Android 15 could ship with a taskbar on smartphones. This taskbar works similarly to the one known from tablets or operating systems such as Windows.
Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman discovered the taskbar feature recently and has published information about its functionality and current state.
Up until recently, taskbars on smartphones were frowned upon. Google, Apple, and the manufacturers of other mobile operating systems focused on minimalism instead.
While Google did implement a taskbar in Android 12 for Android tablets and the new foldable category of phones, it continued its work in future releases.
The initial release fixed the taskbar on the screen. One year later, Google introduced an option to hide the taskbar.
The idea behind this was simple: free up as much room as possible for apps or websites viewed by the user.
In Android 15 Beta 4, Rahman discovered a new “tiny” taskbar feature. While not enabled by default, Rahman found a way to enable it to check it out.
He published a video on YouTube that shows his efforts:
Here is what is known right now:
The smartphone taskbar functions exactly like its bigger cousin for tablets and foldables.
It has place for fewer shortcuts.
Google could implement both the old and new taskbar layout. The main differentiating factor is the position of the taskbar on the screen.
The taskbar for smartphones is a work in progress. It may be included in Android 15 because of that.
While not all Android users may want to use a taskbar on their devices, there are probably a few that like the idea. The main benefit is that it offers faster access to certain apps or functions.
Whether that is enough to warrant the display of the taskbar on the screen is up for the individual user to decide.
I would probably never use the feature outside of testing.
What is your take on this? Would you use a taskbar on Android devices, if Google would launch it as part of Android 15? Feel free to write a comment down below.
Google unveiled Google TV Streamer today. The box will replace the company’s own Chromecast devices to compete against the likes of Apple TV.
Here are the main details:
Retails for $99.99 (€119.99).
Google says CPU is 22% faster than Chromecast 4K.
Has double the RAM (4 GB) and 32 GB of storage compared to Chromecast 4K.
Supports Wi-Fi 5 (ac) and Bluetooth 5.1.
Comes with an Ethernet port and HDMI 2.1, which supports 4K HDR at 60fps.
HDR10(+), Dolby Vision, HLG, and Dolby Digital(+), and Dolby Atmos supported.
Google says that TV Streamer supports Matter and Thread, and that it comes with Gemini technology. Here, Google says that Gemini may provide “full summaries, reviews, and season-by-season breakdowns of content”.
Ambient mode, another new feature, turns an idle TV “into a work of art”. Integration of Google services allows pulling up photos and videos from Google Photos, using either voice or by typing.
The “biggest Google-Home-Panel” is not controllable with the remove. This allows users to control other smart devices, for instance cameras or door bells. Google-owned Nest support is also available.
Integration with Android is also available, which means that Android users may stream content from their devices directly on the Google TV Streamer connected display.
The not so good
While Google TV Streamer offers better functionality than Google Chromecast devices that came before it, it disappoints in some areas.
Here are the main ones:
The processor is just 22% faster than the Chromecast 4K model, which Google released in 2020. It remains to be seen how well it performs.
The device supports only Wi-Fi 5.
Only 32 GB of storage.
Only tests will show how well the device performs when compared to Apple TV or other premium boxes.
This may be an instant buy for heavy Google users. If you are already invested, say with Android and smart home devices, then you may like the idea of getting another option to control all these devices.
If you just want the best streaming box, this may not be it based on the hardware that you get. All in all, you may want to wait for the initial wave of reviews before you make a buying decision.
Do you own streaming boxes or sticks? If so, which do you use currently and why? Is the Google TV Streamer a box that you are interested in? Feel free to write a comment down below.
Android Authority reports that Google is working on a new Play Store feature to take over ownership of sideloaded apps. This would allow Google Play to update apps not installed via the official Store.
A feature introduced in Android 14 allows application stores to update ownership of apps. When you download an app from a Store, this store has ownership. This means that it is responsible for pushing updates and other changes. It may also have the power to delete apps.
