What’s your favorite Gemini feature?

One of the biggest shake-ups with One UI 7 is the Now Bar, Samsung’s take on Apple’s Live Activities (and, on a lesser scale, the Dynamic Island). It surfaces a handful of contextual information to the corner of your display, including timers and Google Maps. Since I received my review unit last month, however, I’ve been unable to get sports scores to appear within Now Bar, despite following a handful of local Buffalo teams like the Bills and Sabres.

Well folks, after troubleshooting conversations, a lengthy mention in my review, and plenty of effort on my part to figure out what was stopping this feature, it’s finally fixed. When the Sabres returned to the ice this past Saturday — to absolutely whoop the Rangers in an improbable 8-2 beating — I saw every wonderful goal pop up on my S25 Ultra every step of the way.

If you run into a similar problem with sports scores in the Now Bar that I did, well, I wish I could offer advice. Unfortunately, I gave up on trying to fix this issue aro

Over here at Android Police, you’ll find a lot of people who like Android more than iOS, perhaps not all for the same reasons, but in our minds, Android is still the best place to be. But even if you feel this is a subject that is up for debate, there is no denying Android 15 offers plenty of features iOS doesn’t. As a matter of fact, we recently wrote about five ways Android 15 is better than iOS 18, so if you’d like to read more about what makes Android so great compared to iOS, click through and enjoy the list.

It’s a simple enough question, and yet it is likely few of us will agree on. It would seem choosing the perfect note-taking app is very personal, and I understand why we each have our own unique use cases. For me, I skip the grocery lists and go right for ideation. Keep is where I prefer to jot down notes for myself, usually title ideas for work, but I also keep track of fancy words I’d like to use and even keep lists of things I collect, like Game Boy games. All things any note-taking app should be able to handle, and yet I prefer the simplicity of Keep.

But what about you? What do you use note-taking apps for, and which app is your favorite?

Google Maps — or mapping applications in general — might be one of the least appreciated aspects of our modern age. By the time I got my license, I already had a smartphone with Maps preloaded out of the box, but I have distinct memories of helping my parents get to new locations using printed directions from MapQuest, to say nothing of our dedicated TomTom GPS unit.

But as good as navigation apps might be, when they fail, it can be stressful. Missed turns, wrong exits, scrambling to fix a frozen app while flying down the interstate — anything going wrong with Google Maps can be cause for alarm, and lately, I’ve been noticing a lot going wrong. From trying to take me down one-way streets going the opposite direction to sending my fiancée in literal circles while leaving her job’s parking garage, the last year or so with Google Maps has caused me a lot of friction. Yet, any time I think about swapping apps — maybe to Google’s other app Waze, or even to Apple Maps on the iPhone — the ex

The beauty of Android has always been its customization, and that often starts with your launcher. While the third-party launcher has lost some of its prominence in recent years, popular options like Nova Launcher, Action Launcher, and Niagara Launcher are still pushing things forward.

I was recently complaining about how my spam call problem has grown worse during my use of my Pixel’s Call Screen feature. It seems like the more I use it, the more spam I get. But judging by the comments, I appear to be in the minority. So, what are you using Call Screen for, and are you finding it to be helpful in your day-to-day?

I know I sure do; I get a lot of fake shipping notifications, daily it seems, sometimes multiple a day. And I can see it plain as day, the numbers are foreign, typically from the UK, a dead giveaway the messages aren’t from UPS, DHL, or FedEx. I see a lot of complaints online too. So, have you, too, been receiving RCS spam messages as of late, or have you somehow escaped the fate of the masses?

I recently switched to Projectivy Launcher because I was sick of Google adding more and more recommendations into my Android TV interface, more or less shoving advertisements for things I didn’t want to see, into my living room. Not only does my Shield TV run better when it doesn’t have to load videos in the background of the UI, I regained full control of how my TV looks.

I also know there are many out there who are perfectly fine with Google’s recommendations and enjoy Android/Google TV for what it is. But this got me thinking about how many people out there like me have installed a third-party launcher to clean things up. So, sound off in the comments whether or not you’ve considered or are using a third-party launcher on your Google/Android TV, as I have a feeling this trend is growing.

Taking pictures of the night sky isn’t something that ever occurred to me. I’ll use my phone to take quick shots of interesting things while out and about around town, but that’s about as much use as my phone cameras get. But, since I purchased a Pixel 9, I figured why not give its astrophotography mode a shot. And so I’ve dabbled a few times with mixed results. I can’t say it’s something I’ll go out of my way to use.

This got me wondering how many others out there make use of the Pixel’s astrophotography mode. So, if you’re a night sky shooter thanks to your Pixel, sound off in the comments below, and if you have a slick shot to share, all the better.

Say what you want about AI, but it does appear to have one use that anyone can enjoy, and that’s wallpaper creation. I know I’ve dabbled with image creation in Gemini and Pixel Studio and have come away with some quality results. But there are still some issues with AI, like the inability to spell words correctly or show the correct amount of fingers. But if you stick to images without words or people, you’ll definitely find better results.

So, have you been playing with AI wallpaper generation, and if so, are you finding the results worthwhile? Hit the comments to share your favorite AI-generated wallpapers, and let’s see who is getting the best results with their creations.

