Android News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Niantic is currently catching a lot of heat from Pokemon GO fans for preventing remote players from participating in the ongoing Shadow Mewtwo raids. Complaints about this limitation have been surfacing online at a steady pace ever since the elusive creature returned to Pokemon GO in late March.

For as sweet as Stardew Valley's Penny may seem, she has heartlessly stopped a player's rise to financial success by squandering $200,000 worth of Starfruit Wine. In a rather comical anticlimax, the Stardew Valley player has learned the hard way to not put all their eggs in one basket or, precisely, to not put all their Starfruit Wine in one room.

Fire Emblem Heroes update 8.4.0 is dropping on April 3, Intelligent Systems has announced. The upcoming patch will offer players the opportunity to grab some limited-time Combat Manuals and upgrade even more armaments in the Fire Emblem Heroes Weapon Refinery, among other changes.

Pokemon GO players have a new code to claim that will help them in Shadow Raid battles. Pokemon GO features a variety of Raids that players can participate in — assuming they have a raid pass and an adequate number of trainers handy to help, that is. Some Pokemon GO Raid Bosses are pushovers, but others pose a significant threat and require a bunch of players working together to take them down.

More Sonic Toys Party gameplay footage has leaked online, giving fans a possible look at some of the stages and character costumes in the rumored mobile game. Sega had stated earlier this year that it was interested in developing titles exclusively for mobile devices. Spin-off games like Persona 5: The Phantom X and Sonic Toys Party are some of the ways that Sega is looking to expand its reach into the mobile gaming market.

Stardew Valley players are sharing a new discovery with one of the crops added in the game's 1.6 update, with Powdermelons reportedly being invaluable for leveling. The newest update to ConcernedApe's massively popular farming sim brought a plethora of content to the beloved game, offering a multitude of new things to do. The 1.6 update added multiple festivities for players to participate in, with the Desert Festival added to Stardew Valley alongside smaller events in the Trout Derby and Squidfest. Now, one of the game's new crops is taking the spotlight.

A new leak fromHonkai: Star Rail is teasing a major update to the game's Trace system, adding a helpful quality-of-life feature with leveling recommendations. The newest sci-fi RPG from HoYoverse features plenty of ways for players to power up their characters between its gacha system and gameplay. Light Cones and Relics offer major stat boosts for characters, often boasting unique effects catered towards individual members of Star Rail's roster. Now, the game's most character-specific form of powerup is getting a major upgrade with the next version.

For two of my last three phones, I've gone out of my way to select one that comes with a stylus. The same is true of my last two tablets. Like gaming with a wireless gamepad, there are certain tasks that are just more pleasant with the right kit.

Tired of plugging in your phone before every drive? AAWireless now provides a quick compatibility checker that tells you whether your vehicle will work with a wireless Android Auto adapter.

The battery is usually the first component to wear down on smartphones, and as new phones keep getting released, battery repairs are still usually eexpensive. Insurance plans like AppleCare+ and Samsung's own Samsung Care+ can make that more affordable in the long term, and now Samsung's service is adding unlimited battery repairs, in exchange for a slight price bump.

It's exciting when a new phone feels completely different from what came before. Thing is, that's not what most people actually want. When a smartphone design is good, we want it to stay good, and frankly, most modern phones are good. That phones largely look the same year after year is actually a blessing, not a curse.

A Pokemon GO player has an unexpected surprise when playing the game, with a Zorua appearing out in the open for the player to capture. The beloved monster-catching mobile game from Niantic features a litany of creatures from throughout the history of the franchise, allowing fans the opportunity to pick up all their favorites. Pokemon GO has consistently added new Pokemon to the game since its launch in 2016, recently introducing Charcadet, Armarouge, and Ceruledge to the game. Now, a fan has found a strange quirk with one of the game's most unusual encounters.

When it comes to Android gaming there are lots of games that boast of high-quality graphics but the reality is different. You literally need to spend time searching for quality Android games in the never-ending list in the Google Play store.  Amidst a sea of options, finding the right game can be daunting. So here we have curated a list of top-tier high-graphic Android games across various genres for your gaming pleasure.

The Galarian Legendary Birds made their debut in Pokemon GO a couple of years back, but fans are still unhappy with how difficult it is to catch the elusive Pokemon. The Galarian forms of Articuno, Moltres, and Zapdos debuted with the release of the Crown Tundra expansion of Pokemon Sword and Shield, and they are some of the most sought-after Pokemon in Pokemon GO.

