Tag: google

Android

Google outlines the new flow for sideloading Android apps

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Depending on who you ask, sideloading apps is either the best thing ever when it comes to application ecosystems or the worst thing. Those in favor argue that it allows for an open environment that is not limited by a specific store or developer. Opponents point out that sideloading is often used to install malware on devices of unsuspecting users.

To address this issue, Google announced changes to sideloading on Android some time ago. It did not cut off sideloading altogether, something that was on the table, but decided to introduce a new installation flow on devices that run Android.

This new workflow deliberately takes time and effort. Google says that this prevents certain common scenarios where users may be pressured or installations happen remotely.

Here is the new workflow:

  1. Enable Developer Mode: Android users need to enable developer mode before they can sideload apps. Google says that this prevents “prevents accidental triggers or “one-tap” bypasses”.
  2. Confirmation: A check to make sure that no one is asking the owner of the device to make the change.
  3. Restart and reauthentication: This is done to cut-off remote access or active phone calls.
  4. Waiting period: A 24 hour wait period before the owner can confirm that sideloading should be activated.
  5. Installation: Users may enable sideloading for a seven day period or indefinitely, according to Google.

These steps are designed as hurdles that users have to overcome. It may reduce the number of unwanted sideloaded installations on Android. Experienced users still have to complete the necessary steps before they can unlock sideloading on their devices (again). It is annoying, but Google makes it sound as if this could be a one-time process. If that is indeed the case, experienced users might want to complete the necessary steps immediately after the new system is introduced on their devices to avoid any issues later on.

Now it is your turn. What is your take on the changes? Important to protect the masses from unwanted installations or overreach? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Google Chrome 146: Security update fixes two vulnerabilities that are already exploited

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

It is this time of the week again. Google has just released a security update for its Chrome web browser to patch two security issues with known attacks in the wild.

The update, which is available for Chrome on all desktop platforms and for Android, addresses two security issues. Google rates both with a severity rating of high.

The first issue is an out of bounds write in Skia, the specialized 2D graphics engine that is responsible for nearly everything that you see on the screen. It draws shapes, renders text, or displays images.

The second vulnerability is an inappropriate implementation in V8, another core component of all Chromium-based browsers. It is Google’s open source JavaScript and WebAssembly engine.

Google writes:

[N/A][491421267] High CVE-2026-3909: Out of bounds write in Skia. Reported by Google on 2026-03-10

[N/A][491410818] High CVE-2026-3910: Inappropriate implementation in V8. Reported by Google on 2026-03-10

Google is aware that exploits for both CVE-2026-3909 & CVE-2026-3910 exist in the wild.

Most unmanaged Chrome installations should receive the update automatically. You can speed it up by loading chrome://settings/help, if Chrome is open. Windows users may also run winget upgrade google.chrome.exe from the command line to upgrade the browser without opening it.

Expect upgrades for other Chromium-based browsers in the coming hours and days as well, as all use the very same components.

Android

The Epic War is Over: Google Play Drastically Changes Its Rules (and Fees)

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

After nearly six years of legal bombshells and courtroom drama, the walled garden of the Android app ecosystem has finally cracked. This week, Google announced a massive, platform-altering overhaul to its Android operating system, officially marking the end of its legal battle with Epic Games.

In a move that will fundamentally reshape the economics of mobile software, the tech giant says it is rolling out a “new era” of openness that drastically alters how the Google Play Store operates.

Google decouples service and billing fees, allows registered third-party app stores, and gives developers choice when it comes to payments.

Here is an overview of the announced changes by Sameer Samat, President of the Android ecosystem:

  • Expanded Billing Choice: Developers can now use their own billing systems alongside Google Play’s or direct users to their own websites for purchases.
  • Registered App Stores Program: A new initiative to streamline the installation flow for third-party app stores that meet specific safety and quality benchmarks.
  • Revised Fee Structure: A new business model that decouples billing fees from service fees, reducing the in-app purchase service fee to 20% (or as low as 15% for those in specific developer programs).
  • Resolution with Epic Games: The post also notes that these updates officially resolve Google’s long-standing global legal disputes with Epic Games.

