Andronicles

Google Photos is a great online backup service where you can store your photos and videos. The best thing about this service is that you get to enjoy free unlimited storage as long as you allow Google Photos to keep them in High quality. That means Google will set your photos size to 16 megapixels and videos at 1080p. Don't worry, you can still save your photos and videos at Original quality — the quality at which they were taken.  After you set up your account, you will be able to have your pictures and videos sent to the cloud, and then access them from any phone, tablet, or PC, as well as on the web. If you don't know how to backup your photos and videos to Google photos, then read the step-by-step guide below to get started. How to Backup your Photos and Videos to Google Photos  Open the Google Photos app. Tap on the three horizontal lines at the top left of the screen. Tap Settings . Select Backup & sync . If the Back up & sync is turned off, switch it on.  M...

If you have a computer, you surely know how important backing up files is. For a mobile phone user, this should be a must if you do not want lose precious data when your device is gets missing, spoilt, or worse, stolen. Your backed up data can come in handy when you are switching to a new phone.  You can backup all your data online called a cloud storage. One popular online cloud storage is Google Drive. A good thing about Google Drive is that it is free and you don't need to worry about storage space since it won't count it in your account.  By default, the Google backup service is turned on after you first set up your phone. This automatically backup your contacts, call logs, text messages, calendars, app data, and device settings to Drive, so that you'll be able to restore them to a new phone or to the same phone if you perform a factory reset. You only need to log onto your Google account during initial setup configuration and your data will be synced with your Google a...

Some time ago, Google announced that Google Play Music will no longer be available. Instead users were urged to move to the YouTube Music app and to transfer their music library there.  Already some users are seeing that the Google Play Music is no longer available both on the app itself and the website. If you don't want to lose the music you purchased through Google Play Music or the music you uploaded to the app, you should download it quickly. This will especially be required if you don't want to transfer to YouTube Music. You also have the option to delete your recommendations history or to just delete your music library if you want to start from scratch. Right now, the Google Play Music is still on the process of shutting down and once it's complete, all unsaved data will be automatically deleted. So if you haven't transferred your music and other files or downloaded and backed them up, now is the time to do so before it is too late. 

Google Calendar for Android and iOS is rolling out with Tasks integration.  Back in April 2018, Google released the standalone Tasks app for Android and iOS. Since then, Task has been only limited to the web version of the Google Calendar. Now Tasks can be created and viewed on Google Calendar for Android and iOS apps without the need to download the standalone Tasks app.  If you want to give it a try by adding a task, simply tap on the Create button in the bottom-right corner and select Task. Next fill in the details, and save it. You can add a title and description, and even change the gmail account linked, if required. The tasks you create can be found in the side panel for Google Calendar and the Tasks app. Every tasks you add to your calendar will be automatically synced across mobile and desktop. A task can be removed by marking it as complete or by deleting it. You can also hide tasks by turning off Tasks under My Calendars.  This new feature is already rolling out...

  Apple and Google have both pulled out the popular battle royale game fortnite from their store. This move seems to be in response to Epic Games decision to let players purchase V-Bucks, fortnite real-money currency, within the game.    Epic had also announced a new pricing plan for V-Bucks that see it offering a 20% discount on all platforms compared to purchasing the same currency via Apple's App Store or Google Play. Epic said the pricing will not be changed.    To Apple and Google, Epic's decision directly violate their guidelines regarding in-app purchase that requires payment be made through them which gives them 30% cut from all revenue. So shortly after Epic announced a new payment system, Apple removed its fortnite game from its App Store. A few hours later, Google did the same by pulling out the Fortnite Android version from its Play Store.   In response to the takedown, Epic Game is already taking legal action against Apple and Google, accusing ...

Google is offering a mouth-watering $1.5m prize money to anyone who can spot out security flaws in some of its Android Smartphones. Previously, the prize offering was $200,000, but is being raised to $1.5m in order to encourage people to report any bugs they discover, rather than selling it to others who could exploit it for criminal reasons like hacking people's phones. Other companies such as Apple, Samsung and Facebook also offers rewards for uncovering security flaws. To claim the Google bounty, researchers would have to find a way to compromise the Titan M security chip in the Google Pixel devices, spot out any problems in it and then report it so that it can be immediately fixed.

Image from Shutterstock How would feel about paying a flat monthly fee for more than 350 "completely unlocked" Android apps and games you wanted? Well that's exactly what Google is offering when it unveils a new subscription service for Play Pass. But the package is limited to subscribers based in the US for now. Just like Netflix where you pay a fixed monthly amount for movies and shows you want to be streamed to your devices, you get your pick of products from the Play Store. Google's Play Pass subscription offering arrived days after Apple launched its own subscription service that focuses on games. Google's subscription package will only contain existing products already available on its Play Store, and all the apps and games will be provided without any ads or in-app charges. Like Apple, Google plans to charge $4.99 (About N1, 800) a month for its service, but it promises early subscribers $1.99 (About N720) a month fee for the first year of member...

