Google Maps fixed limited view issue for signed out users
- Earlier when you are browsing Google Maps or searching places on Google without an account, you can't check information such as popular time, reviews, photos, menus, etc.
- At the time of writing, it seems that Google has fixed this issue and did not intent for it to happen.

#News #Maps @PixelHubUpdates

YouTube Premium Lite: Play videos in background and offline
- Alongside ad-free videos, you will soon be able to play videos in background and download them to watch offline.
- The perk will be rolling out starting today and become widely available in the coming weeks.

#News #YouTube @PixelHubUpdates

Circle to Search: Find multiple objects in an image
- Instead of circling one item at a time, circling multiple items should give you relevant results for all the identified items in one go.
- "Try on" (for clothings) is also now accessible from here.
- This experience is possible with the help of Gemini 3's agentic planning.
- These improvements are first rolling out to Pixel 10 and Galaxy S26 series.

More info: Google Blog
#Apps #Search @PixelHubUpdates

Gemini can help to complete multi-step tasks on Android in the background
- When requested. Gemini automates the task in a secure, virtual window, with no access to other parts of your device.
- You can monitor the actions in live by tapping on the notification and intercept it if needed, or leave it in the background and do other things.
- First available as beta for select apps in the US and Korea, compatible with Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL, alongside the Galaxy S26 series.

#Android @PixelHubUpdates

Android 17 Beta 2
- Build ID: CP21.260206.011, CP21.260206.011.A1 (Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro)
- February 2026 Security Patch (December 2025 for Pixel 6 series, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro)
- Play Services: 25.49.33

What's New
- Bubbles: Users can now bubble any app by long-pressing launcher icons.
- EyeDropper API: A new system API allows apps to capture pixel colors from anywhere on the display without requiring screen capture permissions.
- Cross-device Handoff: The new Handoff API enables state resumption across devices (e.g., phone to tablet) via CompanionDeviceManager.
- Local Network Access: Android 17 introduces the ACCESS_LOCAL_NETWORK permission (part of the NEARBY_DEVICES group) to protect LAN communication.
- Time Zone Broadcast: A new intent, ACTION_TIMEZONE_OFFSET_CHANGED, triggers specifically on offset changes like DST transitions.
- SMS OTP Protection: Delays programmatic access to OTP messages by three hours for most apps.

Download: Factory Images | OTA Images | GSI
Changes: Android Developers
#Updates #A17 #Beta #Pixel @PixelHubUpdates

Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)
- Offering high-speed intelligence from Pro to the Flash series, including advanced world knowledge, and precision text rendering and translation.
- Maintain resemblance of up to five characters and the fidelity of up to 14 objects in a single workflow.
- Generate images in various aspect ratios and resolutions ranging from 512px to 4K.
- Enhanced instruction following that follows complex requests, alongside with visual fidelity upgrade while maintaining the generation speed.
- Available in the Gemini app, Search (AI Mode and Lens), AI Studio, Gemini API, Google Antigravity, Vertex AI, and Gemini CLI.
- SynthID is interoperable with C2PA Content Credentials, with C2Pa verification coming soon to the Gemini app.

More info: Google Blog
#Apps #Gemini @PixelHubUpdates

March 2026 Android 16 (QPR3) Pixel Update
- Build ID:CP1A.260305.016

Audio
- Fix for a delay in displaying the speaker icon when adjusting audio settings
Fix for issue occasionally causing audio crashes
- Camera [Pixel 9 & 10 series]: Fix for an issue that caused the camera service to crash, improving overall camera stability

Camera
- [Pixel 9 & 10 series] Fix for an issue that caused the camera service to crash, improving overall camera stability

Display & Graphics
- [Pixel 9 & 10 series] Fix for an issue causing system crashes and impacting overall Android stability
- [Pixel 10 series] Fix for device screen freezing that occasionally renders the phone unusable
- [Pixel 10 series] Fix for issues causing occasional fuzzy or incorrect display behavior
- Fix for the issue where the background blur briefly disappeared in the All Apps screen during search
- [Pixel 10 series] Improvement for Pixel 10 GPU performance by optimizing the OpenCL driver to reduce overhead and increase benchmark scores

Framework-
- [Pixel 9 & 10 series] Fix for an issue that could cause the UI to freeze in certain conditions
- Fix for an issue that could cause a temporary freeze or unresponsiveness related to background processing of Android intelligence features
- Fix for an issue that could cause the device to crash when certain services start up
- [Pixel 10 series] Fix for issues where the device incorrectly reported battery status (e.g., abnormal temperature or missing battery), particularly when using a wireless charger

Telephony
- [Pixel 9 & 10 series] Fix for unexpected device instability that could cause temporary loss of cellular service
- [Pixel 9 & 10 series] General improvements for network connection stability and performance in certain conditions

User Interface
- [Pixel 9 & 10 series] Fix for an issue that could cause an application to get stuck after quickly using recent apps and navigating home
- Fix for the delay experienced when opening the audio output selector after playing music in the background

Download: Factory Images | OTA Images
Changes: Pixel Community | Android Security Bulletin | Pixel Security Bulletin
#Updates #A16 #Pixel @PixelHubUpdates

March 2026 WearOS 6.1 Pixel Watch Update
- Build ID: CP1A.260305.014.W2, CP1A.260305.014.W4 (LTE)
- Express pay: Pay by touching the reader using your watch, no further actions needed
- Find Hub: Easily find and locate your devices
- Earthquake Alerts: Standalone notification will be sent to your watch if your phone is not paired
- One-handed gestures: Previously for Pixel Watch 4, now on Pixel Watch 3
- SOS Satellite Communications: Available in select regions in Europe, Canada, Puerto Rico, Alaska and Hawaii
- Phone left behind reminders: Get notified if you accidentally left your phone behind (this feature is off by default, available for Pixel 8+).
- Lock phone upon disconnect: Automatically lock your Pixel phone when it disconnects with your watch (available for Pixel 8+).
- Mobile trusted location: Speed up identity checks if you owned Pixel Watch 3+ and Pixel 8 Pro+ (excluding A-series devices).

