iOS 18: Your iPhone Just Got All These New Features
First Look: Google's Phone App Is Getting A Tasty Android 16 Redesign (APK Teardown)
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
Google is working on a visual overhaul of Android 16, using its Material 3 Expressive design. We've already spotted a few Google apps with similar tweaks, and we've now uncovered a major overhaul of Google's Phone app.
You're reading an Authority Insights story on Android Authority. Discover Authority Insights for more exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage you won't find anywhere else.An APK teardown helps predict features that may arrive on a service in the future based on work-in-progress code. However, it is possible that such predicted features may not make it to a public release.
We cracked open the Phone by Google app (version 177.0.763181107-publicbeta-pixel2024) and enabled the app's redesign. The visual tweaks apply to the incoming call and in-call menus. Check out the gallery below for a comparison.
The redesigned screens reflect the Material 3 Expressive style, featuring much larger contact names and caller photos. The redesigned app mostly eliminates simple circular buttons too in favor of larger, oval-shaped buttons that change shape when pressed. The answer call button still has the same circular icon, though, but the end call button is much larger and pill-shaped.
There are several other smaller tweaks too. These include the omitted "call from" text on the incoming call screen, the phone number being shown after you answer the call, and the redesigned "more" menu in line with Material 3 Expressive.
The Google Phone app also offers a little animation for your incoming caller's profile picture before you answer the call. Check out a slowed-down version of this and other app animations below.
These Google Phone tweaks also come after we discovered Material 3 Expressive changes coming to the Google One, Google Meet, and Google TV apps. We expect plenty more Google apps to get visual changes in the coming months.
In any event, we're glad to see Google making progress on redesigning its apps. But you won't necessarily need Android 16 to see these overhauled apps, as we're expecting these app redesigns to be available on earlier Android versions too.
Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at news@androidauthority.Com. You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.Pixel Users Running The QPR Beta Can Protect Their Phone And Personal Data With A Single Tap
So when you open Settings and tap on Advanced Protection you can toggle on device protection. This will turn on several layers of protection covering Device Safety, Apps, Network and Wi-Fi, Web, Phone by Google, and Google Messages.
Device Safety includes features such as Theft Detection Lock and Offline Device lock. If your phone detects that it is being stolen, it will automatically lock itself. If the phone is offline for extended periods, it also will lock itself. With device protection enabled, a feature known as Unknown Apps prevents users from installing apps from app stores that were not pre-loaded on their phones.
Tap the device protection toggle and several security tools are turned on automatically.Image credit-Android Police
With the device protection toggle on, while browsing the Web, if you use Chrome, it will make sure that all sites use HTTPS for greater protection whenever possible. Chrome will also disable the Javascript optimizer to reduce the chances of a security issue.
Found in the Settings of Pixel units running the latest Android 16 QPR 1 beta, you can protect your Pixel and your personal data with a single tap.Image credit-Android Police
Safety features for the Phone app will include Caller ID & Spam which identifies known spam numbers before you pick up the phone. In markets where it is supported, an AI assistant will screen incoming calls and decline to answer spam calls. Scam Detection gives you real-time warnings if a call you are in the middle of shows the signs of being a scam.
On Pixel devices that have 2G protection, 2G calls will be blocked except for emergency calls. Apps on your device will be able to see if device protection is on, and when it is on, some websites might not load correctly.
Keep in mind that these are not new features. What is new is the ability of Pixel users to turn them all on with one tap of a toggle switch. This is actually a pretty exciting feature that I'm looking forward to using on my Pixel 6 Pro when it arrives on the phone, which should be shortly.
To get the update, tap on this link to get to the Android Beta Program for Pixel web page. Tap on the bar that reads, "View your eligible device." You will be sent to a page with a photo of your Pixel and under the image will be a prompt reading, "Opt in to Android 16 QPR 1 Beta." Tap on it and in a few minutes go to System > Software updates and follow the directions to install the beta. Before you even get this far, make sure that you backup your data. Being a beta release, you can expect to see some features, even some you count on, fail to work correctly.Read the latest from Alan Friedman
These Are The 6 Google Apps I Always Install On A New Samsung Phone
Ryan Haines / Android Authority
Apps that come preloaded on your smartphone can be a touchy subject. An app I use every day and I'm glad to see on my phone out of the box could be considered bloatware by someone who doesn't use it. Naturally, there are numerous Samsung apps on a Samsung phone, but you'll find Google apps like Chrome, Gmail, and YouTube pre-installed, too, among a few others. However, plenty of other Google apps are worth using, and these are the ones I download first on my Samsung phone.