Earlier this year, Google started adding dark mode to the Android Pie update, though not every devices received it. Now, the much-hyped, much-expected Android 10 has been released, and it comes with an incredible feature that allows users to automatically apply a systemwide dark theme across Google's OS when they turn it on. You can also easily turn the dark mode on in individual Google apps, from Calendar to YouTube. However, not all Google apps make use of the automatic default system dark theme feature, including Chrome. Gmail was among the apps not making use of the feature until just recently when Google started rolling out a dark-mode setting for Gmail on Android 10. If you want to know how to turn on the dark mode in Gmail on Android 10, then follow the steps below. How to turn on the Gmail dark mode setting in Android 10 1.  Open the Gmail app on your phone and tap the hamburger menu in the top left. 2.  Scroll to the bottom of the lis...

Google has now released the lightweight version of its search app, Google Go, to all Android users worldwide. Originally, Google Go was first launched back in 2017, but was only available to selected countries. The app was primarily designed for users in emerging markets who make use of low-end Android devices with modest hardware on unstable mobile data connection. As with many other lightweight apps, such as, Facebook lite, Google Go is a smaller version of the standard Google app, weighing just 7MB and using much less RAM than the usual Google app. The app is also capable of saving data which Google claims can be up to 40%. This is really perfect for any device with a smaller amount of internal storage, or just for those who want to closely monitor their memory and storage usage. Google has built many lightweight apps such as Google Maps Go, YouTube Go, Google Assistant Go, Files Go, Gmail Go and Gallery Go. Google Go app is now available for download on the Google Play Sto...

It has been revealed that the next version of the Android operating system (OS), which is only known as Android Q, will not be named after a dessert or sweet treat, thus ending one of the most interesting naming tradition in the tech world. Since 2009, Google has traditionally named all its Android mobile OS after a dessert or sweet treat, and the name of the upcoming version would have followed suit, being after dessert or sweet treats starting with the letter Q. Read also: Google Introduces Android Q Beta  In a blog, Google explained that it decided to ditch the naming tradition because it made it difficult for global consumers, especially non-westerners, to understand which was which. "We've heard feedback over the years that the names weren't always understood by everyone in the global community," Google said. "As a global operating system, it's important that these names are clear and relatable for everyone in the world," it said. With...

Google claims to have made it possible for a smartphone to interpret and "read aloud" sign language. It was created in partnership with image software company MediaPipe with the hope that it will be very useful in communicating with the deaf. Some campaigners from the hearing-impaired community have welcomed the initiative, but feel that it might be difficult for it to fully understand some facial expressions or speed of signing which can change the meaning of a conversation. Google admits that it is just the first step as the tech giant has not really made an app of its own. It only published algorithms which it hopes developers will use to create the app. Until now, this type of software that attempts to read sign languages aloud has only worked on PCs. But that does not mean that it has not been successfully tried on mobile phones. A 25-year-old developer in Kenya named Roy Allela, built a pair of haptic gloves that translate sign language to an Android applicatio...

In an effort to give users more control over their private data, Google is offering them the option to automatically delete their web search and location history when it is three months old. Google is already allowing users to delete the data it collects when they use its apps such as, YouTube and Maps. Moreover, users can pause the web history and location tracking in each of the accounts Settings. Now users will be able to auto-delete these data. But Google says that those tools will be appearing in the coming weeks. Google’s decision to make this new option available is probably due to the backlash it has received for the personal data of users it collects. Just late last year, the search engine giant was accused of tracking people’s location even after they’ve turned off their location history. With the upcoming new tool Google may be hoping to redeem themselves and give users more confidence over the protection of their privacy.

Sad, so sad, Google has now killed off two of its popular services, Inbox by Gmail and Google+. With the two services officially resting in peace, mourners may be expecting something inspiring or hopeful to say about the situation. To be honest, Google+ should have long been shutdown. The social network has proven it to be a huge failure. It has often had to battle with several security issues that has turn users away. As for Inbox, the same cannot be said about it. It is one of probably best email app you’ll find around, for example, popular Inbox features like Bundles that automatically organizes emails changed how you attacked the daily flood of email into your life. Unfortunately, this service is going away. So that’s that on the death of Inbox and Google+. You may be glad, you may be mad, but either way we need to still pay our respects to these services, and as a certain blogger admonished, "never submit your life to a new Google service."

