Abner Li has worked at 9to5Google since 2015 and in late 2020 took on the role of editor-in-chief. He is keenly focused on tracking what happens at Google and is often the first to spot new features in Google’s ever-growing family of applications that are updated on a daily basis, including Search, Assistant, Maps, Workspace, Android, and Chrome/OS.
To him, what Google does greatly impacts the technology space and modern life. Inside the company, he is particularly interested in the key products mentioned above, as well as up-and-coming services like Google Podcasts and Google Lens. Each are massive platforms that can be unwieldy to grasp, with Abner keenly bent on understanding their philosophy and future direction. He is most excited about Google’s plans for augmented reality glasses.
Abner spearheads the APK Insight program at 9to5Google to chronicle all changes in the company’s Android apps, often finding new features before they are officially announced. This includes redesigns and revamps, launches, and new products.
Another big area of interest is Google’s burgeoning hardware division. He detailed all of the Pixel 3’s camera features before launch and got wind of Stadia’s hardware controller. Most recently, Abner scooped the 2nd-generation Nest Hub’s Soli-powered Sleep Sensing capability and how it would integrate with Google Fit.
Send tips/talk to abner@9to5mac.com or @technacity (open DMs).
Due to a licensing dispute with SESAC, a ton of songs have been removed from YouTube and YouTube Music in the US. YouTube remains in “active conversations with SESAC and are hoping to reach a new deal as soon as possible.”
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The next notable update (version 7.72) for Pocket Casts on Android and iOS adds support for transcripts and video/audio clip sharing.
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With RCS rolling out on the iPhone yesterday, Google is looking ahead on new features including cross-platform end-to-end encryption (E2EE) between Android and iPhone.
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The Search widget offered by the Google app on iPhone and iPad now offers customizable shortcuts, including to Gemini.
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iOS 18 is rolling out today with RCS to improve the Android-iPhone messaging experience, but support is not yet enabled for all carriers, including Google Fi Wireless.
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Apple today is rolling out iOS 18 with support for RCS in a huge boost to the iPhone-Android messaging experience.
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Chrome Tab Groups can already be saved across signed-in desktops, but Google will soon sync them with your mobile devices. Meanwhile, Tabs Groups are now available on iOS.
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After being previewed at I/O 2024 in May, Google Photos is now rolling out “early access” to Ask Photos to select US users on Android and iOS.
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After coming to Android in late July, the Google Maps bottom bar redesign, which aims to make the app a bit cleaner, is now on the iPhone.
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After rolling back the last Library redesign in 2022, Google Photos is trying again with a new tab called “Collections.” The goal is to make “finding content easier than ever.”
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After adding Help me write, Tab Organizer, and a Gemini shortcut earlier this year, Google is rolling out the next set of AI-powered features to desktop Chrome, including a promising conversational search experience for browsing history and improved visual search. Broadly, Google wants to add AI features that make your “browsing experience even more helpful.”
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With the launch of iOS 18 this fall, the iPhone will support RCS for meaningfully improved messaging experience with Android users, and Google today released an ad to highlight that.
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In a rather stark turnaround, Google is no longer ending support for third-party cookies in its Chrome browser.
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Back in 2019, Google Maps for Android gained a speedometer that simply “shows you how fast you’re driving on the road” and it’s now coming to the iPhone.
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The GSMA Association (GSMA) is responsible for maintaining Rich Communication Services (RCS) and the latest update to the standard adds “Extended Messaging” that should improve Android and iPhone interoperability.
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With iOS 14.5, Apple required app developers to tell users about and have them opt-in to broader tracking. In 2021, Google apps stopped certain tracking methods (IDFA) to comply and not have to show that prompt. YouTube will soon ask iOS users if they want to opt into “more personalized advertising” with an App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt.
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In recent weeks, GIFs sent by iPhone users to Android devices running Google Messages have turned into distorted still images with missing dots/pixels throughout.
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Chrome for iPhone and iPad has introduced a big quality-of-life improvement with the ability to customize the menu bar.
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Earlier this year, Google launched a Circle to Search feature for Android that takes a screenshot and lets you select what to look up. Thanks to Google Lens and iOS Shortcuts, the underlying Circle to Search capability can now be replicated on any iPhone.
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Some YouTube Music for iOS users today are facing a bug where the app opens to a black screen on certain Google Accounts with no ability to play songs.
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Google is going ahead with a redesign that changes how you access the Bookmarks, Reading List, and History columns that appear to the right of your browser. The side panel button is now gone from desktop Chrome.
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The Android website has added a new landing page for Google Messages that talks about the first-party messaging experience, while also noting that RCS on the iPhone is coming in fall 2024.
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Besides using Gemini to power features in its apps and services, Google offers its LLM to third-party developers. Apple is reportedly in talks with Google to license Gemini for the iPhone.
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Speedometer has long been Google’s preferred benchmark, previously noting how it’s the “most reflective of the real world” when comparing JavaScript performance. Speedometer 3.0 is now available.
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