On its own, Android is a strong platform upon which to build products like phones, tablets, and more. However, many of the things that make our smartphones smart come from the apps and services that Google adds on top of stock Android, particularly the Play Store, Play Services, and the monthly “Play System Updates” for core Android components.
Collectively, those three are referred to as the “Google System,” and each month, Google lists the latest updates and changes for them. Over the course of the month, the company will gradually add more notes, and we do our best to catalog and explain them here. So check back periodically to see what’s new.
The easiest way to check whether you need to update Google Play Services on your phone is to follow a direct link to the app’s Play Store listing and update from there, if available. To update the Play Store, tap your avatar in the corner, then “Settings.” Under the “About” section, you’ll see an option to “Update Play Store.” Meanwhile, Google Play system updates can be found through the Settings app, under About phone > Android version > Google Play system update.
Updating Google Play Services
After a messy two months of oddly timed patch notes, Google is now back on track, sharing the first details about the June updates in a timely manner.
First up, Google Wallet is gaining some improvements for foldable phones – perfectly timed for the upcoming launch of the Pixel Fold and the soon-to-be-announced Galaxy Z Fold/Flip 5 generation. One notable detail our team has uncovered is that foldable phones need to be closed in order to make payments or use passes.
Elsewhere in Google Wallet news, the app is adding a toggle that will let you disable the “fun animations “that the service occasionally shows when tapping your phone to make a payment.
Android owners can also expect the “Find My Device network” to arrive in the very near future. First announced at Google I/O, the Find My Device network will make it easy to locate lost devices – phones, tablets, earbuds, and even Bluetooth trackers – with the help of a massive network of Android devices while also maintaining privacy.
Google Play System Updates for June 2023
Account Management
[Phone] New alerts and recommendations to secure your Google Account.
Security & Privacy
[Phone] Find My Device now supports more devices, including accessories, using a new privacy-centric framework.
Wallet
[Phone] GPay support for foldable devices.
[Phone] Control to opt out of fun animations after you complete a payment or use a pass.
System Management
[TV] A reminder dialogue for pending system updates has been added.
While we still have two more Tensor G2-based devices coming this month, Google’s next upgrade to Tensor G3 in the Pixel 8 series will apparently bring some drastic upgrades to the chip’s specs.
According to tipster Kamila Wojciechowska through Android Authority, Tensor G3 is going to be a considerable upgrade with more modern cores, support for the latest storage standard, a new GPU, and more.
Leak: here's everything you want to know about the Google Tensor G3, the SoC that's gonna power the Pixel 8 series, exclusively on @AndroidAuthhttps://t.co/pYkShLO8up
Starting with the cores, the Google Tensor G3 will apparently change the core layout yet again, this time with a 1+4+4 layout. This is altered from Tensor and Tensor G2, which both had 2+2+4 layouts.
The single big core will apparently be Cortex-X3, which would be clocked at 3.0GHz. Behind that would be the far more modern Cortex-A715, with four of those mid-cores clocked at 2.45GHz. That’s a huge step forward from the Cortex-A78 that was in place on the Tensor G2. For the “little” cores, there would be four Cortex-A510 cores at 2.15GHz, again being much more modern compared to the Cortex-A55 in both past Tensor generations.
All of this was announced in 2022, so technically Tensor G3 will still be a bit behind, but far closer than ever.
These upgrades alone should provide a solid boost to the CPU’s performance as a whole, as well to to its efficiency. This also brings support for ARMv9, which allows for security upgrades. The Pixel 8, according to Wojciechowska, will use this upgrade to implement Memory Tagging Extensions (MTE) from Arm to help prevent memory-based attacks. This would also entirely remove 32-bit support, which Google had already stepped away from on Pixel 7.
Another major point of upgrade is with storage, with this new chip allowing Pixel 8 to support the faster and more efficient UFS 4.0 storage used in devices such as Galaxy S23 Ultra and OnePlus 11.
The GPU is also getting a considerable upgrade, with Tensor G3 reportedly picking up Arm’s new Immortalis GPU, specifically the Mali-G715. That’s not the latest generation, but the 10-core GPU will provide a considerable upgrade, including support for ray-tracing.
Tensor G3 will further upgrade video decoding/encoding, with the “BigWave” block. It retains AV1 decoding from Tensor G2, but also adds AV1 encoding for up to 4k30. For encoding, the Pixel 8’s chip would support up to 8k30, but it’s unclear if Google would actually ship the feature. An upgrade TPU is also coming under the codename “Rio,” will bring a faster clock speed at 1.1GHz. There aren’t any specifics, but it’s said to be a “considerable” upgrade. A new digital signal processor, “callisto,” brings a 4-core, 512KB/core configuration at 1065MHz, which is said to offload more image processing.