Download: Factory Images | OTA Images
Changes: Pixel Watch Community | Wear OS Security Bulletin | Pixel Watch Security Bulletin
#Updates #W6 #Watch @PixelHubUpdates

March 2026 Pixel Drop
New
- Desktop mode [8+]: Be more productive when you connect your Pixel to an external monitor with USB-C, , which enables a multi-window desktop mode
- Desktop windowing on tablet [Tablet]: Arrange and resize windows on your tablet, just like on a desktop
- Now Playing app: A brand new interface for all identified songs
- Gemini automation [10+ excl. 10a]: Automate tasks with the power of Gemini, with the ability to intercept its actions or leave it in the background to do its job
- Custom Icons: Customise your homepage with Scribbles, Cookies, Easel, Treasure, and Stardust
- Comfort view [10+ excl. 10a]: Reduce visual stimulation from very bright or saturated colors

Updated
- Find the look and Try it on with Circle to Search [10+ excl. 10a]: Identify multiple objects and try on some of the clothings virtually from your phone
- At a Glance updates: Get information related to your "Commute", "Sport scores" that you are interested to keep track of , and "Finance" for stocks related thing
- Magic Cue [10+ excl. 10a]: Get restaurant recommendations while you are having a conversation
- Theme packs: A new set of SpongeBob SquarePants seasonal theme packs, available until May 1, 2026

Expansion
- Guided frame: Provides descriptive audio and haptic feedback through your viewfinder, available in more languages and works offline for Pixel 10 series (excl. 10a)
- Connected Cameras: Supports new external cameras, applications, and Pixel devices via USB cable
- Journal app AI features [9+]: Features such as Reflection, Revisit Topics, and Mood ID are arriving to the Pixel 9 series
- Scam Detection [9+ excl. 9a & 10a]: Available in France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Germany, and Japan
- Call Notes [10+ excl. 10a]: Available in India
- Notification summaries [9+ excl. 9a & 10a]: Available in Japanese

More info: Pixel Community | Google Blog
#Updates #A16 #Pixel #Drop @PixelHubUpdates

Chrome to shift to a two-week release cycle
- The change will be effective starting September 2026, around the stable release of Chrome 153.
- All supported platforms and the beta channels are affected; Dev and Canary channels are not affected from this change.
- Google said this move will minimize disruption and simplify post-release debugging with a smaller scope.
- Extended Stable will continue with its existing eight-week cycle.

#News #Chrome @PixelHubUpdates

March 2026 Android Update
Find your lost luggage with Find Hub
- If you have added a tracker that is compatible with the Find Hub network, you can share its location with participating airlines.
- You are in control whether to continue or stop sharing its location at any time.
- Airlines that accept Find Hub locations to recover baggage includes Ajet, Air India, China Airlines, the Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Swiss International Airlines), Saudia Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines and Turkish Airlines (with more to come in the near future).

Miscellaneous
- Real-tine location in Google Messages: You can also share location with people you trust directly in Google Messages, powered by Find Hub
- Custom Calling Cards: Previously on Pixel, Phone by Google now lets you create your own calling cards and share it with everyone or your saved contacts.
- Google Play Shorts
- Teacher-Approved Games on Android Auto
- More Emoji Kitchen Combos

More info: Google Blog (2)
#Android @PixelHubUpdates

Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
- The fastest and most cost-efficient Gemini 3 series model.
- 2.5X faster Time to First Answer Token and 45% increase in output speed when compared with 2.5 Flash.
- Elo score of 1432, 86.9% on GPQA Diamond, and a MMMU Pro score of 76.8% (surpassing larger Gemini models from prior generations like 2.5 Flash).
- Price: $0.25/1M input tokens; $1.50/1M output tokens.
- Currently available in preview via the Gemini API in Google AI Studio and Vertex AI.

More info: Google Blog
#Apps #Gemini @PixelHubUpdates

Android: Expanded billing options, registered app stores, lower fees
- Developers can include their own billing systems alongside Google Play's billing.
- App stores can participate in the optional Registered App Stores program for a more simplified installation flow (rolling out outside of the US first).

Changes in Google Play Billing
- Google Play in-app payment structure has been splited into billing and service fees.
- Billing rate varies across markets (e.g. EEA, UK, and US will be 5%).
- Service fee for new installs is 20%; participating developers in the Apps Experience Program will get charged 15% for new app installs.
- Recurring subscriptions will have a service fee of 10%.
- The updated fee is scheduled to go effective around the world by September 30, 2027.

More info: Android Developers Blog
#Play #Android @PixelHubUpdates