Wear OS in 2020: The most stagnant smartwatch platform

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. Wear OS in 2020: The most stagnant smartwatch platform July 15, 2025 2020 has been a dumpster fire of a year, and tech companies are feeling the burn as well. They’ve been forced to push back product launches and delay software updates for consumer tech, not to mention doing so while working from home. I wish I could say the troubles of 2020 are the reason Google’s Wear OS isn’t flourishing, but that’s unfortunately not the case....

August 5, 2025 · 9 min · 1741 words · Peter Gibbs

You might want to stop using ShareIt until its vulnerabilities are patched

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. You might want to stop using ShareIt until its vulnerabilities are patched July 09, 2025 PopularAndroidfile sharing app ShareIt has several vulnerabilities that could lead to the abuse of a user’s data. This according to security firmTrendMicro‘s findings issued in a recent report. The vulnerabilities detailed could theoretically grant a remote attacker the ability to access and manipulate data on a user’s device using ShareIt’s permissions....

August 5, 2025 · 2 min · 323 words · Tracy Griffith

YouTube's in-app sharing lets you talk with your friends about that stupid cat video

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. YouTube’s in-app sharing lets you talk with your friends about that stupid cat video July 27, 2025 Up until now, you could already share YouTube videos with other folks, but it looks like Google wants you to do that without having to leave the actual YouTube app with its in-app messaging feature. Similar to what Instagram already has implemented with its direct messaging feature, the YouTube app now lets you pull up your contacts to directly send them videos....

August 5, 2025 · 2 min · 350 words · Jessica Williams

Action Launcher gains Pixel 2-style search bar in latest update

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. Action Launcher gains Pixel 2-style search bar in latest update August 10, 2025 Google changed up the launcher a little bit on thePixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. The search bar makes a return and has been moved down below the docked icons, and the “pill” and weather widgets are gone from the top of the screen. In their place is a new “at a glance” widget that gives you quick access to your upcoming events and weather....

August 4, 2025 · 2 min · 250 words · Heather Warren

Android 4.4 KitKat official – here’s what you need to know

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. Android 4.4 KitKat official – here’s what you need to know August 01, 2025 Google unveiled its new Android version alongside the Nexus 5– Android 4.4 KitKat – and in what follows we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about it. Announced out of the blue in early September, while we were waiting to see Samsung and LG announced new devices at IFA 2013, Android 4....

August 4, 2025 · 8 min · 1515 words · James Walker

Android internet usage overtakes Windows for the first time

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. Android internet usage overtakes Windows for the first time June 19, 2025 For the first time ever, Android internet usage has overtaken that of Windows, according to a report from web analytics firmStatCounter. The report, published earlier today, claims that Android represented a 37.93% percent of global internet activity during March 2017, while Windows represented 37.91%. To measure this,StatCounteruses a tracking code installed on “more than 2....

August 4, 2025 · 3 min · 440 words · Marvin Garza DDS

Barmark: a game with no death or goals, only "personal perfection"

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. Barmark: a game with no death or goals, only “personal perfection” August 15, 2025 Games are fun and challenging, but we can’t deny they are also a bit stressful. Most times you will need to go through pulling some hair before you get your dose of satisfaction, but Barmark aims to do things differently. Barmark is one of those aesthetics-focused titles with a high priority in finding inner peace....

August 4, 2025 · 2 min · 267 words · Kenneth Gibson

From Pixel 4 XL to the Pixel 2 XL: What I learned from downgrading

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. From Pixel 4 XL to the Pixel 2 XL: What I learned from downgrading July 30, 2025 Upgrading was a huge deal in the early days of smartphones. Every year we’d see massive gains in performance, display, camera, and more. I remember this experience well, such as when I upgraded from Nexus 4 over to aNexus 5. While today’s phones continue to obviously improve, it’s a much more incremental process....

August 4, 2025 · 6 min · 1182 words · Jessica Short

Google has allegedly canceled the Pixel 5a (Update: Nope, rumor is wrong!)

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. Google has allegedly canceled the Pixel 5a (Update: Nope, rumor is wrong!) July 27, 2025 Update, August 13, 2025 (01:22 PM ET):Not long after publishing the article below, Google issued us a statement on the matter. Here is what a Google spokesperson had to say: Not only does this confirm that there will, in fact, be a Pixel 5a, but it also confirms that it will support 5G connections....

August 4, 2025 · 2 min · 299 words · Andrea Stanton

Google Maps now lets you pick a light or dark scheme when navigating

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. Google Maps now lets you pick a light or dark scheme when navigating June 25, 2025 WithGoogleintegrating dark themes into more and more of its apps, it makes sense for the company to do the same withGoogle Maps. The latest update to Google’s navigation app now lets you pick a dark scheme, but there is a big caveat. Spotted byAndroid Police, version 10....

August 4, 2025 · 2 min · 328 words · Sarah Oconnor

HMD Global prepping Nokia phone with Snapdragon 845, in-display fingerprint scanner?

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. HMD Global prepping Nokia phone with Snapdragon 845, in-display fingerprint scanner? July 15, 2025 HMD Global is believed to be developing a Nokia smartphone with a Snapdragon 845 chipset and an in-display fingerprint scanner. According to a post fromWinFuture.deearlier today, HMD Global is building the phone with manufacturing partner Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) and it would be similar to theNokia 8 Sirocco(pictured above)....

August 4, 2025 · 2 min · 265 words · Edwin Zavala

How's your Google Pixel 5 outer shell holding up?

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. How’s your Google Pixel 5 outer shell holding up? Jun 17, 2025 One of the more curious design decisions Google made with thePixel 5was to give it a metal shell and then cover the metal with resin. Google took what could have been a premium experience and negated the whole thing by slathering it all in plastic. Most of the reasons behind this decision were related to engineering....

August 4, 2025 · 2 min · 424 words · Lee Bowen

HUAWEI wants to lead the market with 5G phones

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission.Learn more. HUAWEI wants to lead the market with 5G phones June 08, 2025 With the fifth generation of mobile networks seemingly around the corner,Huaweiwants to be the first one to greet it at the door with mobile chips and smartphones. According toDigiTimes, HUAWEI rotating and acting CEO Eric Xu spoke during MWC Shanghai 2018 and said the company will launch commercial5Gsolutions and 5G chips for smartphones in March 2019....

August 4, 2025 · 2 min · 327 words · Fred Smith