As previously reported, Pixel 8’s Tensor G3 chip also won’t bring any changes to the modem, which probably isn’t a big deal considering the major upgrade that came with the Exynos 5300 modem in Tensor G2. In a previous test, we found the Pixel’s modem performance comparable to Qualcomm.
Google Tensor G3 is also expected to be a 4nm chip made on Samsung’s process. The Pixel 8 series is expected to arrive in October 2023.
On Thursday, Applereleased iOS 16.5 to the public with new wallpaper choices, updates to Apple News, and more. As it turns out, this update also breaks compatibility with Apple’s Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter accessory for iPhone and iPad users.
This dongle connects to an iPhone or iPad via Lightning and has a built-in USB-A port that you can use to connect a myriad of accessories to your iPhone or iPad. There’s also a built-in Lightning port for charging the iPhone or iPad. According to users who rely on this accessory, however, iOS 16.5 breaks compatibility with both of those ports.
In posts on Apple’s Support forums, Reddit, and the MacRumors forums, users say that the Lightning and USB-A ports on this accessory are rendered useless after updating to iOS 16.5. The Lightning port does not passthrough power to charge the iPhone and iPad. Connecting an accessory to the adapter via USB-A results in an error message that says the adapter requires too much power to operate.
While Apple bills this as a “camera adapter accessory,” iPhone and iPad users actually rely on it for connecting a range of USB-A products to their devices. This includes things like Ethernet adapters, digital audio converters, and more.
One affected user explains:
iPhone 13 Pro Max here hitting same issue. I’ve been using the official Apple Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter for months to send lossless Apple Music to my DAC, and it’s worked flawlessly and charged my phone at the same time. As soon as I updated to iOS 16.5 this morning, the adapter not only doesn’t communicate to the DAC at all, it doesn’t even charge my phone. When I test plugging in an iPad on a previous OS version, it communicates and charges just fine.
This has to be an issue with iOS 16.5, and I hope it’s resolved quickly – very bad look for an official Apple accessory to be rendered inoperable by a step update of iOS.
Apple support has been unable to help the affected customers. The problem is likely software-related, given that it was tied to the release of iOS 16.5. This means Apple will likely have to release iOS 16.5.1 at some point in the near future to fix compatibility with the Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter accessory.
Android 14 Beta 2 is an “incremental Beta-quality release” following the initial Android Beta Program version that rolled out via over-the-air update last month.
With Beta 2, you’ll get a more complete and stable build for continuing your testing and development.
Fixed an issue where a device couldn’t be unlocked using a fingerprint after tapping a notification or choosing a notification action on the lock screen. (Issue #278174846)
Fixed an issue on some devices that caused sound to play through the speakers instead of headphones that were connected. (Issue #278043129)
Fixed an issue that caused icons on the home screen to appear almost invisible. (Issue #277970542)
Fixed issues with gesture navigation that occurred when using a custom launcher:
The Home screen content wouldn’t display and the animation would fail to render when swiping up to go Home. (Issue #277981298)
The list of recently used apps couldn’t be accessed using the normal gesture. (Issue #277983179)
Fixed issues that prevented users from interacting with notifications in the notification shade. (Issue #278339342, Issue #276534576)
Fixed an issue that could cause a device to crash after finishing audio or video calls. (Issue #279539689)
Other resolved issues
Fixed an issue where, after entering and exiting picture-in-picture mode, the screen flickered when any apps were launched.
Fixed an issue where user restrictions set by DPC admins were not being enforced in Settings.
Fixed an issue where, after taking pictures with the Google Camera app, opening the latest picture from the thumbnail in the app briefly displayed a green-colored shade over the image.
Fixed an issue that could cause the battery percentage to be displayed as 0% after a device reboot regardless of the actual charge level of the device.
Fixed an issue that could cause a device to crash, and then when the device rebooted any wallpapers that were selected before the reboot were reset.
Fixed issues that prevented the Better Bug app from uploading bug reports.
Fixed issues that caused the back-to-home gesture to stop working.
Fixed an issue that could cause the system Settings app to crash repeatedly.
Fixed an issue that prevented users from searching within the system Settings app.
Fixed issues that sometimes caused null pointer exceptions for input method editors (IMEs).
Fixed an issue that sometimes increased system-wide memory usage unnecessarily.
Fixed system issues that could sometimes cause deadlocks.
Leave feedback using the Android Beta Feedback app on Pixel devices. You can access it from the drawer or via Quick Settings to file bugs in the Google issue tracker. There’s also the Android Beta community on Reddit.
Android 14 Beta 2 (UPB2.230407.014) with the May 2023 security patch is available for the Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro, as well as the Android Emulator.
Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a devices that use Verizon as their carrier: April 2023 / UPB2.230407.014.A1
Most people will be installing via the Android Beta Program, but you can also flash or sideload.
If you need help, here’s our full guide on installing Android 14.
Following over a month of beta testing, iOS 16.5 is now available to the general public. This update includes changes to Apple News, the addition of a new “Pride Celebration” wallpaper, and more. Head below for the full release notes with details on bug fixes, new features, and more.