The changes are a major shift from the walled-garden approach of Google and also Apple. While it is uncertain how this change affects Apple, if at all, it will open up Android.

The effects for users and developers

The biggest immediate effect is the end of the 30 percent fee that Google is charging for any transaction on the platform. Google replaces it with the following system:

  • The service fee is dropped to 20 percent as the new baseline.
  • Developers who participate in the new “App Experience” or “Play Games Level Up” programs pay 15 percent.
  • Billing fees, if developers want to still use the billing system of Google Play, adds “market-specific fees” to the bill. Google set it to 5 percent in core markets such as US, UK and EEA.

Developers who choose to distribute their apps through their own store and process payments using their own billing system pay nothing to Google under the new system.

Sideloading is changing as well with the official Registered App Stores program. Third-party app stores that are accepted into the program get a “streamlined, friction-free installation process”. Provided that Google allows competitors, like the Epic Games Store, into the program, it will make it easier to install games offered through these stores.

When is this coming?

The rollout will happen in phases.

  • By June 30, 2026: US, UK, and EEA.
  • By September 30, 2026: Australia.
  • By December 31, 2026: Japan and Korea.
  • By September 30, 2027: The rest of the world.

It remains to be seen how this will all work out and whether it will really be that easy for developers to set up their own store and billing system.

Google teases three new Chrome features that sound familiar

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Google announced three new features for its Chrome web browser on its official The Keyword blog recently. The new features — split view, save to Drive, and annotate — improve the productivity of Chrome users according to Google.

Users of several other browsers may not find the features as exciting as Google, as at least some of the features have been supported by other browsers for some time.

Split View is coming to Chrome

Split View is a typical example of such a feature. It allows you to display two websites next to each other in a single tab. Instead of displaying the two sites in two browser windows next to each other, you may display them in a single window.

This has some advantages, like easier handling as you interact with a single window only. However, there are also some disadvantages, including that only one address is shown in the address bar at a time.

Split View is not a new feature. In fact, Google is late to the party. Microsoft Edge, Vivaldi, Opera or Brave Browser support the mode already. Mozilla has also launched the feature in its Firefox web browser, but it is experimental at the time of writing.

How to use Split View in Chrome

Simply right-click on a tab in the web browser and select “Add tab to new Split View”. Chrome splits the space in half, with the right side empty in the beginning. Just select an open tab, which Chrome displays, type an address or pick a bookmark to load it in the second half.

Chrome displays both open websites in the same tab, but only the URL of the active tab in the address bar.

PDF annotations

If you open PDF documents in Chrome, you can now “highlight text and add notes” to it right in the browser. Google says that this eliminates the need to use a separate application for that.

This is not exactly a new feature either, as both Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox have supported the feature for quite some time.

To use it, open a PDF document in Chrome and click on the draw icon in the toolbar once it is displayed. Here you find the new options to annotate directly to the PDF file.

Save to Drive

This is probably the strangest edition in this feature update. Google is reaching feature parity with Split View and PDF annotations, which is a good reason to introduce the features.

However, Save to Drive is the outlier. It enables you to save PDF documents that you view in Chrome to Google Drive. Google says this keeps important documents backed up in the cloud.

It is not as if this was not possible before already, at least in many cases. If you run Google Drive on your system, you could simply put the file into the Drive folder to store it locally and online. I guess it helps if you do not run the software and want to save PDFs to Drive directly. Saves the step of saving the document locally first before uploading it.

Now You: what is your take on the new features? Something that would make you switch to Google’s browser?

No Login? No Problem: 5 Google Maps Alternatives That Respect Your Privacy

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

If you have used Google Maps until now without a Google account, then you may have noticed that something is off in the past couple of days.

When I launched Google Maps today in Firefox, I immediately noticed that Google was limiting information. Listings did not include user reviews anymore among other things, and Google displayed a disheartening “You’re seeing a limited view of Google Maps” and “Get the most out of Google Maps. Sign In” message at the bottom of each listing I opened.

It appears that Google is limited access for anonymous users. While you can still look up listings, use route planning, and get ads, you won’t get what some what say is the most vital information on Google Maps: user reviews.

