Android

Credit: Joe Hindy / Android Authority TL;DR YouTube is increasing its push for Shorts by auto-launching them when people start the app. The behavior appears erratic, and not everyone is experiencing it — yet. YouTube hasn’t confirmed whether this is an experiment, an intended feature, or a bug. YouTube has a tendency to push Shorts in as many different ways as it can. You’d often find the top three, sometimes four, rows on your YouTube home page dedicated to Shorts. Sometimes, Shorts show up as recommendations under long-form videos instead of comments. Similar experiments don’t stop at YouTube, but there’s a recent one that pushes vertical content and particularly seems to annoy many users. Several posts across Reddit highlight how launching YouTube sometimes opens Shorts without a warning. That’s usually the case when you might have shut the app on a Shorts screen, but some people say that it persists even when the app has been closed on another page. Some even say YouTube opens Shorts on startup, even when they don’t watch vertical videos at all.

I might be showing my age, but I remember a time when the 15GB of free storage Google bundled in with new accounts felt like it would last forever. Back when Gmail and Google Photos launched, that generous free space was Google’s killer feature. Today, however, that space runs out in a flash. Android phone backups are bigger, WhatsApp chats count against your limit, and between 4K video backups and high-resolution photography, it’s easy to fill up that free storage in months if not weeks. Running out of room is no longer rare. For most people, it is an annoying monthly reality.

The world’s first commercially available folding phone was the Royole FlexPai, and I still distinctly remember using it at CES 2019, thinking to myself, “There’s no way anyone’s buying this.” And, probably nobody did. But that product lit the spark for companies like Samsung and HUAWEI to take up the challenge and lead us to where we are today with foldables. Since then, I’ve reviewed and used many Android foldables, including Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series, OnePlus’ brilliant OnePlus Open debut foldable, and various flip phones from Chinese manufacturers. While foldables aren’t for me personally, I’ve seen and used enough to know what separates successful ones from failures.

Pixel fans, it’s almost our time to shine. Google is hosting its next Made by Google event on August 12, and as confirmed by Google itself, that’s when we’ll finally get an official announcement for the Google Pixel 11 series. While August 12 may not be that far away, it can seem like a lifetime if you’ve been patiently waiting for Google’s latest round of hardware. Thankfully, after months of endless leaks and rumors, we already have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

TL;DR Google may be planning to discontinue support for Gemini Gems on October 20. It could recommend that users switch to Gemini Spark Skills to continue using their workflows. Google might make Skills available to everyone before sunsetting Gems. If you’ve been using Gemini for a while, chances are you have come across Gems: customized versions of Gemini tuned for specific use cases. Gemini Gems can be very useful, especially for things like learning how to code, getting a new language under your belt, and more. However, it seems Google may be planning to sunset Gems later this year. Testing Catalog unearthed a notice in the Gemini web app that’s currently hidden behind a feature flag. According to the notice, Google is planning to retire Gems on October 20. It also recommends that users save their Gem content or recreate it as Skills.

Credit: Sanuj Bhatia / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung introduced a dual-layer “Flex Titanium” structure on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series, replacing plastic film with a titanium alloy film and adding a titanium plate, increasing display stiffness by ~20x and reducing thickness by 12%. Smaller gaps in the folding area facilitate denser adhesive application, dispersing impact and minimizing visible creases in the display. The foldable panel boosts pixel density by 15% to 422 ppi and improves power efficiency by 10% through optimized Diamond Pixel data line mapping. Samsung’s new Z8 foldables are off to a great start, with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 particularly impressing users with its capable yet pocketable form factor. Beyond the new form factor, the new foldables are also being praised for their near-crease-free displays, and it’s clear that Samsung put a lot of effort into this technology (even if others are arguably doing it better). Samsung has now shared more details and a closer look at the advancements in its new foldables, and you can’t help but be impressed. Samsung Display has shared a deeper dive into the foldable OLED on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra. At the heart of it is a new Titanium-enhanced panel structure (called Flex Titanium) that helps create a foldable display that is thinner, stronger, and more seamless when folded compared to preceding products.

We’ve seen plenty of novel smartphone ideas this year, from the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Privacy Screen to the upcoming Pixel 11 Pro’s “HiLight” notification LEDs. But there’s one thing thousands of consumers still want that few manufacturers are still providing. My colleague Karandeep Singh recently touched on a feature that’s dead on most Android devices, but would solve the rising storage costs plaguing users: the microSD card slot.

