by name, and instead of placing the call, Android Auto loops back with the same question, "Who do you want to call?", even after the name is repeated (9to5Google; SamMobile). Reports have been piling up on Google's Android Auto Help forum since early October, with more surfacing this week, according to...

Google Messages is testing a home screen overhaul that turns pinned conversations into large, iMessage-style contact photos sitting above the regular chat list, while search drops down to a floating button near the bottom of the screen. The Google Messages pinned chats redesign is currently limited to a handful of beta testers, according to 9to5Google and Android Authority.

Play Store version 53.9 now includes an Android Play Protect turned off reminder, a prompt that appears after Google Play Protect has been turned off for an extended stretch, according to a changelog spotted by heise online this week. The notification shipped in an update released earlier this week that also touched device connectivity, account management, and other security features, according to heise.

Samsung Galaxy F56 owners in India can now get Android 17, with new ways to customize their phones, monitor app activity, and secure their devices. The One UI 9 update also brings accessibility improvements, Samsung Health upgrades, and the October 2026 security patch.

Apple's WebKit team introduced Safari Adaptive Dark Mode in the Safari 27.3 beta, a feature that automatically darkens light websites without the site needing to build its own dark theme, according to WebKit's announcement two days ago. It only works once a user turns it on, and it requires the device's system appearance to already be set to Dark. WebKit's announcement does not provide a stable-release date, and it doesn't specify a full list of supported devices or operating systems, so anyone...

Google quietly confirmed that receipt scanning is coming to Google Wallet in the changelog for Google Play Services v26.40, dated Oct. 12, 2026. The entry says users can now scan to add receipts, a change that could make it easier to save purchase records without entering their details manually.

A leaker claims OPPO is testing its unannounced Find X10 Ultra with MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 Pro, then says a Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 version is now more likely (Android Central, today). The OPPO Find X10 Ultra MediaTek Dimensity 9600 Pro rumor is still just that: a leak, not a product announcement. OPPO hasn't confirmed the phone exists at all, so there's no official chipset, camera hardware, price, or release date to weigh against anything.

Google calls the $179.99 Fitbit Edge its "smartest fitness tracker ever" (Google, two weeks ago). But according to Android Authority's reporting, which draws on direct correspondence with Google, anyone chasing the fullest set of AI health features should skip the Edge and "buy a Pixel Watch 5 and a Pixel phone" instead. That's the core tension behind any Fitbit Edge vs Google Pixel Watch comparison right now: two products from the same company, running the same health platform, with...

Start with one question: did tap-to-pay ever work on this phone, or did it work fine for weeks and then suddenly stop? That answer helps determine whether you're dealing with a setup problem you can fix yourself or an intermittent issue that ordinary troubleshooting may not resolve.

Ask Play, Google Play's AI-powered search feature, can now generate side-by-side comparisons between apps alongside its existing conversational recommendations.

Samsung's U.S. support page has a gap where cheaper screen repair used to sit. Crack the inner display on a Galaxy Z Fold8 today, and the only listed fix is a $579 "Screen Module Replacement" bundling the screen, bezel, and battery together, because the narrower repair tier Fold7 owners can still choose for $449 isn't offered on the new phone (AndroidPure, two months ago). That number is the clearest data point in the Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs iPhone Duo cost debate right now: one phone carries a...

Google has confirmed that Find Hub will add Left Behind notifications, alerting users when a tracked device separates from their phone, but the only hardware with a committed launch date so far is Pixel Tag, Google's own tracker arriving November 11 for $29 solo or $99 for a four-pack.