What’s new in iOS 16.5?
Here are Apple’s official release notes on iOS 16.5 new features and bug fixes. The build number for today’s update is 20F66.
A new Pride Celebration wallpaper for the Lock Screen to honor the LGBTQ+ community and culture
Sports tab in Apple News gives easy access to stories, scores, standings, and more, for the teams and leagues you follow
My Sports score and schedule cards in Apple News take you directly to game pages where you can find additional details about specific games
Fixes an issue where Spotlight may become unresponsive
Addresses an issue where Podcasts in CarPlay may not load content
Fixes an issue where Screen Time settings may reset or not sync across all devices
Earlier iOS 16.5 betas included the addition of a new Siri command for starting and stopping a screen recording. Apple removed this feature in subsequent iOS 16.5 betas, and it’s not included in the final version of the update.
iOS 16.5 will be the final major point-release update to iOS 16 before WWDC in June. This is where Apple will debut iOS 17 and release the first developer betas.
Apple is, however, expected to continue releasing updates to iOS 16 through the summer and likely even alongside iOS 17. iOS 16.6 is expected to enter beta testing soon.
You can update your iPhone by going to the Settings app, choosing General, then choosing Software Update.
watchOS 9.5 debuts with new Pride Celebration watch face
Alongside iOS 16.5, Apple has also released watchOS 9.5 for Apple Watch users today. The headlining change in this update is an all-new Pride Celebration watch face to honor the LGBTQ+ community and culture.
What’s new in watchOS 9.5?
watchOS 9.5 is rolling out now to all users. You can update your Apple Watch by going to Settings, choosing General, then choosing Software Update. You can also install the update via the Apple Watch companion app on your iPhone.
Here are Apple’s release notes for watchOS 9.5:
watchOS 9.5 includes new features, improvements and bug fixes, including a new Pride Celebration watch face to honor the LGBTQ+ community and culture.
And some more details on the new Pride Celebration watch face:
Inspired by multiple pride flags, this new watch face combines colors to represent the strength and mutual support of the LGBTQ+ movement. Mirroring the woven loops of the Sport Loop, each strand of vibrant thread contributes to the overall composition of the watch face. The colorful threads move as the Digital Crown on Apple Watch is rotated, the display is tapped, or the user’s wrist is raised.
The new Pride Celebration face included in watchOS 9.5 pairs with the similarly-designed wallpaper for iPhone users. The new wallpaper is included with iOS 16.5, which is also available starting today.
macOS Ventura 13.4 with new sports-related features
After months of beta testing, Apple has finally released macOS Ventura 13.4 to the public. The update, which is now available for macOS users, comes with new sports-related features, as well as a new system for installing beta software. Read on as we detail what’s new with macOS Ventura 13.4.
One big change coming with macOS Ventura 13.4 is the new system for installing betas that was introduced with iOS 16.4. The operating systems now asks for the Apple ID to show and download beta software updates.
macOS checks whether the account is associated with a developer or user registered in the public beta program. It then shows the beta update available for that program. With this change, regular users will no longer be able to install developer betas, for example.
macOS 13.4 full release notes
Sports feed in the sidebar of Apple News gives easy access to stories, scores, standings, and more, for the teams and leagues you follow
My Sports score and schedule cards in Apple News take you directly to game pages where you can find additional details about specific games
Resolves an issue where Auto Unlock with Apple Watch does not log you into your Mac
Fixes a Bluetooth issue where keyboards connect slowly to Mac after restarting
Addresses a VoiceOver issue with navigating to landmarks on webpages
Fixes an issue where Screen Time settings may reset or not sync across all devices
You can install macOS Ventura 13.4 by going to the Software Update menu in the System Settings app. It may take a while before the update shows up on your computer; make sure that your Mac is compatible with macOS Ventura.
The update build number is XXXXX.
OpenAI launches free ChatGPT for iPhone app with Whisper support and more
OpenAI has announced that it is releasing a dedicated iPhone app for its ChatGPT service. The app, which is available via the App Store, gives users the ability to use ChatGPT through a native app on their iPhone. The app is free to download and includes no ads. It’s currently only available in the United States, but OpenAI says availability will expand “in the coming weeks.”
ChatGPT for iPhone now available
As announced by OpenAI in a blog post, ChatGPT for iPhone will offer the same set of features as the web version of the service. This will include ChatGPT Plus support, which lets users subscribe to pay for more advanced versions of the service.
The app will also sync your ChatGPT history across all your devices, including the web. It also includes support for Whisper, OpenAI’s open-source speech-recognition system. This integration with Whisper enables voice input for the ChatGPT app on iPhone. The ChatGPT app is also completely ad-free.