The option to change ownership was designed initially to prevent the installation of apps from a store that differed from the original.
Now, it appears that Google is working on a feature that allows Play Store to take over ownership. It seems that this is a manual process, for now at least.
The main benefit of this is that users may then update apps through the Play Store, provided that the app is also hosted on Google’s store for Android.
A leaked screenshot shows the listing of an app that was not installed from Google Play. The app shows an “update from Play” button. When users activate the button, Play Store is taking over ownership to update the app. Future updates will then be provided via Play Store and not the original Store.
Third-party app stores may also be able to use the feature in the future.
Closing Words
While the changing of ownership may be useful in some cases, for example when the original owner is no longer available or an app is no longer available in the original store, it may also cause issues for certain apps, especially if they differ from the Play Store version.
This should not work for apps that are not offered on the Play Store. Certain kinds of apps, including apps that let users download videos from YouTube, are disallowed on the Play Store. They can, however, be installed from third-party stores.
The best option to avoid this for now is to ignore the “update from Play” button when browsing the Play Store. It remains to be seen if Google will implement other changes related to the taking of ownership.
Do you sideload apps on Android? If so, what is your preferred download source for apps? Feel free to leave a comment below.
A report suggests that Google has sneaked code into Chromium-based browsers that is favoring Google-owned properties. Browsers like Chrome, Brave, and Microsoft Edge appear affected.
If true, it would give critics of Google’s dominance in web browsing a mighty powerful argument.
Here are the details: Google Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers give *.google.com sites full access to system / tab CPU usage, GPU usage, memory usage, detailed processor information, and a logging backchannel.
Luca Casonato published information about this on X and Simon Willison published code that anyone may run to verify the claim.
The information that Chrome reveals to Google when the code is run
Here is how that is done:
Open Google Chrome on your system.
Load https://www.google.com/ or any other *.google.com property.
Select Menu > More Tools > Developer Console.
Switch to the Console tab, if it is not active already.
Type allow pasting.
Paste the following code: chrome.runtime.sendMessage(‘nkeimhogjdpnpccoofpliimaahmaaome’, {method: ‘cpu.getInfo’}, response => {console.log(JSON.stringify(response, null, 2));});
Press the Enter-key.
Chrome returns information when the code is run on a Google property. It returns an error message when you run it on any other site.
The code is accessible on the Chromium Code Search website. You can load it here and check it out yourself.
Casonato suggests that the exclusive feature is a violation of the Digital Markets Act as browser vendors “must give the same capabilities to everyone”.
Closing Words
It is unclear if and how Google is using the information. Casonato says that he does not believe that the company uses it for something malicious or invasive, such as fingerprinting.
Still, Google favoring Google in Chrome and Chromium-based browsers is giving critics of Google’s dominance in web browsing another reason why a browser monopoly or duopoly (if you consider Safari), is bad for users.
It is also interesting to note that other Chromium-based browsers have kept the code in their browsers. It is unclear why.
Google is informing customers currently that it is shutting down VPN by Google One “later this year”.
I reviewed VPN by Google One in March 2023 and concluded that it was “the most basic VPN that you can get”. Subscribers would get access to the VPN if they paid Google at least $1.99 per month.
While that sounded like a good deal on paper, the VPN itself was severely limiting and only available to customers in 22 countries. The real downside was that it lacked core functionality. You basically got the option to connect to the VPN, use its kill switch and configure bypass options for apps.
One of the main downsides was that you could not use it to connect to select servers, only to servers that Google picked. This meant that you could not use it to quickly connect to a server in another country to get an IP associated with that country.
Other features found in clients of popular VPN servers, such as NordVPN or SurfShark, were missing as well. No protocol selection, no advanced servers or security features, or to set a custom DNS server.
It still helped protected the connection, especially when connected to public wireless access points, but that was it.
Google informs subscribers and Pixel owners
All Pixel owners and Google One members are informed about the change. The news that VPN by Google One is shutting down at the end of the year may be overlooked easily.
