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Google confirmed this week it is pushing a patch for the Android Auto 17.2 crash fix that users have been waiting on since early July. The fix covers both the stable and beta channels, and the company has published exact build numbers so users can confirm whether their device is protected. The update is in staged rollout now, per Android Authority and Android Headlines.

Most people assume they check their phones often. What they almost never do is measure it. When researchers have tracked actual pickup behavior, the numbers consistently exceed self-reported estimates by a significant margin. A 2016 analysis cited by Stanford's Change Lab put average daily phone interactions at roughly 2,617. The methodology behind that figure is imprecise what counts as an "interaction" varies considerably but it points at something real: for most people, phone use is not...

A feature years in the making crossed a concrete threshold this week: WhatsApp usernames are now active for a select group of users on both iOS and Android, marking the first live phase of the rollout. For those users, two people can connect on WhatsApp without either one ever seeing the other's phone number. That is a meaningful shift in how identity works at the moment of first contact and India's government is already trying to stop it.

Samsung is reportedly considering cutting its free double-storage pre-order benefit by half for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold8, Z Fold8 Ultra, and Z Flip8, according to industry sources cited by Chosun. Buyers who would previously have received the 512GB model at no extra cost when ordering the 256GB variant will now pay roughly half the normal storage premium. If confirmed, it would mark a broader reduction than Samsung's recent region-specific changes to the promotion.

For the first time, Roblox is bringing game creation into its mobile app. A new feature called Build, a dedicated creation tab inside the existing iPhone and iPad app, lets anyone type a text prompt and generate a basic playable game without writing a line of code, according to the Roblox newsroom today. The Roblox game creation feature on iPhone and iPad enters public alpha on July 28, initially limited to New Zealand.

iOS 27 doesn't reinvent CarPlay. What it does is remove friction, the kind you encounter every single drive. Reaching playback controls from the wrong screen, repeating yourself to Siri, asking for directions without being able to specify "avoid toll roads." These aren't dramatic problems, but fixing them adds up to a meaningfully better daily experience. If you're running the iOS 27 public beta, several of the best CarPlay upgrades in iOS 27 public beta are testable today with no additional...

Samsung announced yesterday that Amazon Music will come preinstalled on millions of "select" Galaxy phones and tablets globally. New Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers, whether they have the app preinstalled or download it from the Galaxy Store, get a three-month free trial that auto-renews at $12.99 a month, or $11.99 for Prime members, unless canceled before the renewal date, per Digital Music News. What Samsung has not disclosed is which devices will ship with the app preloaded, what it...

Google has been replacing Google Assistant with Gemini in Android Auto, with the rollout expanding to 45 languages globally, per Google's announcement. If your phone already runs the Gemini app, you likely have access or will soon. The change matters more than a typical assistant update: Assistant frequently failed to register voice input at all, something a Tom's Guide tester called a near-daily occurrence. Gemini also removes the rigid syntax problem, so you can speak naturally and hold a...

Unicode 17.0 is finalized, and the eight new emoji coming in Unicode 17.0 are locked in. Samsung has already shipped all of them to millions of devices. Pixel users are still waiting, and when Google's update does arrive, it won't just add eight new characters it's expected to rebuild how every emoji on the device looks. That second part hasn't been confirmed as a single bundled update, and that distinction matters.

A new Google Pixel Watch 5 leak gives the clearest look yet at the smartwatch's four reported finishes, two sizes, and a pricing structure that would mark the first series-wide increase in Pixel Watch history. The renders, attributed to leaker OnLeaks via The Tide Chart and reported this week by multiple outlets, show four reported finishes across the lineup's 41mm and 45mm sizes.

Samsung Health is warning users that withdrawing consent for AI training will cut off cloud sync and trigger deletion of previously synced health data, except data Samsung is legally required to retain. The toggle began reaching users this week, and the core question the Samsung Health AI training opt-out raises is one Samsung has not publicly answered: does "deleted" refer to your entire health history, or only the copy Samsung stores through account sync?

Google Pixel gaming performance issues reported after last month's Android 17 update remain unresolved across multiple device generations, with neither the July security patch nor a follow-up Google Play System update this week resolving the complaints for affected users, Android Authority reported. Pixel 8, Pixel 9, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL owners are all among those affected. Google has not publicly acknowledged the problem or explained its cause.

Apple TV+ is occupying Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con for the first time, with a two-hour Apple TV+ Hall H panel on Saturday, July 25 covering five titles, a separate late-night sneak preview of Dark Matter Season 2, and a free multi-sensory Silo installation open to the public, Deadline reported today. The panel runs 2:00–4:00 PM and will be moderated by Josh Horowitz, host of the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast.

Netflix reaches 72% of American adults, making it the most widely used streaming platform in the country. Its share of total U.S. television viewing still fell to 7.8% in April, its lowest level since May 2025, per Nielsen data. Nearly everyone has it. Not everyone is watching.

Disney is internally discussing making some Disney+ content available without a subscription, according to two people familiar with the matter. Adam Smith, Disney's product and tech chief, raised the idea at a company streaming town hall this week, offering no timeline and no defined scope.

Bigme announced the Hibreak Dual 2 in late June 2026, roughly two months after its predecessor failed to reach customers. The original HiBreak Dual was listed for preorder starting at $359, per The Verge, but available reporting shows no retail release followed. Bigme subsequently issued a public "reflection and apology" acknowledging the design's shortcomings, according to Heyup. The Bigme Hibreak Dual 2 is the company's answer to those criticisms and the core hardware change is significant...

Samsung posted a Spider-Man teaser this week that strongly suggests the Galaxy Z Fold 8 appears to have a shorter, wider shape than any previous Galaxy Fold. Galaxy Unpacked is set for July 22 in London, and Samsung's own tagline "A new shape unfolds" makes clear this isn't positioned as a spec refresh, The Verge reported this week.

DuckDuckGo's browser now blocks most of pre-roll and mid-roll YouTube ads automatically, with no extension required and no setup needed on most platforms. The feature went live this week as default-on for Windows, Mac, and iOS users running the latest version.

High-quality renders of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 leaked this week by Android Headlines offer the clearest look yet at a device that appears designed around a core problem no previous Galaxy Fold solved: making the phone usable when it's shut. The images show a wider, shorter body with a cover screen proportioned more like a normal smartphone than the cramped slabs on prior Fold models. According to Tom's Guide, the leaked images appear to line up with Samsung's own teaser imagery showing a...

Google Photos' floating bottom bar on Android is rolling out broadly this week as a server-side rollout for users on version 7.82, with no separate Play Store update required once the app is current. The docked navigation strip that sat clamped to the screen's lower edge is replaced by a pill-shaped bar hovering above the photo grid. 9to5Google confirmed the wide push this week, noting that availability had been limited until now.