Android News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Pokemon GO has announced a new edition of Sustainability Week. The upcoming Pokemon GO event will kick off on Monday, April 22.

Open the Play Store and you will most likely see an offer for something called "Google Play Pass." This is a subscription plan from Google that provides access to thousands of apps and games. Play Pass has quietly been around for a few years, but is it worth your time?

One of the most annoying things about carrying a phone in your pocket is unwanted phone calls. Whether they're spam calls or someone you don't want to talk to anymore, we'll show you how to block them on Android.

Do you often find yourself unlocking your phone and then opening Google Maps to check directions? You can save yourself some trouble by using glanceable directions. But what exactly is the glanceable directions feature, and how do you enable it? Here's everything you need to know.

Sometimes, you need to grab a still image of what's happening on your device's screen—that's called a screenshot. While this used to be a hassle on Android (many moons ago), all modern devices make it very easy to do. Here's how it works on Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, and many other Android devices.

Google Maps is one of the most popular apps for Android and iPhone. Waze, is another popular mapping app, and it happens to be owned by Google, too. The two services have borrowed many features from each other over the years, but they're still distinctly different. So which one is better?

For a long time, Samsung did not pay as much attention to detail as Apple, had less of an ecosystem, and had fewer well-rounded devices. But all of this has changed. Skeptical? Here are areas where Samsung has managed to catch up and some where the company has pulled far ahead.

Perhaps the biggest addition to Samsung's Galaxy S24 series was the inclusion of AI features. Galaxy AI is a suite of generative-AI-fueled features that will help you throughout the daily tasks you might perform on your smartphone. This quickly went from a selling point to something Samsung began rolling out to everyone as well, including those with older phones. Now, a new batch of older phones is getting Galaxy AI features.

The official release of Braid: Anniversary Edition has been delayed and will now launch on May 14. Popular indie title Braid was set to launch for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Nintendo Switch on April 30 as a new, remastered version of the iconic puzzle platformer. However, developer Thekla, Inc. confirmed that the upcoming release has been hit with a significant delay.

A new Genshin Impact animated short has revealed more details about the backstory of the upcoming five-star Pyro user Arlecchino. This popular character was introduced back in 2022 as one of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers, a group of high-ranking officers who work for the Snezhnaya Archon Tsaritsa.

According to a new survey by the Game Developer Collective, 70 percent of developers have concerns about the sustainability of live service games.

Honkai: Star Rail’s Version 2.1, “Into the Yawning Chasm,” is still ongoing but receives its second new five-star character today. A major star in the ongoing Penacony storyline, Aventurine is a Preservation unit that deals Imaginary damage. He’s also a gambler who risks everything to win big. Check out his animated teaser below.

There are 25 games leaving the PlayStation Plus subscription service next month, including some of the best Final Fantasy games.

Minecraft has released a new Kung Fu Panda DLC, bringing players content based on the popular DreamWorks franchise. Minecraft has a significant history of collaborations with famous pop culture names that got the blocky treatment. The DLC released by Mojang includes Minecraft collaborations with other games and names outside the gaming world.

A creative Stardew Valley fan has combined their passion for the indie game and art by creating two impressive real-life dioramas: one of the Wizard’s Tower and the other of the Abandoned House of the “Hat Mouse.” Thanks to the popularity of Stardew Valley, fans create artwork based on Pelican Town and its residents regularly. However, these recently shared dioramas are notable for their immense detail packed into relatively small models.

A Stardew Valley fan jokingly asked for Pelican Town's slightly off-center fountain to be the headlining improvement in a hypothetical 1.7 update. While the request could be included in a future Stardew Valley patch, it might be a while seeing that the game just received a major update.

Niantic has announced Sustainability Week is coming to Pokémon Go.

A Minecraft player has recently stumbled upon a peculiar sight while exploring the legacy version of the game, a village with just one house. This discovery was shared with the Minecraft community, sparking intrigue and speculation about its existence.