Google writes:
Phasing out two benefits: With a focus on providing the most in-demand features and benefits, we’re discontinuing free shipping for select print orders from Google Photos (in Canada, the UK, US, and EU) starting on May 15 and VPN by Google One later this year. As a Pixel user, you’ll continue to enjoy being able to access VPN from Google through Pixel settings if you have Pixel 7 or newer models.
In other words, the VPN service is removed from Google One. Pixel owners may still connect to Google’s VPN.
The official Google One website does not list VPN by Google One anymore already.
Closing Words
Another one bites the dust. I know quite a few users who do not commit to Google products anymore, because there is a good chance that the company will tear them apart in the future.
While there are better VPN services out there, it is still disheartening to add it as another discontinued product to Google’s Graveyard of products.
It is not uncommon for Google or Microsoft to shut down services or programs. In fact, there are entirewebsites dedicated to services and products that these companies shut down.
Google’s latest target is Keen. Keen was developed as a competitor to the incredibly popular Pinterest. As you may know, you can join Pinterest to create collections of “things” that you like. From classic game consoles over your favorite recipes to furniture and holiday destinations.
These collections may be explored by others. Add social features to the mix, and you got a highly addictive foundation.
Keen was not Google’s first rodeo. Remember Google Plus? It was another failed attempt by Google to establish a strong social service foothold.
Keen promised to do things just a tad different when compared to Pinterest. The service allowed users to “curate, collaborate & expand everything” that they were into.
The service was available on the web and on Google Play. Registered users could create so-called “Keens” and add links, text, images, or web searches to them.
Keen allowed users to collaborate and Google added machine learning to the mix to power recommendations.
Keen launched with some fanfare in 2020. While it did get an initial push, as anything that Google does to a degree, it seemed to underperform. The platform got fewer and fewer updates, and nothing really happened to it since December 2021.
Keen shutdown
When you open the Keen website today, you get a popup that informs you that it is shutting down on March 24, 2024.
Both the Keen website and Keen application won’t be accessible anymore after that date. Google says in the farewell message that Keen “was always intended as an experiment”. Keen users may use a data export tool to export their date before March 24, 2024.
All data, including posts, uploads, like, follows, and comments, will no longer be available after March 24, 2024.
Closing Words
Keen is the latest product in a long list of products that Google killed over the years. While there were lots of duds among them, some are missed by some users even today. This includes Google Reader, Google Specialized Search, or Picasa.
Google users who open a sign-in page on the company’s website receive a notification currently. It reads “A new look is coming soon. Google is improving its sign-in page with a more modern look and feel”.
A click on the dismiss button closes the notification on the sign-in page. There is no link or button to get more information on the change.
The current sign-in page uses multiple pages for the process of logging in to a Google account. Users need to type or paste the email address or phone number first, and then the account password to sign-in. Other authentication options, including using a Google Titan security key, are also supported.
The reason for the “a new look is coming soon” announcement
The announcement offers barely any details. Google does not reveal when it is going to change the sign-in page nor reveals how it will look like. The only information is that the page will change and that its appearance will change.
You may wonder why Google is making the announcement to users. While Google does not reveal its reason, it seems likely that the company wants users to be prepared.
Many may look critically at a different sign-in page. Some may suspect foul play or a successful attack on Google.
The announcement may help reassure some users and organizations. When the new Google sign-in page lands, users who have seen the notification may use it to log in without worrying too much about the change.
It is likely that Google is going to announce the new sign-in page officially on one of its blogs or websites shortly before or after the new page goes live.
Still, some Google users may use a search engine or interactions with an AI to make sure that the change is legitimate.
Making sure it is Google’s sign-in page
It takes just a few clicks to verify the legitimacy of a webpage. First step is to look at the URL in the address bar. Is it a Google domain? The current sign-in page starts with https://accounts.google.com/, which you may verify quickly.
