Android

Credit: Brady Snyder / Android Authority TL;DR Google has announced the September 2026 Android Drop, which includes several new features rolling out to the wider Android ecosystem. Gemini can now store item locations in Find Hub, while Gemini Live Guided Vision offers voice descriptions and reframing prompts for low-light or fine-print situations. Google Messages adds native Google Keep list sharing directly inside chats and also officially launches custom Chat Themes with matching text bubbles. Just a day in September, Google has now announced the September 2026 Android Drop, bringing a bunch of new features across Google apps. A couple of these newly announced features have already rolled out to users in August, but Google is including them in the September 2026 Android Drop regardless. 1. Find Hub remembered items via Gemini

Credit: Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority TL;DR Gemini Live can now provide descriptions of what’s in front of you. The new feature is called Guided Vision. It can help with reading fine print, ordering from a menu, or locating household objects. Gemini Live became a lot more useful after Google rolled out video and screen-sharing capabilities last year. The update gave the AI access to your phone’s camera feed and screen, letting you ask the chatbot questions about objects in the real world or whatever is on your screen. Get ready for Live to make another jump in usability, as Google is rolling out a new feature. Today, Google is releasing the September Android Drop. Included in this rollout are updates like Google Keep in Messages and Find Hub remembered items. Along with those updates, the tech giant is also pushing out a new Gemini Live feature called Guided Vision. If you have followed our reporting, then you know Android Authority spotted this feature under development back in July.

Credit: Sanuj Bhatia / Android Authority TL;DR Google has announced new features coming with the September Android Drop. With the update, threads in Google Messages can now include a collaborative checklist. This feature is powered by Google Keep, and all participants in a chat can edit the list or mark items as complete. Messages will also prompt users to generate a list through Suggested actions. Like clockwork, Google’s next quarterly update for Android devices, the September Android Drop, is here. After triggering the flow of incoming features early with the Motion Assist and themes in Google Messages last week, Google is bringing new abilities to a host of apps. These new features include better collaboration between Gemini and Find Hub to find items more easily, and Guided Vision to help people with vision-related disabilities visualize the physical world around them. Along with these, Google Messages is getting a feature that will make planning events and trips more efficient. With the latest Android Drop, Google is bringing Google Messages one step closer to becoming your notes app. While the previously documented (and unofficial) RCS trick lets anyone jot down notes in messages and send them to themselves, Google is importing official Keep features into Messages. The update brings an option to insert a live checklist into a Google Messages thread.

TL;DR Anthom has launched the Homey Portal, a new €249 smart home controller with a 2.8-inch round touchscreen and stainless-steel rotary dial for controlling lights, music, temperature, and more. The device is designed to be used by anyone in the room, with each Portal assigned to a specific zone such as the living room or kitchen. It is now up for pre-order, with shipments expected to begin before the end of the year. One of the first and most interesting smart home announcements coming out of IFA this year isn’t another smart speaker, sensor, or connected appliance. It is something quite cool and easy to use. Anthom, the company behind Homey, has announced a new device called the Homey Portal. It’s a €249 smart home controller with a small screen and a large dial that lets you control your smart home devices without reaching for your phone.

Upgrading an older TV for 4K streaming doesn’t have to cost much, and Amazon has a great deal on the newest Fire TV Stick 4K Select right now. It is down to $19.99 at Amazon, which is a big drop for anyone who wants better picture quality and modern streaming apps without buying a whole new TV. See the deal at Amazon

Credit: Shimul Sood / Android Authority TL;DR Pixel 11 series users have been reporting an issue with Video Boost. The issue causes static noise to appear in videos recorded with the feature. A Google spokesperson has confirmed to Android Authority that a fix has been identified and a rollout will come in the following weeks. The Pixel 11 series just recently launched, and it’s stumbling out of the gate with a video recording problem. If you’ve noticed noisy static in your recordings, you’re not alone. As Android Authority reported last week, a number of buyers have been experiencing this problem. Fortunately, it may not be long before a fix arrives. To quickly summarize the situation, we spotted reports on Reddit that suggested there was an issue with Video Boost (a Pixel camera feature that enhances video color, lighting, stabilization, and low-light detail). According to the reports, videos captured with this feature on contained static noise. The cause of the issue is unknown, but some attributed it to an Audio Zoom (a feature that boosts the sound of the zoomed-in subject while cutting down background noise) bug.