Honkai: Star Rail players have voiced their frustration over the game's relic system, claiming it's unrewarding and restrictive. There are two types of relic sets in Honkai: Star Rail, Planar Ornaments and Cavern Relics. Planar Ornaments, which can be placed in the Planar Sphere and Link Rope slots, serve as additional gear and provide some rare stats. Cavern Relics, on the other hand, boost the character's main stats like HP and ATK. Unlike Planar Ornaments, they have a 4-piece effect that makes the wearer even more powerful.

Honkai: Star Rail has officially revealed the duration of the upcoming Character and Light Cone Warp Event that will feature the new five-star character Aventurine and a re-run for the previously released Jingliu. Despite being released less than a year ago, the game has already introduced a multitude of new characters, which allows HoYoverse to frequently include double banners in their updates.

A new Honkai: Star Rail leak has revealed the complete kit of an upcoming five-star character named Boothill. This new roster addition has already been confirmed by the game's social media accounts, which revealed his official splash art and confirmed his arrival in the upcoming Version 2.2.

A new Genshin Impact chart has revealed the revenue difference between the two currently available limited characters, the Hydro dragon Neuvillette and the Anemo user Kaedehara Kazuha. As the game's playable roster keeps expanding with each new version of the game, HoYoverse has been featuring double banners in every banner cycle.

A Stardew Valley player has created an impressive meal for their significant other's birthday based on the food in the game. SinceStardew Valley was released in 2016, ConcernedApe, the game’s creator, has continued to support the game with updates, helping to foster a dedicated community of players. This player base often makes creations based on the game, with this Stardew Valley-themed dinner as one of the latest examples of that passion.

A Pokemon Go player managed to catch an incredibly rare Combee, sharing their find online for the rest of the Pokemon community to enjoy. Players are able to track, chase, and catch a wide variety of pocket monsters in Pokemon Go, with this recent catch being an incredibly rare accomplishment.

Roblox has changed its Marketplace policy, opening up the ability to create and sell custom avatar items to a wider range of users.

A pair of scientists working in the Antarctic have managed to get their remote research station added as a location in Pokémon Go.

Pokemon GO players aren't happy with the reveal of the «Rediscover Kanto» event, as the community feels fatigued with Generation 1. Initially, the event was teased alongside multiple updates and a new way for Pokemon GO players to «rediscover» the popular mobile game.

Pokemon GO has pulled the curtain back on its «Rediscover» campaign, which aims to bring lapsed players back to the augmented reality mobile game by tempting them with major updates. Pokemon GO has been one of the world's most popular mobile games since it was first released in the summer of 2016. A huge part of this success is thanks to Niantic regularly releasing new updates to keep fans engaged.

A new Honkai: Star Rail leak has revealed a new mysterious NPC named Micah that will be a part of the upcoming Version 2.2, which should arrive around May 8. Each new version of the game has its own beta phase that includes new playable characters, weapons, and regions, as well as NPCs.

A new revenue report has revealed that Genshin Impact's creator, miHoYo, has reached an important milestone by reaching a valuation of $23 billion. Back in February 2022, miHoYo expanded globally by launching its subsidary HoYoverse to better represent the developer's expansion into various forms of entertainment beyond gaming, but the company still goes by its original name in China.

A new gameplay video of Persona 5: The Phantom X highlights a rhythm-based mini-game that fans can play. Persona 5: The Phantom X is an upcoming mobile and PC spin-off of the Persona franchise. Unlike the game it is based off of, The Phantom X is similar to gacha games like Genshin Impact and Tower of Fantasy, with this game being developed by Black Wings Studio and published by Perfect World Games. Despite being a very different game from the original Persona 5, it carries a lot of the same DNA in terms of story, characters, and gameplay elements.