As ChatGPT has gained popularity over the last six months, a number of copycat and scam apps have surfaced on the App Store. Apple has cracked down on these apps, in part by blocking apps that use “GPT” in their name. By releasing its own version of ChatGPT for iPhone, OpenAI hopes to directly control the experience of using the service on an iPhone.
Additionally, Microsoft’s Bing app for iPhone has seen a major boost in popularity since it added ChatGPT integration.
ChatGPT for iPhone is rolling out starting today to users in the United States. OpenAI availability will “expand to additional countries in the coming weeks.”
Following the Duet AI announcement yesterday, many more people who signed up for Google Workspace Labs are now seeing the generative AI features in Gmail and Docs that “Help you write.”
To tell if you have it in Gmail on the web, start composing an email, and you’ll see a new “Help me write (Labs)” button next to “Send” and formatting options in the bottom toolbar.
Afterward, a blue/purple-ish messaging field appears at the bottom of your screen for you to enter a prompt, with Google rotating through suggestions. It takes a few seconds for something to generate, and you then have the ability to:
Formalize: Makes the draft more formal
Elaborate: Adds details to build upon the text
Shorten: Shortens the draft
I’m Feeling Lucky: Updates draft with creative details
You can also ask Google to “Recreate,” while “Insert” will paste and let you make further edits. Google marks with brackets where you should delete and enter your name or other specifics.
In Google Docs, opening a new page shows a “Help me write” chip. It’s the same workflow as Gmail, but the “Help me write” button can be found to the left of your cursor on the edge of the page to access it again.
Before I/O, Google said it was expanding its Trusted Tester program by 10x. Generative AI features in Google Sheets and Slides (used to create images) are not yet live — and “sidekick” is further down the road — with today’s expansion continuing the public testing that started in March. We’re seeing it live on the web right now, but not on Android.
You can sign-up for Google Workspace Labs’s Gmail and Google featureshere.
Google branding generative AI in Gmail, Workspace as ‘Duet AI’
Google has been publicly testing features that help users write in Gmail and Docs over the past few weeks. Generative AI is now coming to Sheets, Slides, and Meet with a new name: Duet AI for Google Workspace.
“Duet” evokes a sense of contextual collaboration, which is how Google sees the relationship between users and generative AI. (If the name is familiar, Chrome used it for a redesign that never launched.)
In Gmail, Google Docs, and Slides, you’ll eventually get a Duet AI side panel, called “sidekick.” It can be launched next to your profile avatar in the top-right corner, and it analyze your email or document. In Google Slides, it can create speaker notes for each slide.
In Google Slides, generative AI will generate images from text prompts. You’ll get a “Help me visualize” side panel to enter what you want with the ability to choose a style: none, photography, illustration, flat lay, background, and clip art. You’ll get a grid of 6-8 designs with the ability to “View more.”
Duet AI in Google Meet can be used to create background images: “It’s a subtle, personal touch to show you care about the people you’re connecting with and what’s important to them. And you can change that visual with an equally stunning and original one — all in just a few clicks.”
Google Sheets is using gen AI for automatic table generation with a “Help me organize” field. An example prompt is “Client and pet roster for a dog walking business” with columns like dog, address, email, date, time, duration, and rate offered. You get a preview before inserting.
…simply describe what you’re trying to accomplish, and Sheets generates a plan that helps you get organized.
These three features are coming to Google Workspace Labs, with the Trusted Tester program expanding by 10x just last week. Since March, Google says it has had “hundreds of thousands” of such testers.
These features are hitting general availability later this year for business and consumer Workspace accounts. Check out labs.withgoogle.com in the meantime.
We’re now four (yes, 4) updates deep into the early Android 14 preview phase. There are some new bits and pieces to uncover on eligible Google Pixel handsets. Here are all of the top user-facing functions in Android 14 Beta 2.
Android 14 won’t be a huge update from a user-facing perspective. Google is still refining Material You to better fit with the growing Pixel smartphone ecosystem. Other OEMs will also adopt some things here but not all.
Lockscreen PIN input Material You icons
Google has added a neat extra touch to the lockscreen when you enter a PIN or passcode. Tapping any of the buttons and the input tracker will now be animated with abstract Material You-style icons such as rounded triangles, stars, and more to indicate that you have entered characters or numbers.
Page indicator on Pixel Launcher
To help you understand just what page you’re currently looking at, the Pixel Launcher now has page indicators that are very iOS-like. These dot-style pop-ups will fade out of view after a prolonged period on one specific page but are actually lifted right from the Quick Settings panel – which has similar indicators already.
Monochrome toggle returns to Wallpaper & style
The monochrome theming option has returned to Wallpaper & style which overrides the default Dynamic Color settings. Instead of colorful Quick Settings toggles and menu panes, these areas will adopt a simple black or white color depending on whether you have the light or dark theme applied.