CD Projekt Red is actively exploring new mobile game opportunities, the developer has confirmed. This revelation was offered as part of its parent company's latest earnings report, which also saw CD Projekt reveal a 39% increase in full-year 2023 profits, largely driven by the sales of Cyberpunk 2077 and its Phantom Liberty expansion.

The discrepancy in the pricing of Pokemon GO's Rocket Box has infuriated fans, who are now deciding against purchasing it. The Rocket Box has been a point of contention in the past, and it seems like this new iteration also hasn't gone down well in the Pokemon GO community.

Fortnite developer Epic Games has reportedly patched a popular XP exploit in LEGO Fortnite that enabled players to gain XP points by doing nothing. The «AFK XP exploit» was being used by many Fortnite players to level up and unlock rewards quickly.

A Honkai: Star Rail leak revealed an upcoming quality-of-life feature that will allow players to pin priority characters. Honkai: Star Rail has been adding many innovative features to the game to improve fans' gameplay experience, possibly in preparation for its first anniversary in April.

CD Projekt—the company known for The Witcher games as well as Cyberpunk 2077—has said that it might be open to licensing its IP for mobile games. As caught by VGC, the company was asked during a Q&A session during its earnings conference for FY2023 whether it would be open to licensing its big IP—The Witcher and Cyberpunk—to third parties for mobile games.

Minecraft might finally be getting a native release on the PS5 soon. The game, currently only available on current-gen platforms through the use of backwards compatibility for the PS4 and Xbox versions, hasn’t seen a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S release.

Kuro Game’s Wuthering Waves, a free-to-play open-world action RPG akin to Genshin Impact, is out on May 22nd. It will launch for PC via the Epic Games Store, iOS and Android. Check out the latest cinematic trailer below, which sees some of the main cast exploring the ruins of the old world (and battling its threats).

The Trailblazer's Light Cone and relics for different paths will be saved separately from each other in Honkai: Star Rail version 2.2, as per a beta leak. Earlier this week, a new leak about the Trailblazer surfaced online, suggesting the protagonist of Honkai: Star Rail will receive their third form locked into the Harmony path and Imaginary element. As players might expect, the Harmony Trailblazer will take on the buffer role and bring a new playstyle into the space RPG.

Niantic reveals the details for Part 2 of the paid Wonder Ticket experience in Pokemon GO including the rewards that can be earned as well as the unique Eevee encounters that players can experience. After launching to incredible popularity back in 2016, becoming a massive phenomina, Pokemon GO has managed to maintain a level of success throughout the years thanks in large part to its ability to evolve. Adopting a live service model, players have seen new Pokemon continually added to the experience, new limited time events, as well as seasonal content to help keep the experience fresh.

Pokemon GO players have voiced their disappointment with the contents of the Expert and Veteran Boxes in the game. Apparently, these in-game boxes, which are available for purchase, do not seem to justify their price in the popular opinion of Pokemon GO players.

Microsoft is reportedly planning to release a native version of Minecraft for PlayStation 5.

These days, smartphones can do it all. Unfortunately, they can also track it all. Smartphones have become a data mining gold mine, but you're not powerless—there are things you can do to make yours less accessible and valuable to those who seek profit from your activity.

The Sims 5's map has seemingly been leaked online. Codenamed Project Rene, Maxis' next entry in its beloved series of charming life simulators was first revealed to the public in October 2022 at the Beyond The Sims Summit event.

Some Pokemon GO players have received an item not yet available in the game due to a glitch, and the game's community is curious to know what it might be. Pokemon GO has several items that help players with tasks such as hatching eggs, evolving, capturing, and battling Pokemon. Most of these items are obtained by spinning PokeStops or in Gyms, but leveling up or winning Raid Battles are other ways to get them.

How much does someone who built the foundations of Pokémon Go still play the game, eight years on? It's the first question I ask Ed Wu, senior vice president of Pokémon Go, as we set off on a walk together around a leafy London park — our phones in hand, Pokémon Go open. «I spend as much of my time beating up the game as possible,» he laughs. This is often using work-in-progress beta builds, he admits, to ensure upcoming features are bug-tested. But he still plays his «official» main account when he can — and it's clearly a source of pride that his was the first ever user account — or one of the first, he can't quite recall — registered on Pokémon Go's live server back at launch in the summer of 2016.

A cavalcade of indie talent — including the studios behind Dead Cells, Darkest Dungeon, Vampire Survivors, Deep Rock Galactic, and Slay the Spire — has joined forces to launch a new 45-minute «no-nonsense» indie games showcase that's set to air on 10th April this year.