It may be necessary to click or tap in the address field in some browsers, as some information may be omitted.
Next step is to click or tap on the icon on the right of the address. This displays information about the connection. Look for “Connection is secure”, “Connection secure” or a similar message. If you see this, you are on the “real” Google sign-in page.
Now You: do you verify sign-in pages before logging in?
If you live in a European Union region, you will soon benefit from another privacy improvement. Google just announced a new control for users within the EU that allows them to manage links between Google services. Links refers to data that services may exchange between each other.
Google links many of its services by default, which gives it and its services access to user data across its services. This changes soon in the EU.
A search on Google Search may result in recommendations showing on YouTube or Google Play, and Google Ad services may use the information as well.
Google describes the functionality in the following way:
When linked, these services can share your data with each other and with all other Google services for certain purposes. All types of data described in Google’s Privacy Policy can be shared across linked Google services. This includes your activity data when you’re signed in, such as things you search for and the videos you watch and listen to.
Google says that the feature is a response to the Digital Markets Act of the EU. The new functionality is only available to users who live in the European Union.
Note: the functionality is rolling out currently. You may not see the “Linked Google Services” option yet, or only on some devices.
Note 2: The default seems to be that services are no longer linked. This means that they won’t share any data anymore from March 6, 2024 onward. It is still a good idea to verify this.
Manage your linked Google services
Google users may control the data sharing of the following Google services under the new system:
Search
YouTube
Ad services
Google Play
Chrome
Google Shopping
Google Maps
Here are step by step instructions to manage these.
First, for desktop users:
Open the Google Account website in your browser of choice.
Select Data & privacy on the page that opens.
Scroll down to “Linked Google Services” and select Manage linked services.
Select or deselect services. Any service that is selected will be linked when you select Next.
Review the selections made and select Confirm > Done > Got it.
For Android users:
Open the Settings on the Android device.
Select Google > Manage your Google Account > Data & privacy.
If this is not available, open the Google app instead, tap on the account icon, select Google Account and then Data & privacy.
Under “Linked Google Services”, select Manage linked services.
Select or deselect services. Any service that is selected will be linked when you select Next.
Review the selections made and select Confirm > Done > Got it.
Google launched an updated Titan Security Key last week. The new hardware key supports FIDO2, which means that it is compatible with a wide range of services. While you may use it exclusively for Google accounts, you can store up to 250 entries using it.
Titan Security Key works similarly to other hardware keys, including latest generation YubiKey products. Google promises state of the art encryption and protections. For users, it is an option to protect their accounts with two-factor authentication. You’d use the hardware key instead of an authenticator app or other means to provide the second form of authentication.
I bought a Titan Security Key of the latest generation last week to check it out. This guide includes step-by-step instructions to set up the hardware key to protect your Google account and others. It includes important information also, for instance, how you can protect yourself to avoid locking yourself out.
The box includes the selected hardware key — there are two versions that have different USB ports, USB-A or USB-C, but are functional identical otherwise. It also includes a small getting started booklet, which simply tells you to go to this Google website to get started. There is also a bigger Safety & Warranty booklet that no one reads. The USB-A version includes an USB-C to USB-A adapter, the USB-C version of the hardware key none.
Protecting the Google account with the key is a simple process that requires the following steps:
Open this Google Security page in a modern browser, e.g., Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Safari, Vivaldi, Opera or Brave.
If you prefer to go there manually, open this Google Account Help page instead and click on “Enroll your security key” under Step 2.
A prompt asks you to keep the key disconnected from the device for now. Select the Next button to continue.
A set up request is displayed as a prompt. Select OK to continue the process.
Another prompt explains that Google will see the make and model of the security now if you continue. Select OK to proceed.
Connect the security key to the device when prompted to do so.
Type a name for the key on the “Security Key registered” page and select Done.
This is the entire process.
Word of Caution
The Security Key becomes the default two-factor authentication option. It is advisable to make sure that there is at least one additional option enabled. This can be an authenticator app, voice or text message, another security key, Google prompts or backup codes.