Separate Call and Ring volume controls
Although hinted at in a previous beta release, Android 14 Beta 2 has enabled separate Call and Ring volume controls for some users. This may still need to be enabled for many, but if you heading to Settings > Sound and vibration you will be able to adjust the volume at which you hear callers through the earpiece or the volume of your device ringer.
Cleaner app menu pop-ups
The expanded floating app menus that allow for quick access to specific in-app sections have also received attention in Android 14 Beta 2. When long-pressing an app icon you’ll see that dividing lines or separators are removed to clean up the look. This is more in-keeping with the Material You design principles but the pop-up section is also decreased slightly too.
Keyboard and language sections in System section
The Keyboard and Language sections have now been elevated within the System section of device Settings. Previously this was a combined “Languages & input” section that amalgamated all of the functions. This makes things easier to manage and less confusing.
Improved animations
Android 14 Beta 2 appears to refine and tune some of the animations that we’ve become accustomed to in our favorite mobile operating system. Swiping, scrolling and invoking menus just feels smoother than it did in previous builds. You can see some improvements to the pop-up customization menu in the Pixel Launcher too.
This floating panel fades in then pops into view rather than folding up as in Android 13. This looks cleaner and adds a little extra visual flair. It also mimics the Power menu animation when activating from the Quick Settings panel.
Flash notifications page enhanced
Added back in Developer Preview 2, the Flash notifications page now has an improved UI with a visual element to help you better understand the feature. The toggles are also simplified to “Camera flash” and “Screen flash” with the “Preview” button unaltered.
At a Glance widget alterations
Whether it’s a bug or just a tweak before we see more controls and functions, the popular At a Glance widget appears to have shrunk on some Pixel units with Android 14 Beta 2. It’s still prominent but with the text and icons smaller than in previous updates.
On the lockscreen with media playing, the widget has further changes. The temperature and weather condition icon join the date information while the forecast data now takes up two lines. A new “Daily forecast” text is prominent – likely to confirm that this is data from weather tracking agencies.
New Security & privacy logo in Settings
One cosmetic change you might not notice right away is a brand new “Security & privacy logo” in the Settings menu. The shield icon now has an “S” shape rather than a “check” icon.
Improved contrast control within Developer options
If you have Developer options enabled then you can try the enhanced “Contrast” control menu. Tapping this opens up a pop-up menu where you can choose from three options: Standard, Medium, and High. This looks like it will replace the touted contrast slider that would allow for better integration with your core color choices as part of the Material You and Dynamic Color theming system.
Floating Clipboard tool
The enhanced Android 13 clipboard tool is getting some love in Android 14 Beta 2 but it seems very much like a work in progress. If you invoke the clipboard editing tool and then copy text again from this window you can activate a mini floating clipboard tool. This doesn’t always work perfectly in our testing but might be a neat option if it gets further attention.
Font Quick Settings tile
If you want to quickly adjust or alter system font size there’s a new “Font” Quick Settings tile that allows you to increase text across all areas of your device. This saves the effort of diving into the “Display size and text” menu in Settings.
May 2023 patch
As the most recent public Android build, you can bet that the latest May 2023 security patch is also bundled in with the Android 14 Beta 2 update. This should make it more secure for anyone foolhardy enough to run this preview build on their device.
Android 14 Beta 2: What is your favorite new feature?
That’s everything new in Android 14 Beta 2. When combined with the original developer previews, there’s more to test drive on your device with more expected as the beta phase progresses. It’s important to note that our shortlist includes all of the top user-facing features that we’ve found at this stage.
We do expect to see more little things that might have slipped through the cracks over the coming days and weeks. We likely will have a deeper dive into every single thing that has been added, including some features that require a little work to get fully operational in our full overview, coming very soon.
Apple has been beta testing iOS 16.5 and other software updates since March, and now it seems that these updates are about to be released to the public. Ahead of the official release next week, the company is now rolling out iOS 16.5 RC, iPadOS 16.5 RC, tvOS 16.5 RC, watchOS 9.5 RC, and macOS 13.4 RC to developers and public beta users.
A RC or Release Candidate build is usually released to developers days before its official release to the public to ensure that the software has no major bugs.
What’s new in iOS 16.5 RC?
iOS 16.5 RC will be available today to registered developers and beta testers. As the update rolls out over the air within the next hour, you’ll be able to install it by going to the Settings app, choosing General, then choosing Software Update. RC’s build number is 20F65.
As attention starts to shift to iOS 17, which will be introduced next month at WWDC, iOS 16.5 doesn’t include many notable changes.
iOS 16.5 adds new screen recording commands to Siri, which allows you to start or stop a screen recording using the virtual assistant. The update also adds a dedicated Sports tab to the Apple News app, something which has been highly requested among sports fans in the past.
iOS 16.5 RC full release notes:
A new Pride Celebration wallpaper for the Lock Screen to honor the LGBTQ+ community and culture
Sports tab in Apple News gives easy access to stories, scores, standings, and more, for the teams and leagues you follow
My Sports score and schedule cards in Apple News take you directly to game pages where you can find additional details about specific games
Fixes an issue where Spotlight may become unresponsive
Addresses an issue where Podcasts in CarPlay may not load content
Fixes an issue where Screen Time settings may reset or not sync across all devices
macOS Ventura 13.4 and watchOS 9.5
One big change coming with macOS Ventura 13.4 and watchOS 9.5 is the new system for installing betas that was introduced with iOS 16.4. Both operating systems now ask for the Apple ID to show and download operating system beta updates.