Recent Honkai: Star Rail leaks have revealed a weekly boss that will arrive in version 2.2. As with other action RPGs, Honkai: Star Rail pits players against different types of enemies, including bosses that appear in modes like the Simulated Universe and the Forgotten Hall. They are significantly stronger than regular mobs and drop specific materials used to ascend relics.

Red Dead Redemption is now available as part of a GTA+ subscription.

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

CD Project is considering licensing out its Cyberpunk or The Witcher IP for use in mobile games.

Stardew Valley, one of our favourite RPGs despite coming out almost a decade ago, still has an attentive steward in the form of developer Eric Barone. After the recent 1.6 mega-update to the game, which added a whole bunch of stuff, Barone (better known in his developer form as ConcernedApe) Xeeted out a list of fixes in the now-available 1.6.3 update. This makes tweaks to things arising from 1.6 (many of them addressing moss, a new foraging item) and fixes bugs, one of which was causing 'excess trash' to be fished.

Some enemies in Honkai: Star Rail will reportedly have multiple layers of Toughness, as stated by a prominent leaker. Honkai: Star Rail has a combat mechanic that requires players to deplete the enemy's Toughness bar, which is displayed above its HP bar, to trigger the Break Effect. When this bar is fully exhausted, the enemy enters the Broken state, and players can utilize its elemental weakness to deliver a massive amount of damage.

Samsung is the most popular Android phone manufacturer. The company has phones that range from bleeding-edge technology to budget-friendly smartphones, and no matter what your price point is, there is a Galaxy phone available for you.

Onyx is still trying to perfect the combination of a device that’s equal parts tablet, eReader, and laptop. While the Boox Tab Ultra C Pro is admirable and even interesting in those ambitions, it's not quite there yet. And this year's professional moniker doesn’t get it over the hump from the previous model.

It's that time of year when the tech world awaits Google's yearly developer convention. The Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, readies itself to play host to yet another installment of Google I/O on May 14th, 2024. Here's what we're expecting from the event this year.

Google's Circle to Search feature arrived earlier this year with the launch of the Galaxy S24 series, then eventually rolled out for all Pixel 7 and Pixel 8 models. As promised, the fancy AI tool will start rolling out to more Pixel phones, tablets, and Galaxy phones later this week.

Can't hear any sound from your phone? Problems like malfunctioning headphones, your phone using a wireless device for audio output, sound being muted within a particular app, interference from other installed apps, and more could be causing this issue. We have some solutions you can try to resolve this problem.

Is your Android smartphone feeling sluggish? Don't rush to buy a new one! Over time, all devices slow down, but a simple cleanout might be all your old phone needs to speed up again.

According to a recent leak, Honkai: Star Rail will add five new events in version 2.2. Over the last week, some exciting details about Honkai: Star Rail version 2.2 have been leaked by reliable sources within the community. It was rumored that a new social feature that shows players' in-game status to their friends will be available in the next update. Some beta leaks have also pointed to a four-star Harmony Light Cone being free to claim for all players in 2.2.

Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update has reportedly added a new way to complete the Mayor Lewis quest and unlock the Lucky Purple Shorts item. In a recent update, developer Eric Barone has teased Stardew Valley players by introducing a certain twist to this quest that references an old in-game bug.

Some Pokemon GO players are currently unhappy with the lack of interesting rewards in the current World of Wonders Taken Over event. This latest Pokemon GO event has just started, and it will continue until March 31.

A Pokemon Go player managed to capture a super-rare and powerful Salemence, sharing their catch with the rest of the game's community. Pokemon come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and rarities in Pokemon Go, with the game encouraging players to interact with the real world as they search, capture, and collect.

Minecraft: Java Edition has released a new snapshot, and thanks to it, players can now enchant the Mace. Since last year, Mojang has been revealing some of the content that Minecraft players will see in the sandbox's next major update. Some celebrated additions have been the addition of the armor trims and the wolf variants, the latter of which many players have been wanting for years. But the addition that has Minecraft players talking the most in recent days is the Mace, growing the list of weapons players can get in the game.

Eric «ConcernedApe» Barone, the developer of Stardew Valley, took to the internet recently to inform players about a useful feature that many may have missed throughout their playthroughs. Barone's popular farm life simulator received a major update in March that introduced new content like items and events, as well as several quality-of-life improvements, among other things.