Amazon just dropped the Baseus Mini Power Bank Fast Charging 67W to $29.99, down from its $69.99 recommended retail price. That’s a $40 saving and a 57% discount relative to the RRP, which is a big cut for a compact charger you can carry every day. This is also the best deal we have seen this year, since the previous year-to-date low was $37.99. With the price now even lower, it looks like a strong time to grab one before the deal changes. See the deal at Amazon

Credit: Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority TL;DR Samsung is expanding the One UI 9 beta program to additional Galaxy phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 have been confirmed as eligible. The program will be available in India, Korea, the UK, and the US. While stable One UI 9 is available on the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series and Flip 8, Samsung still isn’t quite ready to release the stable version to its older Galaxy phones. The tech giant just rolled out the eighth beta for the Galaxy S26 series. However, the company is at least letting its other phones get a taste of the next major update. Earlier today, South Korea, the UK, and India began receiving the first One UI 9 beta update for the Galaxy S25 series. However, the Galaxy S25 series won’t be the only phones getting this update. Samsung has now confirmed that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 will also be eligible for the beta program.

Credit: Supplied by Google TL;DR Google has announced that Google Pics is now broadly available. The image generation and design app first launched back in May, but was restricted to a small group of testers. Google Pics requires an AI Pro or Ultra plan, an AI Pro for Education subscription, or one of several Workspace plans. Google announced Google Pics back in May as a rival to services like Canva. This image generation and design app was initially restricted to a limited group of testers, but there’s good news if you were hoping to get your hands on it. Google has announced that Google Pics has expanded beyond its limited release and is now available for all. The company says it’s available to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers, Google AI Pro for Education users, and Workspace users with Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, and Enterprise Plus plans.

Amazon just knocked $50 off the Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro Smart Watch, dropping it from its $449.99 recommended retail price to $399.99. That is an 11% discount off the RRP, and it looks like a deal worth jumping on now, especially since price history suggests this is the first time it has been discounted on Amazon. For runners who have been waiting for a price cut on a more premium sports watch, this is a strong chance to save on a model built with training in mind. See the deal at Amazon

Credit: Calvin Wankhede / Android Authority TL;DR Multiple Proton services are experiencing a partial outage. It appears that almost every service is affected, except the Proton website. The company says it is investigating the issue. If you’re a Proton user, you’ll likely run into some issues today. The company is currently experiencing problems with several of its services. On Proton’s status site, the company confirms there is a partial outage. The outage appears to be affecting almost every service, except for Proton’s website. That means you may have trouble accessing Proton Mail, VPN, Calendar, Wallet, and more. The company says that it is currently investigating the issue.

Keeping up with the latest and greatest apps and games is a difficult task, but I’m here to help. Each month, I detail a list of the best new Android apps and games, and this month’s edition is packed with a selection of Android apps that solve common and strange digital problems. Let’s jump right in. Here are the best new Android apps and games you should try in September 2026.

Credit: Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR At least one Android device owner has received the advanced flow for sideloading apps. The user shared screenshots outlining the process, covering the 24-hour wait and more. Fellow users expressed frustration with this change, while our own poll earlier this year also revealed widespread opposition. Google announced a couple of weeks ago that it had started rolling out its advanced flow for sideloading apps on Android devices. This controversial new process requires users to restart their phones and then wait 24 hours before they can sideload apps, and a user has shared screenshots of this new flow. Redditor Super-Ad8814 recently received the new sideloading flow on their unidentified Android device. A shared screenshot (see first image below) indeed shows that you need to confirm whether someone asked you to allow sideloading. This section also informs users that scammers often tell victims to sideload apps. Google’s fine print adds that government employees and legitimate business representatives will never ask you to enable sideloading.

Credit: HUAWEI TL;DR HUAWEI has unveiled a new tablet, the MatePad Pro 12-inch. The tablet features a 12-inch flexible OLED PaperMatte display. It will come with several features, including speech-to-text, AI handwriting enhancement, and stylus air gestures. HUAWEI is kicking off this Wednesday morning with the launch of several new products. This portfolio of devices includes a collection of smartwatches and a pair of earbuds. Additionally, the company is announcing its latest tablet, the MatePad Pro 12-inch. The MatePad Pro is back for another year, this time slightly smaller than last year’s 12.2-inch model. Along with that smaller build, you’re getting a thinner and lighter design. The 2025 MatePad Pro was one of the lightest tablets on the market at around 508g; somehow, HUAWEI has found a way to make it even lighter at 454g. As for the thickness, the 2026 tablet is shaving off almost 1mm, going from 5.5mm to 4.7mm thin.