As per a beta leak, Honkai: Star Rail players will receive a Light Cone and hundreds of Stellar Jades after completing the Dreamjoy Memoir event in version 2.2. As in Genshin Impact, events in Honkai: Star Rail stick around as temporary content that disappears from the game after a few weeks. Thankfully, some old festivities have their reruns, giving players another opportunity to enjoy challenges and snag bountiful rewards.

Pokemon GO players are sharing an unusual quirk with the popular mobile game's in-game inventory, with one player having 37,000 items over the max capacity. The massively popular monster-catching mobile game from Niantic features more for players to collect than just its lineup of in-game creatures, with multiple useful items available. Items like Berries and stronger Poke Balls can help players to capture new Pokemon, while Potions and Revives keep a player's Pokemon healthy for Pokemon GO's in-game battles. Now, one fan's inventory is way over the game's normal max capacity.

Genshin Impact has revealed five new events that will be available in version 4.6 later this month. In a special program, Genshin Impact has given all the juicy details about version 4.6, confirming that Arlecchino will finally make her entrance into the game. The five-star Polearm wielder will appear on The Hearth's Ashen Shadow banner on April 24.

A Pokemon GO player ran into a shiny Yungoos, but they didn't have any Poke Balls to actually catch the creature. Pokemon GO has all kinds of super-rare Pokemon for players to catch and add to their collections, with shiny variants being among the rarest in the game. The «shiny» concept has been a part of the Pokemon experience for decades now, with fans still dedicating great amounts of time to catching as many shiny Pokemon as possible.

A snippet from Genshin Impact's most recent teaser trailer for Version 4.6 is teasing new character Sethos' element, suggesting he will be added to the game as an Electro character. The recent debut of the HoYoverse RPG's Version 4.6 Special Program brought plenty of news about what fans can expect from the game's next update. Arlecchino will join Genshin Impact as its newest playable five-star character, with the Fatui Harbinger also receiving her own in-game boss. Now, the next Story Quest is teasing another upcoming addition to the game's roster.

A fan-made Genshin Impact chart shows five-star characters that have gone the longest without receiving a rerun. Genshin Impact usually brings at least two limited-time banners in every version, promoting a roster of characters and weapons. The thing about these banners is that they remain available for two weeks, which means players must spend their Intertwined Fates on them without wasting time.

Niantic has added a fresh PokeStop to Pokemon GO in a remote region of Antarctica, meaning the vast majority of the game's players will never even have the chance to use it. PokeStops are an integral part of the Pokemon GO experience. They give gamers the chance to collect some helpful free items for their Pokemon-catching adventures, plus there are other game mechanics tied to them as well.

Pokemon Sleep has announced a Flower Festival event for April. This event comes ahead of the Good Sleep Day event announced recently. The Flower Festival is the first of its kind, but there have been previous events in Pokemon Sleep like the Raikou Research that have been similar.

User-generated content, or UGC, has been a continued source of discussion recently, particularly when it involves minors doing the creating and, in some cases, earning off the back of it.

Back in September of 2023, the European Union officially designated Apple a «gatekeeper» under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), stipulating that it must open its App Store on iOS in a number of ways, including adding the ability to «side-load» apps from the web rather than the store, to have other storefronts available, and more.

Rockstar has raised GTA+ subscription prices.

Honkai: Star Rail has given players an insight into Aventurine's kit before his debut in the second phase of version 2.1. Honkai: Star Rail will soon receive a new update and celebrate its anniversary in a memorable way. The Festive Gifts login event, which gives away 30 free pulls, will be available in the second phase of 2.1, alongside some other time-limited festivities like Cosmodyssey and Vignettes in a Cup. Moreover, players will get 1,600 Stellar Jades through the in-game mail system.

Fallout Shelter has released a brand-new update based on the Fallout TV show, giving fans of the series a reason to revisit the mobile title. Fallout Shelter sees players take charge of their very own Vault, and now, there's a lot more content available in the game.