Fallen London and Sunless Skies developers Failbetter Games have blogged about the dark art of running a sustainable business, while sharing a tiny bit more about their next, unannounced game. Said game is apparently a change of genre from Failbetter's previous, exceedingly narrative-driven open world titles and free-to-play RPGs. It'll also be a little less oppressive, aiming for a feeling of "fireside menace" - that is, "an awareness of the world's dangers, but also warmth and comfort", which certainly feels like an appropriate mood for a time of mass layoffs and game cancellations, to say nothing of recent conspiracy-fuelled harassment campaigns.

An exciting Honkai: Star Rail leak has recently appeared online, suggesting the game's protagonist, the Trailblazer, will gain new powers by treading the Harmony path. Honkai: Star Rail's Trailblazer is a five-star character who takes all the actions that drive the story forward. Although the protagonist is locked into the Destruction path and the Physical element, they have the ability to change their alignments to Preservation and Fire.

Developer Behaviour Interactive has unveiled its new collaboration for Dead by Daylight. Focusing on music this time around, the studio has teamed up with metal band Slipknot to bring new horror-themed cosmetics to Dead by Daylight.

A Pokemon GO player's hiatus from the game turned out to be a blessing in disguise as they ended up getting an extremely rare Staryu Pokemon. What makes the incident even more significant is that the Pokemon cannot be obtained anymore in Pokemon GO, making it a priceless asset for the user.

Honkai: Star Rail players will obtain a free Light Cone in version 2.2, as per a recent beta leak. Honkai: Star Rail's Light Cones, in essence, are weapons providing characters with HP, ATK, and DEF stat bonuses. These items are locked behind a gacha system, which requires players to spend in-game currency to unlock them permanently. It's worth pointing out that several Light Cones, such as Cruising in the Stellar Sea and Texture of Memories, can be obtained from Herta's Shop without spending Rail Passes.

Lego Fortnite's latest update lets players construct their own vehicles. The Mechanical Mayhem update, out now, adds three vehicle builds, and new items which let players craft their own custom designs. It's the second major update to the blocky survival game since its launch last year.

The recent anticipation for Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile has materialized into strong revenue numbers, with the game reportedly collecting close to $1.5 million just days after launch. Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is just the second Call of Duty game available on mobile, besidesCall of Duty: Mobile.

Some Pokemon GO fans are currently taking to social media to criticize a recent update that significantly altered avatar appearances. While the changes do not appear to be available globally as of late March, many Pokemon GO players that took the time to reflect on them appear to agree that they switched things up for the worse.

Xbox’s new exclusivity strategy has partly been shaped by research into Gen Z consumer behaviour, according to Microsoft’s head of gaming.

Looking to up your photo game? A new, camera-focused smartphone will do wonders for your social media pictures. These are the best Android camera phones that will make sunsets sparkle, food look irresistible, and nighttime landscapes dazzle.

"APK" is an extremely common term in the Android world, and it's an even more important part of the Android operating system. We'll share some information about APK files, show you how to install them on your Android device, and how to check if they're safe to download.

Samsung is preparing to launch the 2024 Galaxy Tab S9 Lite, a mid-range tablet with an integrated S Pen stylus. Arriving March 28th in some regions, the tablet may be a good option for entertainment or casual work, though it's basically identical to its predecessor.

Never ask a Samsung phone owner how long it takes to install an update. Most Android smartphones install system updates in the background, but Samsung devices still perform updates the old-fashioned way. Fortunately, this appears to be changing, at least in some new and upcoming Galaxy phones.

The next version of Android is closer than we think. Android 14 was just released late last year, but Google is already working on what's next, with Android 15 now being in an early stage of testing. If you don't mind very broken software, you can install the next OS on your Android phone and see how it fares. Now, Google has just released the second developer preview of Android 15, and it'll be a bigger release than we initially thought.

Android has a huge, huge problem with platform segmentation, which is made even worse by some apps. Some app developers don't really care that much about targeting newer Android versions, or at least not immediately, thinking that it's not a priority. The problem is even worse considering there's a lot of apps being used today that still target ancient Android versions, with Google doing little to nothing to prevent it. Now, with Android 15, Google is going to tighten up things for developers.

A new Marvel game is set to be announced soon. Taking to Twitter, Marvel recently dropped a tease for the same, confirming an official announcement for tomorrow, March 27, at 8 AM Pacific.

Recent Honkai: Star Rail leaks reveal some quality-of-life features for version 2.2, including the ability to mute the sound while the screen is minimized. The closed beta period for Honkai: Star Rail's next version is now live, with some players trying out various content that has yet to be revealed publicly. Although it's been several days since the beta kicked off, many details about the upcoming events, characters, and other content have already leaked.