Credit: Joe Maring / Android Authority TL;DR T-Mobile is quietly offering an unadvertised “Super Essentials Saver” plan for $25 per month with AutoPay ($30 without AutoPay) for up to two lines. The plan is an in-store exclusive available only at physical Walmart locations and is restricted to new T-Mobile accounts. Plan benefits include unlimited talk, text, 5G data (50GB premium data before throttling), unlimited 3G mobile hotspot, international texting, roaming in Canada and Mexico, and access to T-Mobile Tuesdays. T-Mobile appears to be quietly offering a super-cheap postpaid unlimited plan that significantly undercuts its standard pricing, but you won’t find it listed on the carrier’s storefronts. Dubbed “Super Essentials Saver,” the new plan costs just $25 per month with AutoPay (or $30 without it) for unlimited talk, text, and 5G data. That comes at a steep discount compared to the carrier’s Essentials Saver and Experience plans, which start at $50 per month for a single line. As initially spotted by users on Reddit (via PhoneArena), the Super Essentials Saver plan is an in-store exclusive available only through physical Walmart locations. It is not advertised on T-Mobile’s website or online channels. Crucially, the offer is restricted to new T-Mobile accounts, meaning existing subscribers looking to lower their monthly bill won’t be able to switch over directly. The promotional price is also limited to up to two lines.

TL;DR Some Pixel 11 owners are reporting connectivity problems, including unreliable 5G/mobile data, Wi-Fi dropouts, and Bluetooth issues. The reports are limited to a small number of users, with plenty of Pixel 11 owners saying their connectivity is working perfectly. It’s too early to blame the new MediaTek modem, as carriers, network conditions, routers, firmware, and individual hardware could all be factors. Google’s switch from Samsung Exynos to a MediaTek modem on the Pixel 11 series was supposed to close one of the longest-running chapters in Pixel history. After years of complaints around reception, connectivity, and cellular battery drain, the new modem arrived as one of the generation’s most meaningful upgrades. But just weeks after the Pixel 11 series went on sale, some owners are reporting connectivity problems that sound uncomfortably familiar. Reports across Reddit include phones showing a 5G icon with no internet access, refusing to connect to Wi-Fi, dropping Wi-Fi performance, and struggling to maintain a cellular connection.

TL;DR Google is working on a new button in Gemini Daily Brief that will read the briefing aloud. It could make it easier for users to listen to their briefings without having to ask Gemini Live to read them. Google has been working on several new features and improvements for the Gemini Daily Brief. We’ve seen the company working on making the Daily Brief easier to customize and even adding it to the At a Glance widget on Pixel phones. Now, it seems the company is also working on making it easier to listen to your briefings. 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: Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR Google is testing Android-style Quick Settings in Android Auto. For the in-car Android interface, they’re currently called “Quick Tiles,” although the name could change. Quick Tiles appear at the top of Android Auto notifications but currently offer only a single control for DND. Google has already made bold claims about a major Android Auto redesign and promised to deliver it by the end of the year. The refresh brings a borderless design that adapts better to a variety of screen shapes, widget support, and a media player that doesn’t hog more space than it needs. These changes make the Android Auto interface comparable to Apple’s CarPlay and are expected to roll out in batches through the end of the year. While we await the big redesign, Google is experimenting with smaller changes, including the new Android Auto icon it quietly switched to earlier today. Along with it, Google is also testing new Android Auto features, and we dug them up for you.

TL;DR Ultrahuman has launched a new research program called Pulsomics. Users can opt in to the program to share their health data with Ultrahuman to help fine-tune its wellness models. The program is available to all Ultrahuman Ring AIR and Ring PRO users aged 18 years or above. Health trackers like smartwatches and smart rings rely heavily on algorithms and models to collect and analyze health data and provide helpful summaries and insights. Usually, these models are developed through research studies, but Ultrahuman wants to take things a step further. Today, the company has launched “Pulsomics,” a new research program built directly into the Ultrahuman app. Users with an Ultrahuman smart ring can opt in to the program and take part in one of three research studies by simply wearing their rings to sleep.