The system checks whether the account is associated with a developer or user registered in the public beta program. It then shows the beta update available for that program. With this change, regular users will no longer be able to install developer betas, for example.
macOS 13.4 full release notes:
Sports feed in the sidebar of Apple News gives easy access to stories, scores, standings, and more, for the teams and leagues you follow
My Sports score and schedule cards in Apple News take you directly to game pages where you can find additional details about specific games
Resolves an issue where Auto Unlock with Apple Watch does not log you into your Mac
Fixes a Bluetooth issue where keyboards connect slowly to Mac after restarting
Addresses a VoiceOver issue with navigating to landmarks on webpages
Fixes an issue where Screen Time settings may reset or not sync across all devices
watchOS 9.5 full release notes:
watchOS 9.5 includes new features, improvements and bug fixes, including a new Pride Celebration watch face to honor the LGBTQ+ community and culture.
tvOS 16.5
For Apple TV users, tvOS 16.5 introduces a new Multiview feature for sports. Multiview allows users to watch up to four games at the same time in a split-screen interface. Start watching a game, and then within a video player, use the Add Game button to add another stream alongside it. The feature only works with games streamed by Apple through the TV app.
Along with tvOS 16.5 RC, Apple is also rolling out HomePod Software 16.5 RC. According to Apple, the updates will be released to the public next week.
Hands-on with the new Multiview feature for Apple TV sports streams
With tvOS 16.5 beta, Apple is testing a new feature for the Apple TV app on the Apple TV 4K set-top box: the ability to watch more than one game at a time.
Multiview allows users to watch up to four simultaneous streams at once. The feature is available for live sports streamed through the TV app, like MLB Friday Night Baseball and MLS Season Pass …
The feature is available when multiple sports are live at the same time on the Apple TV service — right now that means MLB Friday Night Baseball and Major League Soccer. Apple is rumored to be in talks to get rights to other sports streaming packages in the future.
I tried out Multiview last night with Saturday’s MLS games. MLS Season Pass currently schedules about six games each weekend with overlapping start times, so something like Multiview is essential if you are a fan of multiple teams playing on the same night.
To enter Multiview mode, start watching a sports stream in the normal full-screen player. When Multiview is available, a grid icon will appear in the controls toolbar above the scrubber.
Clicking this button minimises the video into a smaller floating window. Below, the UI presents a strip of other games to watch that are currently live. Select one of these games and it is added to the Multiview grid. Swipe up to remove the games strip and maximise with the streams of both games playing side-by-side.
You can see live video of both games at once, but you only hear the audio track of the video that is currently focused; the other is muted. Swipe on the Siri Remote to change which video you are hovering over to select the current audio source. Click on a video to temporarily take it full screen. When you press the Back button on the remote, the app returns to Multiview.
With Multiview, you can watch up to four games at once. When two or four games are active, a selector appears between the video preview and the games bar that lets you customize the arrangement of the grid. Switch between a symmetric grid or a layout where one video is larger than the others.
In practice, it all works well with smooth animations and intuitive gestures to control the action. For a feature that packs in as much complexity as it does, it feels simple. Frankly, it is harder to find a live game in the first place to serve as the entry point — the Apple TV app could really benefit from a dedicated Live tab to bring together everything live to watch right now, in a cohesive fashion.
As you might expect from a beta feature, I experienced a couple of minor bugs during testing. Sometimes, the audio or video of one stream would cut out altogether. Removing and re-adding the game would resolve it. Also, a wonky UI thing is that when you hover over a video, the interface suggests pressing the TV button on the remote to reveal some more options, similar to how you control Picture-in-Picture on Apple TV. However, pressing said TV button would simply close the app and take me back to the system’s home screen app grid. This seems like something that either hasn’t quite been finished yet, or leftover remnants of an earlier prototyped design.
The 16.5 beta cycle is ongoing and there’s time for these things to be fixed up before the 16.5 software update ships to customers. Apple hasn’t even confirmed if Multiview will launch with the 16.5 release; it could be pushed to a later version. It’s also not clear if this is intended as an Apple TV exclusive feature, or whether it will roll out to other platforms in the future.
Apple expands new method for installing beta updates to macOS and watchOS
Apple has introduced a new system for distributing beta software with iOS 16.4, which now checks whether the user’s Apple ID is participating in the Apple Developer Program or the Apple Beta Software Program. This system is now being expanded to the Mac and Apple Watch with macOS Ventura 13.4 and watchOS 9.5.