Lego Fortnite gets its second major update today, with the arrival of vehicles to build and drive around.

Fortnite's LEGO mode is set to receive an all-new Marvel skin that fans have been eagerly awaiting for quite a while now. While Fortnite added LEGO versions of over 1,200 skins when the mode debuted, a majority of them lacked higher-quality models. This, however, seems to be an entirely new skin altogether.

Pokemon GO players are starting to believe that Niantic is making Revives more difficult to obtain, following the most recent Raid Day event. Revives are especially useful in raid battles with other trainers, but a decrease could mean that more trainers could have a tough time making it through future Raid Day events in Pokemon GO.

Pokemon GO has kicked off a new giveaway that could award free Purified Gems to its players. The campaign has already begun and runs until March 29, coinciding with the World of Wonders: Taken Over event. During this Pokemon GO event, players can complete a new Special Research to encounter Pokemon like Shadow Groudon and Shadow Mewtwo.

Remember when Ark: Survival Evolved was announced to be getting an animated series with a star-studded cast including the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Russell Crowe, Elliot Page, David Tennant and Malcolm-bloody-McDowell? I sure didn’t! That was over three years ago during the heights of a worldwide pandemic, though, so I think we can forgive ourselves a little. Anyway, Ark: The Animated Series has now arrived out of the blue, dropping its first six episodes on streaming service Paramount+.

Pokemon GO is teasing the debut of Mega Heracross for April 13. Mega Evolutions have been a part of the Pokemon franchise since Pokemon X and Y were released in 2013. The concept eventually made its way to Pokemon GO, with most Mega Evolutions readily available in the augmented reality mobile game.

Honkai: Star Rail's Boothill has a decent kit complete with Physical damage, according to a recent leak. Last week, Boothill received his drip marketing campaign as the newest five-star character following the path of Hunt. He was confirmed for Honkai: Star Rail version 2.2, the patch that will also introduce players to Robin in early May.

On top of announcing the release date for Final Fantasy 14's next expansion, Dawntrail, at PAX East over the weekend, producer Yoshi-P set Final Fantasy tongues wagging even further by mentioning the words "Final Fantasy 9" and "secret" in the same sentence. Many of the pre-order and special edition bonus items players can get with the upcoming Dawntrail expansion are suspiciously FF9-themed, you see, but when pointing this out to PAX-goers, Yoshi-P said "the reason is a secret" for now, sparking fresh rumours about Square Enix's supposed Final Fantasy IX remake/remaster.

After starting a new world in Minecraft, one player built an incredibly detailed house next to the water in their Hardcore world. Minecraft players are frequently iterating on house designs to come up with the best possible creations, and this latest home design is among the more cozy ones out there.

Players have been enjoying the big Stardew Valley Update 1.6 and all of its new content, with one fan discovering a major change to rare loot chests and special floors in Skull Cavern. Update 1.6 for Stardew Valley is the biggest patch to date for the indie game, and fans have been jumping in to experience the fresh content and numerous quality-of-life improvements.

Gameplay footage for the rumored Sonic the Hedgehog battle royale spin-off has just been leaked online, giving interested fans a glimpse at its fast-paced multiplayer action. The past couple of years have seen the release of several Sonic the Hedgehog games, from the experimental open-world format of Sonic Frontiers to the more traditional 2D platforming of Sonic Superstars. 2024 looks to be yet another banner year for the Blue Blur, with several promising tie-in projects on the horizon.

Yes, there are a lot of references to Final Fantasy 9 in Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail's collector's edition… and no, that's not a coincidence.

Our first look at the gameplay of Sonic Toys Party – which is a Sonic and Fall Guys-esque mash-up – has popped up online.

A Honkai: Star Rail leak reveals details about Sam's preliminary kit. Sam is an unreleased character who previously appeared in an official livestream alongside other Penacony-based warriors. Currently, he is one of the bosses Honkai: Star Rail players encounter during the game's story. Like other bosses in the space RPG, Stellaron Hunter: Sam has an enhanced form and several active skills alongside vulnerabilities players can utilize to take him down.

A Pokemon GO player has made a really interesting observation related to the Sinnoh Stone, which is quite easy to miss despite semming so obvious in hindsight. The Pokemon franchise is known for its secretive references spanning both the anime and the games, and this marks yet another instance where the creators had hidden an Easter egg for fans to find while playing Pokemon GO.