Tag: google

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.

Google Search

Google is starting to show ads in AI Mode

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

The number one advertisin company on the Internet seems to have found another place to show you ads. Reports are coming in that more and more users are starting to see ads in AI Mode.

AI Mode? It is a new option in Google Search that you may use to ask Google’s Gemini AI questions and get answers. The mode supports deep search functionality, which Google says is its “most advanced research tool in Google Search”.

Anyway, if you select the mode, you may now also get a good chunk of advertisement according to Bleeping Computer and several other sites and Internet users.

Earlier this year, Google started to show ads in AI Overviews. Unlike AI Mode, which users need to select actively, AI Overviews are attached to regular search results pages on Google Search.

Not all AI chats and modes show advertisement right now. However, there is a very good chance that many will in the not so distant future. These businesses can’t run on love alone and there does not seem to be enough money in selling paid memberships.

So, in the future, you will pay with your data and your eyes on ads when you use the majority of AI chats that will be still around in a year or two.

Speaking of which, if you are subscribed to a Gemini plan, you are still going to see ads in AI Mode and AI Overviews (of course), unless you use a content blocker.

Android

Android is getting an option for experts for sideloading

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Google announced plans earlier this year to change a fundamental cornerstone of the Android ecosystem: sideloading. The plan was to force all developers to verify their identity, even those who had no interest in publishing via the Google Play Store.

This was a stark change compared to the status quo. Currently, developers may choose to publish their apps outside Google Play, for instance only on F-Droid, and they can do so unhindered.

Under the new system, they would be forced to verify their identity. Google says that this is for improving security, while third-party stores like F-Droid claim that it is the end of sideloading as we know it.

The main issue, from F-Droid’s perspective, is that Google is dishonest when it states that sideloading is not going away on Android. The reasoning is simple: the definition of sideloading is “the transfer of apps form web sources that are not vendor-approved”. Under the new system, developers need to register an account with Google, pay a fee, provide verification, e.g. with government IDs, accept the terms and conditions, and more.

Google published an update to its plans today on the Android Developers Blog. There, Google explained why it is introducing verification in first place (to keep users safe).

However, Google says that it has listened to feedback and decided to integrate an option for experienced users, students, hobbyists and developers.

It says that it is building “a new advanced flow that allows experienced users to accept the risks of installing software that isn’t verified”. This new flow is designed to ensure that users cannot be forced to bypass the safety checks, even when under pressure from scammers.

Additionally, Google wants to display clear warnings to help users understand the risks involved.

How this is going to work is unclear at this point. Google says that it will share more details in the coming months about this new option.

Still, it could be a good compromise that allows developers and users to install apps from other sources, even if they are not verified by Google.

Now it is your turn. What is your take on this? Is it a good compromise or would you like to see something else entirely? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Android

Starting next year, all Android apps need to be registered by verified developers, even sideloaded ones

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

Android users have two main options to install apps on their devices. Through Google Play, if the marketplace for apps is installed, or through sideloading. Up until now, releasing apps through Google Play required a verified developer account. This meant that the developer had to verify their identity before apps could be published.

Starting in 2026, developers who do not publish their apps through Google Play will also be required to verify their identity, if they want their apps to be installed on certified Android devices. A certified Android device, in a nutshell is any device with installed Google services.

Google says that it won’t check apps that are registered through the new program but not made available through Google Play. However, developers are required to use a new special Android Developer Console for sideloading.

Furthermore, the verification process requires that developers provide Google with personal information, including their name, address, email, and phone number, and verification of their identity, for instance by providing Google with documentation that confirms the identity.

Google plans to invite select developers of applications from October 2025 onward and enable free registrations from March 2026 on.

The sideloading of apps by unverified developers will be blocked in the countries Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand from September 2026 on. More countries are added to the list starting in 2027.

Google claims that the new process is designed to “better protect users from repeat bad actors”, as it will make it harder for malware actors to quickly release new malicious apps after Google has taken down an app from a developer.

