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[Update 2: Wi-Fi Easy Connect in Android Q] WPS disappeared in Android P and may never come back
WPS disappeared in Android Pie and has been marked deprecated, but it has a replacement in Android Q called Wi-Fi Easy Connect.
With Android P on the horizon, we're all excited to see what the final release brings us. We can expect to see performance improvements and new features like gesture navigation and a new UI. However, we can also expect a myriad of security enhancements, some of which may infuriate users at first. As first reported by AndroidPolice, it appears that Google may be deprecating WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) support when Android P releases. For those who aren't aware, WPS allows you to connect a device to your router simply by pressing a designated button on your router. Some configurations then require you to enter a PIN code on your device.
Enable Always on Display on the Google Pixel & Pixel XL running Android Pie
New Magisk module lets you enable Always on Display on Google Pixel and Pixel XL, but you have to be running Andorid Pie, which you probably already do.
Always on Display has been a feature on many devices for a long time. Ironically, Google devices never had it until the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, and they call it "Ambient Display." Unfortunately, Google didn't backport the feature officially to the first generation of Pixels from 2016, probably for the power inefficiency reasons. But we have some good news for you: you can now enable Always on Display on the Google Pixel and Pixel XL. I've tested the method myself and it worked without any problems. XDA Senior Member shagbag913 released a Magisk module which does exactly that, so you need root. If you already have it, you can follow this tutorial:
How to disable Android Pie Gestures on the Google Pixel 3
Google made the gesture navigation in Android Pie mandatory on the Google Pixel 3. But it's possible to disable the gestures and bring back the old buttons.
If you've used an Android smartphone before the Google Pixel 3, you're probably familiar with the 3 button navigation bar layout of back, home, and recent apps overview. In Android Pie, Google introduced gesture navigation which lets you swipe up to see recent apps, swipe right to switch to the previous app, swipe right and hold to scroll between recent apps, press the back button, or press the home button. Google made this new style of navigation optional for all devices upgrading to Android Pie like the Google Pixel and Google Pixel 2, but made it mandatory on the Google Pixel 3. If you've been wondering how to disable the new Android Pie gestures on the Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL, there's an unofficial way to do so.
Android Pie on the Google Pixel 3 has an automatic dark theme based on time of day and battery saver
The updated Android Pie build that ships on the Google Pixel 3 has a neat feature: Automatic dark theme based on the time of day and battery saver.
This year's new Google Pixel smartphone brings a ton of new camera features such as Top Shot, Super Res Zoom, Subject Tracking Autofocus, Photobooth, Google Lens Suggestions, and more. The Google Pixel 3 also has new features in its Android Pie build such as Driving Mode, Flip to Shhh, Adaptive color mode, Google Duplex, and Call Screening. Not every new software feature gets its own headline, though. There are plenty of smaller additions to the software experience that we have to find for ourselves. One such feature is an update to something many of our readers love: the automatic dark theme option. Yes, Android 8.1 Oreo already has a dark mode that triggers based on your current wallpaper, but the new feature on the updated Pie build for the Pixel 3 turns on the dark theme automatically based on the time of day or whether battery saver mode is enabled.
List of Android Pie (Android 9) ports for smartphones and tablets
Looking to get Android Pie (Android 9) on your Android smartphone or tablet? We put together a list of unofficial custom ROMs for every device we found!
Since Android Pie was announced and its source code made available on AOSP, the developer community on our forums has been hard at work building the latest release for their devices. Although the stable, official Android 9 Pie release is currently only available for the Google Pixel/Pixel XL, Google Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL, and Essential Phone, we've seen ports of the latest Android version make their way to devices as old as the original Motorola Moto G and OnePlus One. There are so many devices on our forums that it's hard to find the first ports of Android Pie for your device. To that end, I'm putting together a list of Android smartphones and tablets that have received an unofficial Android 9 Pie custom ROM.
BetterBatteryStats updated with Android Pie support
A popular wakelock identifier application, BetterBatteryStats has just been updated to support Android Pie. See which applications are abusing your battery.
I have already lost count of how many times I've started an article with this same sentence, but I have to say it once again: XDA Forums is the home of many enthusiastic developers trying to make your Android experience better. Some try to help you customize your device to your liking, some try to speed it up just a little bit by messing with the CPU governors and GPU volts, and some try to save you some juice by identifying the wakelocks used by numerous apps. An application from 2011, BetterBatteryStats, is just like the former.
The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are official with Wireless Charging support, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, and Android Pie
The Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL have been announced. Here's the information you need on their specifications, features, pricing, and availability.