Now that the iPhone is sporting RCS in its messaging app, bringing together Android and iOS users for easy messaging that doesn’t ruin images and videos, I’ve been wondering how many of our readers know someone on iOS who is indeed taking advantage of RCS. For me, I know my friend group that uses iOS has remarked on the improvement in our group chats. But what about you, have you noticed your iOS friends and family are using RCS? Hit the comments to let us know, as I truly wonder if many iOS users give a hoot about messaging with RCS.

There is no denying that Google is pushing Gemini into every space it can muster, from Messages to Gmail, there is no getting away from it. Sure, there is also the app, as well as a subscription tier for the app, but it would seem Google feels we all need some convincing to use its AI by shoving the service into everything. So this got me thinking: perhaps few are actually using Gemini, which is why I wanted to ask. How often do you use Gemini, or do you even use it at all? Hit the comments, as I have a sneaking suspicion nobody is all that interested in AI.

Gemini is here in full force, and it finally offers a lot of the functionality of Google Assistant while still lacking some of the smoothness Assistant users have come to expect. This creates a situation where many are still using Google Assistant instead of switching over to Gemini. For me, I made the switch soon after Gemini was introduced, but I also never used Google Assistant, so the switch was painless for me. But what about you? Have you made the switch? Was it painful, or do you prefer Gemini? Hit the comments to let us know, as I have a sneaking suspicion there are more holdouts than expected.

While we still don’t know when the first One UI 7 beta will drop, it’s coming nonetheless. Some screenshots have already leaked, and plenty of rumors are swirling about incoming features, as the UI is expected to see a major design overhaul. One leak suggests there will be a split notification panel, and another hints at live activity in the lockscreen and status bar. More or less, big changes are expected, so even though it is early days with little nailed down, there are already some possible features to look forward to.

So, what leaked feature has you most excited for One UI 7’s incoming drop? Hit the comments to let us know. For me, the split notification panel sounds like it could be a great addition.

It’s out. The first Android 16 beta is here for anyone to test. But will you? I know I’m not the biggest fan of running beta software. Sure, plenty here at AP love to go digging to see what’s new, but that’s not my bag. I prefer a stable OS. But what about you? Have you thrown caution to the wind and installed the Android 16 beta, or are you more like me and happy keeping things stable and boring?

There are plenty of streaming music apps to choose from, from Spotify to Amazon Music, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. Despite the lack of originality in the app names, all of these services are fairly well received by their users. I’ve been subscribed to Spotify for years but have considered moving to Amazon Music for its high-quality audio. I’ve yet to take the plunge, but if Spotify continues to drag its feet instead of launching high-quality audio, the move seems inevitable. This is why I appreciate that we have so many excellent choices at our disposal.

Still, with so many to choose from, I thought it might be fun to ask what everyone is using and why. So hit the comments below to share which music streaming app is your current platform of choice.

Apparently, YouTube Premium users across the world have been receiving emails about impending price hikes. Those in Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy will see higher fees across the service, including family plans, and Switzerland and Sweden will see higher Family subscriptions, with the Middle East, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia receiving higher Premium prices. And this is just what has been reported by users, so expect more territories to get hit (read more in the linked article).

But with this change, we here at AP have been wondering how many users will be canceling their YouTube Premium plans when the higher fees drop? It’s not like YouTube Premium is priced very well to begin with, with many taking issue with the cost not reflecting what you get (especially if you don’t need YouTube Music) and rising fees sure won’t help this situation. So, will you be one of the people dropping the service, or do you feel the higher fees are justified?

I recently covered how Google wants to switch from SMS authentication codes to QR codes, which would be more secure for the user. But this got me thinking about whether anyone would prefer to stick with SMS. Is there a preference here, or should this be a no-brainer to make the switch? It’s not like one process is more involved than the other. You have to pull out your phone to get the SMS code, the same as you have to pull out your phone to scan a QR code with your camera. But hey, maybe there is an edge case I’m missing here. So, do you prefer SMS authentication or QR codes?

Back when Android was still young, the Google Play Store (at the time called Android Market) was actually fun to explore. It wasn’t filled with endless advertisements yet, it was a simple list categorized into genres. Heck, there was still a new release section back then, which is now so embarrassing that Google removed it from the website. Things have changed, and not for the better. The Play Store is a chore to navigate nowadays, to the point I know I go out of my way to avoid it. It’s a cluttered mess that would rather push apps you don’t want instead of actually using your years of data to showcase actual interests.

So are you also sick of the Play Store, like me, and avoid it at all costs? Or are you fine with the clutter as long as you can easily install new apps and games? Hit the comments to share, and let’s commiserate.

My Android journey started with the HTC Hero on Sprint, way back in 2009. It had a chin and a trackball, and I loved it. Not only was HTC firing on all cylinders back then, but the phone designs were also actually fun, unlike how boring things are today. Part of that excitement also included the software, where the HTC Hero shipped with Android 1.5 and eventually got updated to Android 2.1. These were early days, and back then I was a theming machine hot off modding Windows Mobile devices, so was deep into changing how my Android devices looked, like when Android 2.1 dropped, I was installing ROMs, apps, and themes that got me the old Android 1.5 look with its white drawer tab. Sure, plenty was rouch around the edges, but the excitement of making your phone yours was as relevant back then as it is now.

So, where did your Android journey start? Which Android version was your first introduction to the OS?