If you lose the Titan Security Key and don’t have another option enabled in the account, you will be locked out of the account.
Signing-in with the Hardware security key
The first sign-in step is exactly the same as before. You need to supply your Google email address and password to continue.
The 2-step verification prompt lists the email address. Make sure it is the right one. There is a menu to switch to another email address; useful if you set up more than one account.
Select Continue to authenticate using the Titan Security Key. You may also select “Try another way”, which you need to do if you don’t have the hardware key with out. The option “Don’t ask again on this device” should only be used on personal devices.
You are now asked to touch your security key. It contains a small area that reacts to touch. This acts as local confirmation to proceed.
You should now be logged-in to the account.
The same option is also available on mobile devices. Just connect the security key to the mobile device and follow the instructions to sign-in.
Non-Google accounts
Non-Google accounts can be saved to the key. It supports up to 250 keys, e.g. passkeys, that you may add. Numerous services and companies support passkeys already and more will follow in the coming years.
Generally speaking, all you need to do is open the 2-step verification preferences at the service and follow the instructions to protect the account using a hardware key.
Other useful resources
Here is a list of Google resources that you may find useful:
Passkeys Management – this page lists all devices linked to the Google Account. You can edit or remove them, and create new passkeys on the page.
Security Keys Management — similarly, this page lists all security keys associated with the Google account.
There are other keys besides Google’s. I already mentioned Yubico keys as an alternative, but there are many more. To name a few: Onlykey, Feitian, or Thetis. All support FIDO2 and offer similar functionality.
Trust plays a role, but so may other factors, including price or the built-in security. There is no clear answer to that question. If you use a Google account and want to protect it, there is nothing wrong with using a Titan Security Key to do so. Similarly, you may use other hardware keys for the same protections.
Google announced an update to storage policies in November 2020. Back then, the company informed users that it changed which files count against a user’s storage quota.
The change affects high quality photos uploaded to Google Photos and also new Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, Forms or Jamboard files. One of these services, Jamboard, a whiteboarding app, has been shut down in the meantime.
A help page on Google’s support website lists data that counts against a user’s quota. Apart from what is listed above, this also includes the following:
Meet call recordings.
Files in Google Drive.
Gmail messages and attachments.
Original quality photos and videos backed up to Google Photos.
Users may experience issues when they are over quota. Broken down, it limits the ability to save new files to the cloud storage in many Google products.
Inactive Google accounts
In the same update, Google announced new policies for inactive accounts and accounts that are over the limit.
Accounts inactive for 24 months may have content deleted in the aforementioned services. Google explicitly refers to “product(s) in which you’re inactive”.
The wording is confusing, as users may interpret it as having to use all of these services at least once in a 2 year period to avoid having their data deleted.
This appears to not be the case. Google suggests to “periodically visit Gmail, Drive or Photos on the web or mobile, while signed in and connected to the internet” to avoid the banhammer.
Google reassures users that it will notify users multiple times by email and notifications prior to deleting content or deleting the entire account.
Accounts that exceed their storage quota for a 2 year period also risk deletion, according to Google.
Most accounts are safe
Some news outlet painted the new policy in dramatic terms. While it is true that Google may delete inactive accounts, it is relatively easy to do something about it.
One could argue that users who have not used their account for 2 years may not hold it in high value and that most may not mind the deletion.
In any event, here is what I recommend:
If you store valuable files or emails in your Google account, create a backup.-You can use Google’s Takeout service to export the data. Another option is to save files locally or use a local email client, e.g., Thunderbird, to synchronize the emails.
To make sure the account is not deleted, sign-in to one of the supported Google products at least once every 24 months.
Closing Words
Google is not the only company that threatens to delete inactive accounts. Microsoft, for example, has similar policies in place. Microsoft users who have not signed-in to their account in a 2 year period may have their accounts deleted as well.