Read Also: Google Maps is getting a new feature that you either love or dislike

Five Google Maps Alternatives

While you could sign-in to a Google account to restore full access, some may prefer switching to a different service entirely.

Here are five good alternatives that you could try:

  • Organic Maps — Organic Maps is widely considered the “gold standard” for privacy-conscious users. It is a fork of the original Maps.me, created by the original developers who wanted to strip out all the trackers and bloatware.
  • Magic Earth — If you miss Google Maps’ real-time traffic alerts and lane guidance, Magic Earth is your best bet. It manages to offer advanced “smart” features while remaining strictly no-profile.
  • OsmAnd — OsmAnd is the most feature-dense mapping app available. It’s not just a map; it’s a professional-grade geographic tool.
  • Apple Maps — In mid-2024, Apple finally brought Apple Maps to the web (currently in beta). Unlike Google, Apple’s web version actually functions better without a login, as it currently doesn’t even support signing in to an Apple ID on the browser.
  • DuckDuckGo Maps — If you are looking for the most seamless “Google Maps-like” experience in a web browser without ever being asked to sign in, DuckDuckGo is the winner. It uses Apple Maps’ MapKit JS framework, giving you high-quality visuals without the data-tracking baggage.

There are also regional apps and maps that sometimes offer better information and services than Google Maps. Kakaomap, for example, is seen as the superior app in almost any area, if you are in Korea.

Now You: do you use a map app or service? Any app that you can recommend?

Block Google “Continue As” prompts on third-party websites

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

If you are using Chrome and are signed-in to a Google account, you may have received a fair share of requests to sign-in with your account on third-party websites, provided that you do not have an account there already.

The main idea is to make sign ups on third-party sites easier and more secure by using the Google account. Google provides the site with information to set up the account and you decide much of what you want to share and what not. The user password is never provided by Google, which is an advantage.

There are disadvantages: using one account for multiple sites and Google knowing which sites you create accounts on.

The prompts appear on site load and at least some users find them highly annoying. Not everyone wants to (or can) use Chrome without being signed in or switch to another browser. There is another option, but it is hidden deep in the Chrome settings.

How to stop Chrome from showing “Continue As” prompts

Here are the required steps for desktop Chrome:

Enable the block option in the Settings to prevent continue-as-prompts in the future.
  1. Load chrome://settings/content/federatedIdentityApi in the browser’s address bar.
  2. Enable “Block sign-in prompts from identity services” under Default Behavior.

This takes care of the prompts. You can add sites to the allow-list, but this is only useful if you want to create an account on the website using your Google information.

Here are the required steps for mobile Chrome:

In mobile Chrome, you need to open the setting manually.
  1. Open the Settings.
  2. Go to Site Settings.
  3. Tap on Third-party sign-in.
  4. Toggle “Third-party sign-in” so that it is off.

This blocks all future attempts in mobile versions of the Chrome web browser.

Manage existing connections

Google’s support page provides information on managing existing connections. You can review all connections on the third-party connections page on Google’s website.

Switch to the “Sign-In with Google” tab first. Google lists all connections and you may click on the “>” icon to display details. There you may remove it by selecting “Stop using Sign in with Google ” and confirm the decision.

Note that this severs the connection only, but it does not affect the data that the third-party site has accumulated.

What you may do instead

While the option to use your Google account on third-party sites may be convenient, most users may benefit from separating accounts.

Apart from providing Google and the third-party site with additional information, any successful account breach gives the attacker access to not only Google but all other sites with connections.

My suggestion: stick to the one site, one unique account rule, and turn off the prompts, if you do use Chrome and want to stay signed in. (source: Caschys Blog)

Google Chrome Gets a Major Upgrade with Gemini 3 and Auto-Browse

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Google is officially transforming the web browser from a static tool into an active personal agent with the launch of Gemini 3 and “Auto-Browse” in Chrome, and the push into a personalized AI experience.

Announced yesterday for desktop users, with the exception of Chrome for Linux, this major update integrates Google’s most advanced AI model directly into the browser to handle complex, multi-step tasks.