Credit: Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR YouTube on Android now starts replaying a paused video if you relaunch the app after several hours. It’s unclear whether this is a bug or an intended feature. Thousands of users have searched for a resolution on YouTube’s support pages, highlighting how widely disliked it is. YouTube is easily one of the most widely used entertainment apps, and there’s only a handful of things you’d expect it to do nicely. Chiefly, what most users expect from YouTube is to play videos to your liking without force-feeding what it deems popular. Sometimes it plays videos without you explicitly asking for it. While you get the option to prevent videos on your feed or recommendations from auto-playing, the functionality now seems to be creeping up on users every time they launch the app on Android devices. Large droves of YouTube users are complaining of an issue where paused videos start auto-playing the moment you launch the app on Android after a break. For most of those suffering from this issue, including me, videos start replaying from the beginning immediately after the app is relaunched after not being used for several hours. It usually does not occur if you launch YouTube just moments after closing it.

TL;DR Google has started rolling out the first experimental Play Store feature to some users. It’s called “Expand everything,” and it expands search results in the Play Store by default. The experimental feature can be enabled or disabled easily from the Play Labs option in Play Store settings. We recently spotted Google working on a new “Play Labs” feature in the Play Store. While the feature wasn’t working then, it has now started to show up for some users, bringing the first experimental Play Store feature in tow. You’re reading an Authority Insights story. Authority Insights brings you all the latest exclusive reports, app teardowns, leaks, and in-depth tech coverage from the Android Authority team that you won’t find anywhere else.

Credit: Stephen Radochia / Android Authority TL;DR An AI agent found a vulnerability in a gym booking system and used it to book classes months earlier than the software normally allowed. It then went a step further and removed another person from a waitlist, even though its user had never asked it to do that. What started as a pretty ordinary request to book a spot in a popular morning gym class turned into Australia’s first known autonomous cyber attack.

Credit: Adamya Sharma / Android Authority TL;DR Google’s Stephen Curry edition Pixel Watch 5 has appeared in leaked marketing materials. The special edition is really about the band, with a woven design and Curry branding. It looks like Google is continuing its Curry collaboration from the Fitbit Air Special Edition to its flagship smartwatch. Google looks set to bring Stephen Curry’s “Lock In” mantra to the Pixel Watch 5. A new leak from OnLeaks and MyMobiles has revealed what Google’s marketing material for a Stephen Curry Special Edition Pixel Watch 5, just days before the company is expected to announce the smartwatch. And while the name might make it sound like we’re getting a radically different watch, the special treatment is actually all about the band. The leaked material shows the 45mm LTE Pixel Watch 5 paired with a woven loop band in stone gray and taupe, with bright orange accents and a striped section on the tail. A small brown label carries “STEPHEN CURRY” and “#LockIn” branding.

Credit: Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority TL;DR Verizon says vandals cut multiple fiber cables in Southern California, resulting in disrupted mobile and internet services. The carrier reports that repairs are underway and services are expected to return to normal within the next couple of hours. Verizon hasn’t said where the cuts occurred or how many customers are affected. Verizon customers in parts of Southern California are dealing with another service disruption, but this time the carrier knows exactly what caused it.

Apple won’t be able to waltz in and best the Galaxy Z Fold 8 by default. I understand the company’s track record and mass appeal, but the general consensus I’ve been seeing about Apple’s rumored iPhone Ultra assumes too much. I loved my hands-on time with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and I can’t wait to get my review unit. It’s a refreshing form factor. And given how much I still enjoy my original Pixel Fold, I don’t expect the novelty to wear off as some claim. The Galaxy Z Fold 8 has made me more interested in the upcoming iPhone Ultra, but Apple has more work to do than people think. I know Apple is still formidable, but Samsung has a chance to hold its own with the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

A few weeks ago, Google announced it was rebranding NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook. Initially, this change was purely cosmetic, but we’re already seeing signs that Google has big plans for the future. In fact, we’ve already seen a few new features like Collections, which finally lets you group related notebooks together like a playlist. That’s just the beginning, though, as a recent APK breakdown hints the tool may soon let users add website links as sources directly in the Gemini app, alongside a few other possible changes.

Foldable phones are fragile. That’s what a lot of people think, and while I don’t think foldables are as delicate as their reputation implies, you should protect a folding phone in the same way you would any other. I hate display scratches, even minor ones, so I always use a screen protector and a case with every phone I have. Then I got the Motorola Razr Fold, and that changed. Not because it’s a phone that doesn’t need screen protectors, but because it’s almost impossible to find quality accessories for the phone.

I find it hard to believe that it’s been almost a year since I got my Pixel 10 Pro. Since August 28th, it has been my primary phone (almost) every day, and I adore this phone when it’s working as it should. The problem, as is often the case with Pixels, is that it doesn’t always work as Google intended. Looking back, it’s been a year of ups and downs with the Pixel 10 Pro, but it’s still the only phone I want to call my own.

It’s been more than two months since Google launched the Fitbit Air. While the $99 fitness tracker grabbed most of the attention, one of the biggest changes that arrived alongside it was Google replacing the Fitbit app with Google Health. At the time, Google said Health would become a unified platform for all of its health devices, including Fitbit trackers and Pixel Watches. AI was a major focus with features like the Health Coach, and the company also promised support for data syncing with multiple health platforms, including Apple Health.