We've seen the Google Pixel 3 leak on the XDA forums (twice), on Reddit, in a cab, in a train, in a Chinese shop, on the Russian black market, but finally, we get to see the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL for ourselves. Today, Google officially unveiled their latest Pixel flagship smartphones along with a wireless charging dock called the Pixel Stand. Although the many leaks have stolen much of Google's thunder, today's Made By Google event finally puts the rest the endless speculation about the two devices. Here's everything you need to know about the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL: Google's pair of powerhouse flagship smartphones with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, wireless charging support, a top-tier camera, the latest version of Android Pie, and yes, a notch (on the XL.)
How to install an early Android Pie build with Samsung Experience 10 on the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Here's an early beta of Samsung Experience 10 (based on Android Pie) for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and how to install it on the Snapdragon Galaxy Note 9.
An early, pre-release build of Samsung Experience 10 based on Android Pie is now available for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy Note 9. We have already shown off all the new features we could find in our quick look and our earlier video for the Galaxy S9. If you want to install this early Android Pie release on your own Galaxy Note 9, we now have the instructions and the files that you’ll need to install early Samsung Experience 10 for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, provided you have the model with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. We only have the build for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy Note 9 model, unfortunately, so if you have an Exynos Galaxy Note 9, you'll have to wait to get your hands on Android Pie.
Manual Google Drive backup support is now in testing in Android Pie
After confirming manual Google Drive backups would be supported in a future Android release, we've spotted signs it could arrive in an Android Pie update.
Upgrading your Android smartphone can be annoying if you aren't getting a device from the same brand. That's because, unless you have a rooted device with TitaniumBackup, you may find yourself having to set up all your apps again since the built-in backup solution isn't that robust. While the built-in solution can backup contacts, call history, and text messages to your Google Drive account, there are limitations for what applications' data and device settings it can backup and restore. The built-in Google Drive backup will work pretty well if you're upgrading from, say, the Google Pixel 2 to the upcoming Google Pixel 3, but there's one feature that the backup feature is missing: the ability to manually trigger a backup. Fortunately, Google has confirmed we'll get manual Google Drive backups in "a future release," and we have since spotted the in-development feature in the latest Android Pie release.
[Hands-on] This is what Samsung Experience 10 (Android Pie) looks like on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Here's what Samsung Experience 10 based on Android Pie looks like on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. We previously showed this off on the Samsung Galaxy S9.
A few weeks ago, we brought you the first screenshots and video of Samsung Experience 10 based on Android 9 Pie for the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Now, we have the Android Pie beta build for the Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy Note 9 thanks to our friends at Firmware.Science. The Samsung Experience 10 update for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is almost exactly the same as the update for the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Even the Night Theme partly works just like on the latest builds for the Galaxy S9 series. Let's run down all the changes that the Android Pie update will bring to the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. As a bonus, we'll post a separate article on how to install Samsung Experience 10 for the Galaxy Note 9, so keep an eye out on the XDA Portal for those instructions.
POCO F1 gets a modified vendor image for Android Pie-based Project Treble GSIs
Looking to install a Project Treble GSI based on Android Pie on your POCO F1? If you have a POCOPHONE F1, you'll need this modified vendor image.
Thanks to the low price of POCO's first flagship device and official support from POCO, the POCO F1 is poised to become incredibly popular on the XDA forums. Just a few weeks ago, a few Android 8.1 Oreo-based custom ROMs popped up on our forums for the device. Later, the first Android Pie custom ROM became available for the device. For those of you who don't want to wait for more device-specific, Android Pie-based custom ROMs and want to try one of the existing Generic System Images (GSIs), you should check out this modified vendor and boot image by XDA Senior Member shahan_mik3.
[Hands-on] "Flip to Shhh" is Digital Wellbeing's upcoming Flip to Do Not Disturb gesture for the Google Pixel
Google showed a Digital Wellbeing feature for flipping your phone to enable Do Not Disturb. It can be enabled temporarily on the Google Pixel with root.
Before going to sleep, it can be really tempting to do some last-minute Internet browsing using your smartphone. It's a bad habit that a lot of people engage in, and so both Google and Apple have introduced features this year to help you curb your smartphone addiction. At Google I/O 2018, Google unveiled Digital Wellbeing: a set of features to reduce the amount of time you spend on your phone. Digital Wellbeing has a Dashboard to show you just how long you spend on apps like Reddit, an App Timer to limit how long you spend in your favorite app, and Wind Down mode so you'll actually put your phone down at night. Digital Wellbeing went live in beta form for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL with the official release of Android Pie, but one of the features teased during Google I/O didn't make it in: the ability to enable Do Not Disturb mode by flipping your phone over.
How to bring back Vertical Recent Apps Screen on the OnePlus 6
If you're wondering how to bring back the old vertical recent apps list on your OnePlus 6, we've got a simple, no root required guide on how to do that.
The upgrade to Android Pie brought a lot of improvements to the Android system, such as optimized system performance, Adaptive Battery, and more. Some of the changes have been polarizing, such as the new horizontal recent apps overview. Some people deem the new recent apps switching UI a regression and harder to navigate. If you're on the OnePlus 6 running OxygenOS Open Beta or OxygenOS 9.0, there's an easy way to go back to the way things used to be - and without root as well.