Credit: Hadlee Simons / Android Authority TL;DR POCO has announced the POCO F9 Pro and POCO F9 Ultra for global markets. These phones are effectively the China-only Redmi K100 Pro and Redmi K100 Pro Max. Expect the phones to start from ~$858. The POCO F8 Ultra might be the most underrated flagship Android phone in the last 12 months. The Xiaomi sub-brand delivered a ton of performance, well-rounded cameras, a huge battery, and a standout design. Now, POCO is back with the POCO F9 Ultra and POCO F9 Pro. The two phones have several key features in common. Perhaps the most notable shared feature is a 6.9-inch 185Hz OLED screen (10,000 nits peak brightness and 2,200 nits in high-brightness mode). This refresh rate is rare on smartphones, although POCO says only ~20 games support it. Furthermore, the system UI itself doesn’t support this option. Other shared features include 100W wired charging via PPS, 50W wireless charging, a 200MP main camera, a 32MP selfie shooter, an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor, an IP68 rating, and Gorilla Glass 7i on the front.

TL;DR Android Auto is working on a new weather experience for smaller screens, and it involves Jimothy, the viral raccoon. We bring to you a good look at how this new weather display system works, along with some of its accompanying elements. The feature was manually activated in the latest Android Auto beta, and there’s no word on when or if Google will roll it out widely. Google announced a wave of new Android Auto upgrades at I/O this year, including visual improvements and better compatibility with different screen sizes. However, in its current form, Android Auto users with smaller head units miss out on core experiences, such as weather, solely due to screen-size limitations. It now looks like a future version of Android Auto could remedy this. 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.

TL;DR Google is working on adding new “Chat” and “Assign” buttons in the Gemini app. The “Chat” option will let users talk to Gemini. The “Assign” option will let users assign tasks to Gemini Spark. Google really wants you to use Gemini Spark on mobile. That much is evident from the sheer amount of tinkering and tweaking the company is doing on the Gemini app just to make Spark more easily accessible. Last month, we spotted Google working on a new “Assign Task” option in Gemini, and now, we’ve seen the company trying yet another approach. 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.

Getting the new Pixel 11 Pro XL to fast charge as quickly as Google claims is no easy feat. First, you need to grab yourself a 45W USB PD PPS charger that supports 21V for this specific protocol. Not a hugely tall order, but it might require buying a new charger, even if you have a relatively new PPS model that only supports 11V. Secondly, there’s a new option to toggle Google’s Extreme Charging capability, which promises to shave up to five minutes off your charging needs, but you’ll need some good fortune to get it to work. In a classic Google move, Extreme Charging isn’t available right out of the box. I still haven’t figured out the exact spell required to spring into life. In my experience, the Extreme Charging settings option appeared after charging the Pixel 11 Pro XL from empty to full twice and then simply waiting for it to show up. In any case, with the feature finally unlocked, I’ve been able to test the pros and cons of the latest Pixel’s boosted charging capabilities.

TL;DR The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra could deliver a sizeable performance boost, according to an early Geekbench 7 result. Samsung appears to be switching from the Tab S11 Ultra’s Dimensity 9400 Plus to the standard Dimensity 9500, but the newer chip is clocked significantly higher. The S12 Ultra keeps 12GB of RAM in the tested configuration, while Android 17 will be preinstalled out of the box. We already had a good idea of what Samsung was putting inside the upcoming Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra after an earlier APK teardown uncovered references to MediaTek’s Dimensity 9500. And now a Geekbench listing gives us a clearer idea of the raw performance this newer chip could bring to one of this year’s best Android tablets. The Galaxy Tab S12 Ultra (SM-X940) has appeared on Geekbench 7 with 2,760 points in single-core and 9,291 in multi-core (spotted via GSMArena). The test unit has 12GB of RAM and runs Android 17, while its processor is identified as MediaTek’s MT6993. Its CPU configuration includes one core at 4.21GHz, three at 3.50GHz, and four at 2.70GHz.

While plenty of people have complained about Gemini showing up in Google apps without users explicitly enabling it, this hasn’t stopped the company from rolling out its AI assistant to more services. There’s Gemini in Gmail, Chrome, and of course, Google Drive. This time around, though, Gemini has literally slid into our DMs, as the AI automatically appears in Google Messages — and has for some time now. But if you don’t want the shortcut to hover above your chat button, there’s at least a way to get rid of it.