Google has released the first beta for the 10th version of its mobile operating system, Android Q. This latest version is expected to replace Android Pie that has been around since last year. Android Q was aimed at developers and contains great features, with more promised to be added after its I/O conference in May later this year. With the recent rise of innovative products from 5G to edge to edge displays and even foldable screens, Google is helping users of Android to take advantage of the latest technological trends. Among some of the benefits and features to expect from Android Q beta are: 1. Increased privacy protection 2. Support for foldable phones 3. Blocking apps access unless you want to share 4. Manage phone settings within an app 5. Improved internet and Wi-Fi connection 6. Improved support for sharing between applications 7. Key system settings displayed directly in the phone context 8. Better connectivity 9. New Wi-Fi performance mode ...

The Device Health Services app just started rolling out a new update that would allow users to quickly reset Android 9 Pie's Adaptive Brightness. Adaptive Brightness feature uses machine learning to “automatically adjust brightness based on your environment and activities." However, if something or circumstances changes your brightness preferences and make it to stop relying on the settings, you would be required to reset it by clearing all your battery data. But with the roll out of version 1.6 of Device Health Services, that feature may no longer be needed. The Device Health Services update now provides users with the option to reset Adaptive Brightness to factory default settings without having to clear all storage, which includes things like battery statistics. The purpose for this is that overtime Android will learn your preferences and no longer require input. To get to this option on a phone running Android Pie, follow the easy steps below.   How to rese...

Android  phone owners who want to enjoy longer battery life should be happy to learn that Google is finally bringing in dark mode feature. Dark mode theme has long been known to save battery power. In the past, Google has often teased us with dark mode but in the end, it usually settles for the white based theme which naturally irritates Android enthusiasts. Now it seems that things are about to change. At Google’s 2018 Android Dev Summit, Google indicates that dark UI mode is coming soon to Android, but it didn’t say when. At the annual event, Google shared data evidence through slide presentations to show that using dark mode extends battery life on Android smartphones. It used a Pixel XL phone as a test device to provide proof of power consumption in apps with various colors. Google said that of the three primary colors, blue uses up the most power at about 25 percent more compared to both red and green. Black on the other hand barely uses up a smartphone’s charge, even...

A few days ago, Google started rolling out a new feature for Google Drive that enables users to manually backup their mobile device data. Previously, for users to initiate backup, their smartphone or tablet have to be charging and connected to Wi-Fi otherwise users would be unable to back their data up on Google Drive. Below you will learn how you can backup your phone data (app data, call history, contact, device settings, photos and videos and even messages) on Google Drive How to backup data to Google Drive manually Before you begin, you need to already have a signed in Google account. Step 1 Go to your phone’s Settings . Step 2 Select Backup and Reset > Google accoun t Step 3 Tap on Backup Now . Note : If you can't find the Backup now option on the phone settings, it possible your play store service has not been updated or the feature has not arrived on your device. Hope this helps you. Don't forget to share the post with your friends

Smartphones have come a long way, and now we can find them in various shapes and sizes, with the latest being foldable which is literally as the name suggests can used either folded or unfolded as opposed to the traditional smartphones. Since Royale introduced the first foldable smartphone called FlexPai, there's been a lot of news about "Foldables" as it is known, many of which have been centered around phone makers trying to develop the technology. Now Google too have joined the bandwagon. At the 2018 Android Dev Summit, Google announced that it would be supporting foldable devices from next year. According to Android VP of Engineering Dave Burke, the company expects to see several Android Foldables from several manufacturers and it claims to be already closely working with Samsung on developing a device planned for an early 2019 launch. He may be referring to the new foldable smartphone that was just previewed by Samsung. On the features of Android Foldables, the sc...

Since Google released its 9th version of Android OS, called Android Pie on August 6 2018, people have been trying to get their hands on the new update. There are good reasons why people are looking forward to the new Android Pie. Every new update always comes with new features that can improve a phone's performance and strengthen its security. Features   of   Android   Pie • New user interface for the quick settings menu. • The clock has moved to the left of the notification bar. • Battery saver no longer shows an orange overlay on the notification and status bars. • A "Screenshot" button has been added to the power options. • A new "Lockdown" mode which disables biometric authentication once activated, which will be disabled once the user used their password to login. • Rounded corners across the graphical user interface. • New transitions for switching between apps, or activities within apps. • Richer messaging n...

It's less than two months since Android Pie was launched and already 75 percent of Pixel phones are running the latest OS. According to Google Senior VP Rick Osterloh, over 75 percent of Pixel device owners are presently on Android Pie with more updating daily. This is to be expected since Google's devices are often the first to receive the updates right from day one. But the same cannot be said for other Android devices like Samsung because of the huge number of different Android hardware devices. Interestingly, the new Apple's iOS 12 is yet reach that high number of percentage. Instead its adoption rate is just closer to 50 percent. However, it should be noted that Android Pie has been around longer than iOS 12. The Pie was launched on August 6, while the iOS 12 started rolling out on September 18.