Google is pushing Gemini with the help of its Chrome browser

Lookout OpenAI, Gemini could get a massive user boost thanks to the integration in the world’s biggest browser.

Here is an overview of the features that Google announced:

Auto-Browse (Agentic Browsing): The flagship feature for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. that performs multi-step “chores” on your behalf. It can research travel costs across dates, fill out complex online forms, file expense reports, or add specific items to a shopping cart based on an image.

Gemini Side Panel: A persistent area in Chrome that supports interactions with the AI without losing focus. It supports the usual AI-features, such as summarizing a page, comparing features across several tabs, or finding time in your calendar.

Integrated “Nano Banana”: The latest version of Google’s image generator is integrated into the browser. Also accessible from the side panel, you can use text prompts for creative tasks, such as turning research data into infographics or manipulating images open in the browser.

Connected Apps Integration: Deeper connectivity with the Google ecosystem, allowing Gemini to pull information from Gmail, Calendar, Maps, and Google Flights to execute workflows (e.g., finding a flight based on an event invitation in your email).

Personal Intelligence: A proactive feature that remembers context from past conversations to provide tailored answers. It learns user preferences over time to transform the browser into a “trusted partner” rather than a general-purpose tool.

Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) Support: Integration with a new open standard (co-developed with brands like Shopify and Wayfair) that allows AI agents to navigate checkout processes and take commercial actions across different retail sites securely.

Enhanced Security & “Pause and Confirm”: New defenses designed for agentic AI, including a safety mechanism where Auto-Browse must pause and ask for explicit user confirmation before completing sensitive actions.

Closing Words

It is clear that Gemini will get a huge user boost from this. Even if Google limits exposure to certain regions or subscription models at first, it is clear that it will expose as many users as possible to Gemini in Chrome in the long run.

Why? Because it is giving Google an edge over the competition. Plus, when users run into usage limits, they may become paying subscribers, which seems to be on the preferred options right now to increase revenue and compensate expenses.

The benefit for users invested in Google’s ecosystem is there, especially if you connect the AI to other Google services. Whether you really want that, an all-knowing AI that may know more about your desires, life and plans than your closest friends, is up for you to decide.

I see the benefits, but also the dangers. While I do use AI tools for some tasks, such as creating a teaser image for an article here or the weekly newsletter, I do not really see a benefit in letting AI do the shopping for me, even with all safeguards in place.

Google wants to personalize your search experience even more, but needs your data for that

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Imagine if Google Search didn’t just know the internet, but actually understood your context. Scary? Wonderful?

Google is making this a reality for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers with the launch of Personal Intelligence in AI Mode, a new feature that lets you securely connect Gmail and Google Photos directly to your search results.

This update is designed to save your time by transforming — often — generic search queries into personalized answers while ensuring your personal data remains private, opt-in, and strictly under your control, according to Google.

Announced yesterday, Google continues to push a personal angle into its products. Last week, Google introduced Personal Intelligence that connects its Gemini AI with Gmail, YouTube and some other company services.

This week’s announcement extends Personal Intelligence to Google Search. More precisely, to AI Mode of Google Search.

Personal Intelligence in AI Mode for Search

What it does: It connects Gmail and Google Photos to the AI Mode of Google Search. This allows Gemini to cross-reference information from emails or photos with general search information to provide answers that are specific to the user.

For example, if you ask for an itinerary, it may look up flight or accommodation information in Gmail as well as what you liked to do in past holidays on Google Photos to suggest an itinerary that is personalized.

Who gets it: The feature is rolling out as a Labs experiment. It is only available for Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the United States who search in English.

What about privacy? The feature is strictly opt-in. Google claims that it is not using any personal data for training and users may disconnect the feature from Search at any time to end it.

Google’s ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between a search engine that knows “the world” and its users. For some, it is a new level of convenience that makes searching on Google better and faster. For others, it is a nightmare come true.

However, since the feature is opt-in and limited to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, the latter camp is likely very small at this point. This could change with a general rollout to non-paying Google Search users.