Apple is changing how users and developers install beta software on macOS and watchOS
As noted by 9to5Mac, both operating systems now ask for the Apple ID to show and download operating system beta updates. Just like in iOS 16.4 and later, the system checks whether the account is associated with a developer or user registered in the public beta program. It then shows the beta update available for that program.
Previously, anyone could install betas of iOS, macOS, and watchOS by having the right beta profile. But with this change, regular users will no longer be able to install developer betas, for example. Users who are not registered for the program will only have the option of installing public beta software.
According to Apple, the new system will become the only way to install beta software in the future. Here’s what the company said back in February:
Beginning with iOS & iPadOS 16.4 beta, members of the Apple Developer Program will see a new option to enable developer betas directly from Software Update in Settings. This new option will be automatically enabled on devices already enrolled in the program that update to the latest beta release.
Your iPhone or iPad must be signed in with the same Apple ID you used to enroll in the Apple Developer Program in order to see this option in Settings. In future iOS and iPadOS releases, this new setting will be the way to enable developer betas and configuration profiles will no longer grant access.
More about betas
Apple released iOS 16.5 beta 2 along with new betas of watchOS 9.5, tvOS 16.5, and macOS 13.4 on Tuesday. While iOS 16.4 introduced many new features, iOS 16.5 seems to be more focused on bug fixes. Still, the update adds new screen recording commands to Siri and a dedicated Sports tab to the Apple News app.
Ads already appear throughout the Play Store, and Google is now showing them when you start a search alongside other visual tweaks.
When you tap the Google Play search bar at the top of the app, you previously just saw your last four queries. Now, you might see up to three “limited-time events as well as sponsored suggestions,” with past searches appearing below that.
Limited-time events are an existing tool used to promote streaming apps that might have a particularly interesting sporting match later in the day or in-game events. They often appear as cards in the Play Store’s main feeds. They are now surfaced in search history with app name, icon, rating, and download count.
Additionally, Google Play is also showing “sponsored suggestions” that are explicitly labeled as an “Ad,” though some users would consider limited-timed events to be essentially the same thing. Both types disappear as you start typing your search.
Moving search history further down the list is unfortunate and telling in terms of company priorities. Meanwhile, a small tweak sees more prominent icons next to past queries for easier sorting.
This change was announced in the April Google System Updates changelog and has been rolling out in recent weeks. (first spotted a variant of it in November 2022.) Google this week also detailed other Play Store additions, including “key app and game highlights from what others are saying” in Play search results.
You can also get “apps and games to download over cellular data from the download notification while waiting for Wi-Fi.”
April Google System Updates: Play Store gets easier cell data downloads, more [U]
The Google System Updates for April 2023 bring improvements to the Play Store, including making it easier to download apps over cellular data.
There’s so much more to an Android smartphone than just the base operating system, as anyone who’s used a phone without Google apps can tell you. The “smarts” that Google brings to mobile devices primarily come from two crucial apps – Google Play Services and the Play Store – and Android’s monthly “Play system updates.”
Each month, the company rounds up the patch notes for these three components and collectively refers to them as “Google System Updates.” Over the course of the month, as new updates are released, the company will fill in the notes with more details. We do our best to monitor the additions and explain the most important aspects, so be sure to check back throughout the month.
The easiest way to check whether you need to update Google Play Services on your phone is to follow a direct link to the app’s Play Store listing and update from there, if available. To update the Play Store, tap your avatar in the corner, then “Settings.” Under the “About” section, you’ll see an option to “Update Play Store.” Meanwhile, Google Play system updates can be found through the Settings app, under About phone > Android version > Google Play system update.
g an option in the app. In the near future (sometime after the Play Store v35.0 update), the option to download over mobile data will also, conveniently, appear in the active download notification.
Meanwhile, another update to the Play Store (version 35.2) should offer “direct access” to Google’s “My Ad Center,” where you’re able to change your advertising privacy settings and/or adjust the kinds of ads that you see. The changelog doesn’t mention where this shortcut will appear, but the Google Account menu (opened by tapping your avatar in the top-right corner) is a likely bet.
While April may have ended, Google’s patch notes for the month have not. This afternoon, the company shared numerous new features and tidbits.
The biggest highlight is what the notes refer to as “support for Fido2 on the Android Platform.” In practice, this is support for the new “passkey” login for Google Accounts and other supported apps. It seems you’ll need to have Google Play Services version 23.14 to use these.
Nearby Share is getting a small tweak, adding some new instructions to help troubleshoot why your intended recipient may not be appearing.
In the Play Store, the search experience has gotten a revamp. When beginning a new search, your recent search history will also show suggested apps with “limited-time events” as well as “sponsored suggestions.” Meanwhile, the search results page will show useful highlights for some apps/games, including quotes from other people’s reviews.