Before we begin, a brief disclaimer: Apps pre-installed on Samsung phones vary based on model and region, so while none of these came preloaded on my Galaxy S24 Ultra or Galaxy S25 in the UK, one or two might already be on your phone in your country.
Google Tasks
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
I use Tick Tick Premium for most of my task needs, but if you don't want to pay for or use something as involved and only need a simple task app, Google Tasks should be the one for you. Samsung's Reminders app is good, but it can only sync to non-Samsung devices via Microsoft To Do, and that synchronization isn't as instant as I'd like. So, Google Tasks is the perfect app for me that works on the web, Android, and iOS and costs nothing.
Even though I'm a Tick Tick user, I still keep Google Tasks installed for its Assistant/Gemini and voice command integration, something Tick Tick currently lacks. If I'm driving with Android Auto or have my hands full and need to set a reminder via my Nest speakers, those simple items can be added to my Google Tasks account with "Hey Google, remind me to …"
Google Wallet
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
Galaxy devices come with Samsung Wallet pre-installed. The app is fine, but many banks and loyalty programs don't support it, and I find the overall experience more clunky than Google's alternative, which is more widely supported. In fact, I can't think of any banks, at least in the UK, that don't support Google Wallet.
Samsung Wallet also insists on adding a swipe target on the bottom of the home and lock screens, which I always activate by mistake when I'm trying to open the recent apps screen. Turning that off (or uninstalling Samsung Wallet entirely) and switching to Google Wallet makes the overall experience smoother and less frustrating.
Google Calendar
I enjoy Samsung's Calendar app quite a lot, but I still use Google Calendar for certain things, and you might prefer it, too. For starters, it works well with Google Tasks, showing them in your calendar and providing a shortcut to make reminders without leaving the app. If Google Tasks is your go-to, then Calendar should be too.
Outside of Tasks, Calendar integrates better with third-party calendar accounts than Samsung's app, at least in my experience. I use it to integrate my due dates at work and shared calendars with my family group. Another bonus is that Google adds some delightful design flourishes, like the illustrations at the top of events.
Gboard
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
If you only take one of these recommendations, please let it be this one. Even I, who usually advocates for Samsung apps being better than most people think, admit that Samsung's keyboard is trash. Whenever I see a post online about an iPhone user switching to a Samsung phone for the first time, one of the biggest complaints I see is that they can't stand the keyboard.
Gboard is the best keyboard, and downloading it on your Samsung phone will make the phone easier to use and the entire experience less exasperating. The only exception to that rule used to be foldables, as Samsung's keyboard was the only one that defaulted to a split layout when the phone was open, but now Gboard does this too, and even has full S Pen detection for handwriting input. There's really no reason not to ditch Samsung Keyboard and switch to Gboard.
Google Docs
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
Google Drive comes pre-installed on most Samsung phones, but Docs doesn't. I know we don't all handle documents on our phones regularly, but most of us do at some point, and I'd rather have it ready for when I do need it than have to rush to install it when required.
The beauty of Google Docs is its ability to handle almost any document format, like those used in Microsoft Office, which other apps can struggle with. Combine that with the simple and quick cloud sync through Google Drive, robust editing features, and plenty of options for sharing and collaborating in documents, and Google Docs is a must-have app for me.
Google Keep
Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority
Google Keep is the best note-taking app and an essential for any smartphone. The key to its success is its simplicity. It's easy to create notes and lists, attach media or links, categorize with colors and categories, and pin the important notes to the top. Plus, it recently got better formatting with headers, bold, italics, and underlining.
Another reason Keep is my notes app of choice is how quickly it syncs between devices. Keep is available on Android, iOS, and via the web, and it takes seconds for a note to sync via your Google account. There are other note apps with cloud sync, but I haven't found one as seamless and simple as Google Keep.
Among the plethora of Google apps available, these are the ones I use most. Gboard makes any Samsung phone feel a million times more usable, Tasks is a simple way to stay organized, and Wallet is the superior way to pay. Is there a Google app you can't live without? Let me know below.
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