Google has just rolled out the Beta 1 version of Android 15, giving users a preview of what's to come in the next major iteration of its operating system. This release marks a significant step forward in the development of Android, offering a glimpse into the new features and improvements that users can expect.

A Genshin Impact leak has hinted at a new Abyss type end-game content that could arrive in one of the upcoming updates. Despite being released almost four years ago, the game has managed to keep a large player base thanks to constant updates that always introduce tons of new content.

Genshin Impact has revealed quality-of-life features that will be released in version 4.6. Genshin Impact is in the second phase of 4.5, which includes two different banners, Decree of the Deeps and Leaves in the Wind. These limited-time banners promote decent characters, including Neuvillette, Yanfei, Kazuha, Xingqiu, and Barbara. Apart from character banners, Genshin Impact version 4.5 features the Epitome Invocation, through which players can unlock weapons.

Niantic is teasing a major Pokemon GO update that will help players «rediscover» the popular mobile title. Pokemon GO is expected to receive multiple updates leading into the Pokemon GO Fest 2024 event, which will begin on May 30.

Pokemon Sleep has announced a new “Good Sleep Day” for April. Good Sleep Day events are routinely held once every lunar month, from the day before the full moon to the end of the day after. Fans can expect to gain bonuses for EXP, Drowsy Power, and Sleep Points during the time period. Players have a few weeks to gather ingredients to prepare dishes ahead of the event.

Next week’s free Epic Games Store titles have been revealed.

​​​​​​Is your Android phone refusing to charge? Don't panic. Solutions are at hand! This is a pretty common problem on Android phones, and there's usually a pretty common solution, too. Stick with us to get to the root of this problem and get your phone charging again.

Google is celebrating the launch of its Find My Device network. And, interestingly, the company now says that Pixel 8 devices can be located even when their batteries are drained.

While mid-range smartphones are now so good, they can do most of what flagship phones do well enough for most people, there are still many solid reasons why you'd want a flagship model.

Google Photos gives you some photo storage and editing tools for free, but getting the most out of it requires paying for a subscription. That’s now changing, as some editing features are opening up to everyone.

If you're like me, you may have avoided Samsung devices in the past because of the amount of bloat they added to Android. Well, the story has changed—Samsung One UI is now remarkably attractive, and Samsung apps are actually worth using. I would choose many of them over Google's own apps.

A recent Honkai: Star Rail leak has revealed a new break damage type that will be exclusive to Harmony Trailblazer. Break damage in Honkai: Star Rail takes effect upon breaking the enemy's toughness meter. It scales with character level and break effect, an independent stat that initiates various debuffs when the enemy is in a broken state. Briefly, the higher the break effect stat characters have, the more break damage they will dish out.

Genshin Impact has confirmed that the upcoming Special Program for Version 4.6 will be held on April 12. HoYoverse's livestream events are usually held approximately two weeks before a new update arrives, and they reveal most of the upcoming content including new characters, weapons, and regions.

Developer and publisher Epic Games could be exploring adding weapon charms to the array of cosmetics available in Fortnite. Cosmetic items form the foundation of the Fortnite business model, and a new item type could provide players with more reasons to play or spend cash in the game.

Pokémon Go looks set to add a new mechanic from the main series Pokémon games: the concept of Pokémon Fusion.

Minecraft Bedrock Edition has added five new paintings as part of preview 1.21.0.21, and one of them has a clever reference to a famous real-life painting. Minecraft often releases snapshots for Java players to test upcoming features. But Bedrock players aren't left behind, and Mojang's sandbox rolls out the same features via previews.

Pokemon GO developer Niantic has revealed that the Psychic-type Legendary Pokemon Necrozma will arrive as a new raid boss during Pokemon GO Fest 2024. Pokemon GO players may team up during the event to take on the new raid boss and potentially encounter a Shiny Necrozma.