It’ll also soon be a bit easier to search for apps from the Play Store. An update to Play Services should allow the “All apps” search bar in your app drawer to show results from the Play Store. If done right, this could make it easier to download an app you thought you already had installed.
Lastly, Wear OS watches should see a small boost in battery life after an update to Play Services that tweaks “system management services.”
Google Play System Updates for April 2023
Account Management
[Auto, Phone, TV, Wear] String improvements to Google sign-in screen shown on enterprise devices.
Device Connectivity
[Phone] Helpful instructions to discover Nearby receiving device.
Developer Services
[Phone] New developer features for Google and third party app developers to support Maps & Device Performance related developer services in their apps.
Google Play Store
New Features to help you discover the Apps & Games you love.
Optimizations allowing faster and more reliable download and installation.
Continuous improvements to Play Protect to keep your device safe.
Various performance optimizations, bug fixes and improvements to security, stability and accessibility.
[Auto, PC, Phone] Users can allow apps and games to download over cellular data from the download notification while waiting for Wi-Fi.
[Phone] With this update, you will have direct access to My Ad Center.
[Phone] When starting a search, you can now see suggestions for apps with limited-time events as well as sponsored suggestions next to your past searches.
[Phone] On your search results, you can now see key app and game highlights from what others are saying.
Security & Privacy
[Phone] Adding support for Fido2 on the Android Platform.
Utilities
[Phone] New developer features for Google and third party app developers to support Utilities related processes in their apps.
System Management
[Wear] Updates to system management services that improve Battery Life.
[Phone] New functionality allowing users to search for Play Store apps from the All Apps search box on Android devices.
[Auto, PC, Phone] Updates to system management services that improve Privacy and Stability.
[Phone] Bug fixes for System Management & Diagnostics related services.
Google has spent the past several years working to replace passwords because of frequent reuse, vulnerability to data breaches, and phishing. Passkeys are the industry solution, and the ability to log in to your Google Account with them is starting to roll out.
With passkeys, signing in to a service no longer requires a password. Instead, you just enter your existing phone or computer password (PIN code, fingerprint, face, etc.), and that’s used to authenticate your identity. In Google’s case, no 2-Step Verification (2SV) is required.
Google Account passkeys
You have to create a Google Account passkey for each device (phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, etc.). Behind the scenes, a cryptographic private key gets stored on that device, while a “corresponding public key is uploaded to Google.”
When you sign in we ask your device to sign a unique challenge with the private key. Your device only does so if you approve this by unlocking the device. We then verify the signature with your public key.
If you’re signing in with a new device (or doing so temporarily), you use the passkey on your phone with a QR code scanning process and a Bluetooth proximity check.
On the new device, you’d just select the option to “use a passkey from another device” and follow the prompts. This does not automatically transfer the passkey to the new device, it only uses your phone’s screen lock and proximity to approve a one-time sign-in. If the new device supports storing its own passkeys, we will ask separately if you want to create one there.
As of launch, passkeys serve as another Google Account sign-in option. There are no changes to existing methods, while passwords are the fallback method (used if a device doesn’t support passkeys). That should change in the future:
Passkeys are still new and it will take some time before they work everywhere, however creating a passkey today still comes with security benefits as it allows us to pay closer attention to the sign-ins that fall back to passwords. Over time we’ll scrutinize these more as passkeys gain broader support and familiarity.
If one device is lost, you can revoke Google Account passkeys in settings, while a device wipe is also recommended.
To add a passkey for your Google Account, start here: g.co/passkeys. This feature is actively rolling out, with the following operating system and browser versions required:
Google: Chrome 109+, Android 9+, ChromeOS 109+
Apple: Safari 16+, iOS 16, macOS Ventura
Microsoft: Edge 109+, Windows 10/11
Why passkeys are more secure
Google likes passkeys because, compared to passwords, they cannot be “written down or accidentally given to a bad actor,” phished, or exposed in a data breach. The company believes passkeys offer “stronger protection than most 2SV methods offer today, which is why we allow you to skip not only the password but also 2SV when you use a passkey.” To that end, Google is so confident that the Advanced Protection Program can just work with a passkey:
In fact, passkeys are strong enough that they can stand in for security keys for users enrolled in our Advanced Protection Program.
Google notes how Apple will sync passkeys created on your iPhone across logged-in iCloud devices:
This protects you from being locked out of your account in case you lose your devices, and makes it easier for you to upgrade from one device to another.
Passkey sync providers, like the Google Password Manager and iCloud Keychain, “use end-to-end encryption to keep your passkeys private.” In the case of Google’s Password Manager, it can sync and save other Google Accounts.
Passkeys place a great deal of emphasis on your device password. However, Google believes “most people will find it easier to control access to their devices rather than maintaining the security implications of passwords and the need to be on the lookout for phishing attempts that come with them.”