Credit: David Imel / Android Authority It’s been roughly five years since Google first dropped Snapdragon silicon in Pixel phones in favor of its Tensor processors. I think it’s fair to say this move has been a double-edged sword for the company. Sure, there’s been good everyday performance, capable on-device AI, and great camera capabilities. But the transition also brought modem issues, heating problems, and uncompetitive peak performance. This state of affairs has led enthusiasts to urge Google to return to Snapdragon silicon, and it seems like an intriguing idea at first. But the more I thought about this possibility, the more I realized this probably wouldn’t be a great move for Pixel phones.

Credit: Shimul Sood / Android Authority TL;DR Google is rolling out an update for Gemini Notebooks. An “Add a source to Gemini Notebook” step has been added to automate adding sources. This feature is available for Business, Enterprise, and Education customers. Earlier this year, Google rolled out automatic Drive syncing to Gemini Notebooks. The change made it much easier to keep your sources up-to-date. Another source-related change is now rolling out to Notebooks. This change aims to take the burden out of adding sources. In a blog post, Google announced it’s pushing out an update to Gemini Notebooks. The update will add a new “Add a source to Gemini Notebook” step that automates adding new sources. With this new feature, you’ll be able to add text, links to Drive files, or generic YouTube or web URLs as sources. Before this step was rolled out, users had to manually add sources one by one.

Credit: Taylor Kerns / Android Authority TL;DR Google Photos users are reporting that a feature has suddenly gone missing. The affected users can no longer drag to select multiple photos. This problem has been spotted on Pixel, Galaxy, and OnePlus phones. Recently, Google Photos users have noticed that the app won’t let them search for terms related to regulated or illicit substances. While that appears to be an intentional choice implemented into Google’s guardrails, a new issue has popped up that seems unintentional. A convenient photo selection feature has suddenly disappeared from the app for some. Google Photos users are flocking to Reddit to report that drag to select no longer works for them. If you’re unfamiliar with drag to select, the feature allows you to select multiple photos by dragging your finger across the screen. It works by long-pressing a photo to enable multi-select. Once enabled, you can drag your finger to select all the photos you want.

NFC is a smartphone feature that isn’t nearly as appreciated as it should be. It’s not as flashy as UWB nor as integral as Wi-Fi, but NFC powers some of the simplest tools that help me plow through the mundanities of the day. A few months ago, I picked up a bunch of NFC tags for a specific Android Auto automation project I was working on. I needed just two tags for that, so needless to say, I had plenty of spare chips that needed a purpose. And boy, have I found perfect uses for them!

I use a bunch of apps on my phone and computer every day. Aside from essential ones, such as Bitwarden and Google Authenticator, these include plenty of productivity apps that help me get things done — both at work and in my personal life. While I pay for a few of these apps, most are either completely free or offer a feature-rich free plan that serves my needs just fine. Here’s a look at my current favorite stack of free productivity apps that actually work and make my life easier — all of which are available on Android.

If you use Chrome, you probably know how frustratingly difficult it is to watch Netflix in 4K. Despite paying for the Premium plan, I’ve always had to switch to Microsoft Edge on my Windows PC or Safari on my MacBook just to get the best streaming quality. And when Chrome is the browser I use for practically everything, switching browsers just for Netflix gets annoying very quickly. So, when I heard Netflix was finally bringing 4K streaming to Chrome, I genuinely jumped with joy. I’m not kidding or exaggerating — that was my exact reaction. Unfortunately, my excitement didn’t last very long.

I’m currently using the Galaxy Z Fold 8, and it doesn’t take long to realize it’s a special device. I loved my Microsoft Surface Duo, original Google Pixel Fold, and BlackBerry Passport — all phones with one thing in common: a wider aspect ratio. We’ve been stuck in an era of taller, narrower devices for the last decade or so, and the few phones that slip through that offer a different experience, I’m all over. If you’re like me and excited to get your hands on the Galaxy Z Fold 8, there are some important steps you should go through when first starting out — especially if you’ve only used traditional slab smartphones or even other book-style foldables. Here are the five things I recommend doing first once you pick up your Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Credit: Robert Triggs / Android Authority Buying the perfect USB-C charger may look simple at first, but the reality is full of potential gotchas. If you’ve ever reached for your cable only to find that your device is still charging hours later, you’re certainly not alone. In one sense, USB-C and USB Power Delivery were supposed to solve this mess. The universal connector and new regulations, such as those introduced in the EU, were designed to ensure that one charger could support everything. In some ways, that has been a success: USB-C can now be found on almost every phone, tablet, laptop, and more. However, the difference between something that technically works and something that works optimally can still be surprisingly wide.