Slay the Spire 2 has officially been confirmed with an early access Steam period beginning in 2025 at an unspecified date. A console release for Slay the Spire's sequel has not yet been announced, although it seems quite likely.

Poncle has announced plans to release Vampire Survivors for PlayStation consoles, as well as new Contra-themed DLC for the game.

A Pokemon GO player found a gym in the mountains that had been defended for nearly three years. Pokemon GO gyms have been in the augmented reality mobile game since the very beginning, and at first, they represented one of the few ways players could battle in the game.

Mega Crit has announced a sequel to its popular roguelike deck-building game Slay the Spire.

A Pokemon GO player shot an awesome picture of their Pichu while traveling. Pokemon GO players are able to catch Pokemon wherever they are in the world.

Ever wondered about those sleepy spores emitted by Grass-type Pokémon? Ever thought about rolling up their aromatic leaves, and subjecting them to a Fire-type attack?

Honkai: Star Rail has revealed new Light Cones that will be available in the second portion of version 2.1. Honkai: Star Rail allows players to spend their hard-earned Special Rail Passes on time-limited banners to unlock Light Cones, which they can use to boost characters' stats. In every update, the space RPG brings new weapons with their own rarity and path alignment.

Fortnite fans are upset over the game's removal of cosmetic item rarities, which graded the game's vast vault of character skins, pickaxes, back blings and so forth with various different 'quality' levels.

A Pokemon GO player has defied the odds and captured a Galarian Zapdos using the Pokemon GO Plus+ accessory. Galarian Birds are some of the most desired creatures by Pokemon GO players. But getting a Galarian Bird isn't easy, with Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres having rare appearances and even less frequent captures.

Niantic has revealed the specifics ofPokemon GO's highly anticipated Bellsprout Community Day, alongside the event-exclusive move, Magical Leaf. This is shaping up to be a really exciting Pokemon GO Community Day as the bonuses have got fans really excited as well.

Pokémon Go teased a big new addition the game as the moment of totality hit during yesterday's solar eclipse.

This year's Pokémon World Championships will culminate at the Hawaii Convention Center in Honolulu, Hawaii.

A Pokemon GO player seems to have hit the jackpot by catching an extremely rare shunundo Bagon. While nundos might not be as useful as the much-coveted hundos in Pokemon GO, the fact that they are much rarer makes them a prized possession for collectors.

Originally released for iOS on April 3, 2014, Monument Valley quickly became a classic for its unique use of optical illusion gameplay. The game, known for its mind-bending landscapes and visual design inspired by classical art and architecture, will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile players can currently claim the 5.11 Stryker Skin for free as part of a collaboration with clothing and gear brand 5.11 Tactical. At the time of writing, the skin is exclusive to Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, unlike most items available in the trio of current Call of Duty titles.

Using the Solar Eclipse as a backdrop, Pokemon GO teases the debut arrival of the highly anticipated Legendary psychic creature known as Necrozma. Ultra Beasts, special extradimensional creatures, first appeared inside of the Pokemon Sun and Moon games, giving players new and incredibly powerful creatures to collect. These Ultra Beasts made their debut in Pokemon GO in 2022 during the Go Fest celebrations that summer, including Nihilego.

Now that Android's Find My Device network is off the ground, Chipolo is launching a pair of AirTag-like tracking devices that are specially designed for wallets and bags. The Chipolo ONE Point and CARD Point arrive May 17th, just in time for summer vacation.

Last year, I boarded the Google One train when my sister's 15GB storage tanked. Initially, I opted for the 100GB "Basic" plan, confident that it would provide me with ample benefits. But that didn't last long, and I realized that for a service called "Google One" it's sorely lacking in its inclusiveness.

Amazon Fire Tablets are loved for their extremely low prices, but bargains don't come without sacrifices. That's why people have been manually installing the Play Store on Fire Tablets almost since the beginning. It's 2024 now, and some things have changed. Is this still a reliable hack?