Apps & Services
Google Contacts Now Shows Live Location from Maps
At Google, we’ve always made an effort to make sure that our Android apps complement one another. It’s a tightrope to tread, since Google doesn’t want to integrate functionality across users’ libraries and render some of its apps useless. Google, on the other hand, bridges a gap that was previously unnoticed when it precisely treads that line. Back in May, we discovered that a future update to Google Contacts may include the integration of Google Maps‘ location sharing feature. It appears to have gone into effect formally.
When Google updated Contacts with a location sharing module, we first learned about it via Nail_Sadykov on X (via Android Police). Google added additional call, text, video, email, and direction buttons to the shared screenshot, positioning them inside distinct rings to make them stand out more. The location sharing node was not released with Android 14, despite being expected to arrive at the beginning of Q4. Currently, a large number of subscribers may access Google Contacts version 4.22.37.586680692.
Google Maps will appear beneath the call and text choices if you have someone’s Google address saved in contacts and their activities sharing their position with you on Google Maps. There will be an appearance of the module, and by tapping within the module, the user may access their position in Google Maps and find out if they can see yours. From there, you can arrange for a large number to be sent to you when they arrive at your location or receive instructions directly from them. Google Contacts are an excellent choice if you are already within Google’s area of influence because they’re simple to use.
Google Contacts serves as the primary contacts app for Pixel smartphones, and can be downloaded on any device with Google Play access. For many people, this program is indispensable, yet its sync settings may be both a boon and a bane. Overall, it offers a lot of features, such as widgets that maintain functionality while sporting a fresh design or the capacity to showcase your recent searches and favorites.
Meta is quite active in upgrading its messaging platform, ‘WhatsApp’, as per the convenience of the users to enhance their experience. The new beta updates bring two new features: new sticker creation shortcuts and channels for linked devices.
WhatsApp is rolling out a new update for Android, available on the Google Play Beta Program with the beta version 2.24.10.23. This brings a shortcut for creating stickers, which is already seen on iOS. With this update, WhatsApp is separating the usual sticker creation tool from the AI-based sticker creation feature.
However, the sticker creation is getting an update on some applications, but currently, there’s one option to make both regular and AI-generated stickers. The other update reveals that the developers are building up another feature for connected devices, namely the ability to create, view, and follow channels. With this update, users get the power to access this feature even from their linked mobile devices, ensuring a cohesive experience. It does not even matter which mobile device they are using.
It is not yet confirmed exactly when these changes will be implemented for everyone. Since the features are still in the developing stage and yet to roll out stably, at the moment they are available only for beta users, but it is expected that soon the giant will make them available widely.
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Your secure and private digital wallet, ‘Google Wallet’, is dropping support for old Android and Wear OS versions, starting next month.
Google Wallet is a digital wallet facility on Android that allows you to quickly access payment cards, passes, tickets, keys, or IDs that you choose to store on it. Google Pay plays an essential role in helping you manage your money and your finances. The new support document reveals that from June 10, Google Wallet will only support Android smartphones that at least run Android 9 or higher. It means you can use Google Wallet on Samsung devices released in or around 2014, including the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Tab E 9.6.
“Google Wallet will require Android 9 or higher on your phone and OS 2.x or higher on your smartwatch.”
While using Google Wallet on your smartwatch, your watch should be running on Wear OS 2.x or higher. The good news is that Samsung Galaxy Watches with Wear OS are all compatible with the latest Wear OS 4, so none will be impacted by this change.
Google Wallet says the reason behind this new change is that “security updates aren’t available for Android versions below 9.”
Another support page, which is yet to be updated, shows Android 7.0 as the basic requirement. When Google Walled debuted in 2022, Android 5.0 was listed. With this new change, users who are using Android Nougat (7.0, 7.1) and Oreo (8.0, 8.1) are impacted. As reported by Android Studio, Android 9 Pie has a cumulative distribution of 86.4%.
Whereas, at launch, Wear OS 2 was based on Android 8.0 Oreo but was later updated to Android 9.0 Pie. Previously, Google ended Play Services support back in August 2023 for Android KitKat.
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New support is knocking on the doors of a few Samsung Galaxy flagship smartphones, as PUBG is getting 120 fps support on the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S23, and Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Transparently, smartphone GPUs have become extensively powerful over the past couple of years, but the fact that can’t be denied is that a lot of that power goes to waste when it comes to mobile games. Plus, game developers also don’t take advantage of features such as high refresh rate displays.
Almost all smartphone manufacturers are offering a refresh rate of 120 Hz these days, but the catch is that there are only countably many games that support running at that frame rate, and PUBG, one of the most famous mobile games of all time, is one such example. It came into existence six years ago, in March 2017, and yet it is limited to a 90 fps frame rate.
Now finally, it appears that PUBG players who own a recent flagship Galaxy phone, including the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S23, and Galaxy Z Fold 5, will soon be able to battle it out at a smooth 120 fps. PUBG is close to getting a new update on May 13 that will introduce a 120 fps mode, and the Korean giant, through a post on X, has already confirmed that the Galaxy S24 series, the Galaxy S23 series, and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be among the list of devices that will support that mode.
Samsung also stated that it has worked with Tencent, the game’s developer, on optimizing performance on these devices. The optimizations will be counted in the latest version of the Game Optimization Service (GOS), and the Game Booster application comes pre-installed on Galaxy devices.
Samsung has not revealed enough details regarding this report yet, but it will be interesting to see whether the brand will offer this 120 fps support to the rest of the flagship Galaxy smartphones or not.
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