Lawnchair updated with Android Pie recent apps integration for rooted users
Lawnchair Launcher, a popular Google Pixel Launcher fork, has been updated with a new addon that lets you integrate the recent apps overview in Android Pie.
Lawnchair is a great custom launcher for Android. Its based on the popular Google Pixel Launcher, but it is very customizable. The issue with the launcher is that, on Android Pie devices, it can't integrate with the recent apps overview. Normally, only pre-installed system launchers like the Google Pixel Launcher, OnePlus Launcher, etc. get to integrate with the recent apps overview. Thanks to a new addon called "Lawnstep," you can now integrate Lawnchair with the recent apps overview on Android Pie devices if you have a rooted device.
[Update: Fixed] Google will fix fast charging issue for Pixel/Pixel XL users on Android Pie
Owners of the original Pixel have been reporting problems with fast charging on Android P. It has persisted through the official release of Android Pie.
Android Pie was officially released last week for the Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL. There are a lot of great new features in Android 9, but not everything is perfect. WiFi scanning throttling is crippling some network apps, the back button in the Recent apps needs fixing, and the original Pixel devices are experiencing a fast charging issue.
Download Pixel Launcher with Assistant on search bar (as seen on Pixel 3)
As seen on the leaked Google Pixel 3 renders, there's a new Google Pixel Launcher version with the Google Assistant icon on the search bar.
Shortly after the release of Android Pie for the Google Pixel series, we discovered that Google was testing a newer version of the Pixel Launcher on an unexpected device: the Android Studio emulator. While the Pixel Launcher found in Android P DP5 and the subsequent Android Pie releases lack a voice search shortcut in the search bar, the Android Studio emulator's launcher had a Google Assistant shortcut on the search bar. Since we first discovered this updated launcher version, press renders for the Google Pixel 3 have shown this same Assistant shortcut on the search bar. Now, you can download the latest Pixel Launcher version with the same Google Assistant shortcut.
Download Google Pixel 3 Live Wallpapers Ported for Android 6.0+
Do you want the Google Pixel 3 Live Wallpapers but you don't have Android Pie? No worries, download a port of the Pixel 3 Live Wallpapers for Android 6.0+!
Earlier today, the official Google Pixel 3 wallpapers leaked online along with the Pixel Wallpapers app containing the new Live Wallpapers. While the high-quality still images of the live wallpapers are nice, what people really want are the new Google Pixel 3 Live Wallpapers. The few users who could install the leaked Live Wallpapers APK discovered that some of the wallpapers appeared on the Always on Display on their Google Pixel 2, but most users can't install it because the APK requires an Android Pie device. Now, XDA Recognized Developer Pranav Pandey has ported the Pixel 3 Live Wallpapers app so it'll work on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and later.
Future Android update will make it possible to change ringer volume without making noise
One annoying little feature in Android Pie is adjusting the ringer volume. You can't do it without the phone making a noise.
Android as a whole is an awesome operating system with tons of powerful features. However, there are still areas where it lacks some polish. It's the little things that can make software feel fully thought out and complete. One such little thing in Android Pie is adjusting the ringer volume. You can't do it without the phone making a noise.
Download: Samsung Experience 10 Launcher for any Samsung Galaxy Smartphones on Android 8.0+
Samsung Experience 10 launcher from the leaked Android Pie build for the Samsung Galaxy S9+ is now available for any Galaxy phones running Android 8.0+.
We discovered an early build of Samsung Experience 10 based on Android Pie just last week, and it comes with a new, controversial redesign. Although you can install the build now if you own either a Snapdragon Samsung Galaxy S9 or Samsung Galaxy S9+, most of you will want to hold off on installing beta software builds. Fortunately, thanks to the availability of the software, we're able to pull some of the new apps like Samsung Internet 9.0. Another app that we've pulled is the updated Samsung Experience 10.0 Launcher. This launcher is very similar to the one that's part of Samsung Experience 9.5 as found on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, but it has some changes.
Nokia Camera port brings 3D Personas (Animojis) to any Android 8.0+ device
Port of the Nokia Camera app with new 3D Personas feature (HMD Global's version of Samsung's AR Emoji/Apple's Animoji) is here for any Android 8.0+ devices.
The Nokia 6.1 Plus launched with HMD Global's version of Apple's Animojis or Samsung's AR Emojis. It's called 3D Personas and it works similarly to other 3D emoji features by using the front-facing camera to map your facial expressions onto a 3D model. HMD Global only offers a few 3D Personas to play around with, unlike Samsung's many Disney-themed packs. The one advantage to this version from Nokia is that it has been ported for most ARM64 Android devices running Android Oreo or Android Pie.