The success of the feature will ultimately hinge on trust, not so much on the technology and its effectiveness. While Google implemented important guardrails, including making the feature opt-in and promising that personal emails or photos won’t be used for training, handing over the keys to private memories and information requires a huge leap of faith, especially considering that Google’s main line of business is advertisement.

Google tests Pixel Upgrade Program that always gives customers the newest Pixel

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Ah, the yearly phone update. Manufacturers such as Google, Samsung, or Apple release new mobile phones each year. This means that the phone that you buy today is not the hottest piece of hardware after a (maximum) of one year of usage.

That is a problem for users who always want the latest mobile device in their hands.

Google is testing what it calls the Pixel Upgrade Program in India. Announced on the official Google India blog, it sounds like a good deal on first glance: buy a new Pixel device, meet some requirements, and get future Pixel devices automatically while sending back your old devices.

This ensures, according to Google, that you have the latest and greatest Pixel device in your possession at all times.

Is there a catch? Yes, there is one. Google explains how the program works, and here are the caveats:

  • It is only available for no-cost 24-month EMI (Equated Monthly Installments) plans.
  • You need to buy the phone using credit cards from Google’s official partners Bajaj Finance or HDFC Bank.
  • You start a new EMI plan for each new Pixel device you get.

Between the ninth and fifteenth EMI, Pixel-users become eligible to upgrade. They need to trade the current Pixel device through Google’s partner Cashify. Provided that it “powers on and is free of unauthorized repairs”, an amount equal to the remaining loan balance is credited to the user’s bank account. This can be used to close the original loan.

From there, users need to start a new 24-month plan for the brand-new Pixel device.

ProsCons
Always have the latest Pixel device.Long-term renting, owning only if you make all 24 payments.
Predictable costs.Paying premium for (potentially) underwhelming upgrades
Bonus, e.g., free periods for Google AI Pro or YouTube Premium, restart with each phone.Limited to EMI and two banks.

Whenever a customer trades the old device in, the cycle begins anew. It is identical to a never-ending rent, with the benefit of getting the newest Pixel device each year.

Would I use it, if it would be rolled out worldwide? No, I would not. I do not buy in installments or on credit, and do not need the latest device each year. It may be different for others, who want or need the latest all the time.

What about you? Would you be tempted to join such a program to get the latest Pixel device each year? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Gemini in Gmail may have been enabled by default, and turning it off takes other features with it

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

If you are using Google’s Gmail email service, you may have stumbled upon Smart Features already, especially if you are using the web-version of the service. Up until recently, Smart Features did not include AI, but this changed in 2025.

Now, Google has baked its AI Gemini into the Smart Features of Gmail. Depending on where you live, Smart Features are enabled by default. Note that while Google claims that Smart Features are not turned on for user in the European Union (Japan, UK and Switzerland are the three other regions), they were in fact enabled in one of my accounts.

So, what do you get with Smart Features?

  • Automatic email filtering and categorisation.
  • Smart Compose.
  • Smart Reply.
  • Nudges (suggests emails to reply to or follow-up on)
  • Summary cards above emails.
  • Grammar, spelling, and auto-correction.

Some of these features are powered by AI nowadays and Gemini, Google’s AI, needs access to your data for the features to work. Google claims that personal data is not used for training and that everything is kept within the boundaries of the account.

However, if you prefer that Gemini does not access your emails at all, your only option is to turn of the Smart Features in Gmail.

Here is how that is done:

  1. Load https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#settings/general in a web browser.
  2. Scroll down to Smart Features in Settings under General.
  3. Remove the checkmark of the Smart Features box.
  4. Confirm the removal.
  5. Gmail restarts.

Smart Features should be turned off now.

Note that you may also need to click on “Manage Workspace smart feature settings”, if the account is a Google Workspace account and not just a single Gmail account.

There you can turn off Smart Features for Gmail and other Google products.

Again, when you enable the feature you do not get any auto-corrections anymore as well. That is a trade-off for some, others may use the functionality that their browser provides for that anyway.

Now You: do you use Gmail as your mail provider or another service? Black Friday might be a good option to make a switch, as plenty of deals are live already or will be offered in the coming weeks.