The change will make it difficult for malware creators, as they need a certificate to distribute their malicious apps outside of Google Play. However, it is also giving Google access to additional data and ends the anonymous development and distribution of apps.

Now You: what is your take on this? Good decision by Google to stop malware and threat actors in their tracks, or a move to gain access to even more data and control?

Need another reason why (most) subscriptions are bad for you?

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

In the past decade, many services and products have switched from a pay-once model to a subscription-based model. Sometimes, you get a choice, say between the pay-once version of Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365. Even then, companies usually tweak the deals to raise the attractiveness of the subscription-based product. Microsoft, for example, does not add new features to the pay-once version of Microsoft Office after release.

Many companies favor subscription-based services. They generate a steady-stream of income, bind the customer to the service, and make it easier to raise the price or change the deal favoring their side. Amazon did the latter when it introduced ads for all Prime Video subscribers and recently announced that more ads are coming.

Some companies raise the product of their services almost every year. Google, for example, just announced another round of price increases for Nest Aware.

Google Next devices are smart home products, think thermostats, smoke detectors, smart doorbells or speakers, designed to give home owners more control over their homes, even when they are not at home.

A subscription is required to take full advantage of Next devices. Nest Hub Max, for instance, offers basic motion detection only, if you have no subscription. If you want an upgrade to that, which also includes seen and face alerts, smoke and CO alarm and glass break sound detection, and more, you need a subscription.

Google informs subscribers currently that the price of a subscription is going up again this August. The two products, Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus, will cost $10 and $20 per month respectively, up from $8 and $15, which customers pay right now.

The last price hike happened in September 2023, when Google raised the price from then $6 and $12 per month to the price that it charges currently.

So, the price went up from $6 to $10 and from $12 to $20 per month in about two years. Is it the last increase? Very unlikely.

With hardware products, it is more challenging to switch, as you invested into the hardware already. While you can cancel a Netflix or Microsoft 365 subscription at any time and without much issues, with Nest and other hardware products, you’d either end up with some dumb bricks or hardware that is less efficient or useful.

The only options that we have is to vote with our wallets. Either do not buy the product in first place or end the subscription, if it gets out of hand. Yes, that could mean ending up with products you bought that will be of little use to you in the future.

Now You: do you have subscriptions currently? If so, which and why? Feel free to leave a comment down below.

Google

Google: “people have been finding ads within AI overviews helpful”, so we are expanding them

Posted on by Martin Brinkmann

When you run a search on Google, you may get an AI Overview at the top of the results. Google announced an expansion of the AI-powered feature to roll out in more markets and for more languages.

Google revealed information about its AI plans yesterday on its Ads & Commerce blog. There, the company noted that AI Overviews is “one of the most successful launches in Search in the past decade”. Google saw a 10 percent increase in usage of Google for queries that displayed the overview generated by Google’s Gemini AI.

As a consequence, Google is expanding ads across AI Overviews. In particular, Google says that it is expanding ads in AI Overviews in English to more countries on mobile and desktop, and Search and Shopping ads in AI Overviews for desktop users in the United States.

Ads will also be tested in AI Mode, which Google calls its “most powerful AI search” feature. AI Mode is limited to Google Search users from the United States at the time of writing.

In other words: expect (more) advertisement in AI Overviews and other AI tools in the coming months and years.

Clearly, running AI is expensive. While companies like Google, Meta, or Microsoft have the means to sustain development, infrastructure and operations, the clear goal is the direct or indirect generation of revenue from these services.

Direct revenue may come from subscriptions or ads, indirect revenue from using data for training or other purposes.

The consequences are clear: users should expect to see more and more ads baked into AI services. This looks like a testing ground currently, but it looks similar to how Google introduced ads in search. First, some ads, separated clearly from search results. Now, Google users get more ads than organic search results in some queries and there is no longer a clear distinction between the two.

Now You: do you use AI services? What is your take on ads being integrated into those?