Hacking Emperor

Google doesn't get enough credit for it, but they definitely make some of the best phones for rooting and modding. Heck, if you want to replace the entire operating system on a Pixel, you can do it pretty easily. It all starts with the bootloader. On Android, the bootloader is a piece of software that loads the OS every time you boot your phone, hence the name. By default, it will only load software that was signed by Google, such as the official factory images and OTA files. But if you unlock the bootloader, it will load whatever software you tell it to — software like TWRP recovery, custom... more http://dlvr.it/Rkd0yJ

Every year, Apple adds some old technology to the iPhone and gives it a catchy marketing name, then like clockwork, it becomes the next big thing. Google, on the other hand, creates some truly innovative features, doesn't really bother naming them, then lets them languish in obscurity until Apple reinvents them at a later date. (But for real, I can name a hundred times something like that has happened.) Sure, there are some features Google actually advertises with their Pixel phones — headliners like Night Sight in the Camera app, Now Playing that identifies music around you, or the... more http://dlvr.it/RkXDxL

Every year, Apple adds some old technology to the iPhone and gives it a catchy marketing name, then like clockwork, it becomes the next big thing. Google, on the other hand, creates some truly innovative features, doesn't really bother naming them, then lets them languish in obscurity until Apple reinvents them at a later date. (But for real, I can name a hundred times something like that has happened.) Sure, there are some features Google actually advertises with their Pixel phones — headliners like Night Sight in the Camera app, Now Playing that identifies music around you, or the... more http://dlvr.it/RkSqr7

In a tradition dating back to the Nexus days, Google has always used fish-themed codenames when communicating internally about their phones. Their laptops and tablets are usually named after video game characters. These names often give us the first evidence of an upcoming device when they're used in software commits in Android's open source code. Jump to a model year: 2013 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 Codenames become very important when you're dealing with custom ROMs and root mods. The numerals in friendly names like "Pixel 2" could cause problems if they were used in... more http://dlvr.it/RkSqnQ

In a tradition dating back to the Nexus days, Google has always used fish-themed codenames when communicating internally about their phones. Their laptops and tablets are usually named after video game characters. These names often give us the first evidence of an upcoming device when they're used in software commits in Android's open source code. Jump to a model year: 2013 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 Codenames become very important when you're dealing with custom ROMs and root mods. The numerals in friendly names like "Pixel 2" could cause problems if they were used in... more http://dlvr.it/RkP3jb

Android updates don't have as many headlining features as they once did, but that's the point. If you keep updating software to add features and fix bugs, you'll eventually reach a point where the main focus is polish. That doesn't mean you can't get excited about a fresh coat of wax. Android 11 adds two of these finishing touches to your notifications. One is actually a regression in terms of functionality, but there's an option to put things back the way they were. The other setting is new and quite useful, but it's disabled by default. I'll give you a rundown on both. Don't Miss: There's... more http://dlvr.it/RkDLcN

Niantic recently added a new Field Research task type called AR Mapping that challenges players to capture video footage of PokéStop landmarks and upload them. In return, players receive rewards in the form of in-game items. What probably sounded like a small ask for players has been met with a mild backlash in the community. The scanning task puts players in the position of pointing their smartphones awkwardly at seemingly random public places for an extended amount of time in return for that are worth pennies based on the exchange rate of real currency to PokéCoins. Here's what you need to... more http://dlvr.it/RkD2vn

In a tradition dating back to the Nexus days, Google has always used fish-themed codenames when communicating internally about their phones. Their laptops and tablets are usually named after video game characters. These names often give us the first evidence of an upcoming device when they're used in software commits in Android's open source code. Jump to a model year: 2013 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 Codenames become very important when you're dealing with custom ROMs and root mods. The numerals in friendly names like "Pixel 2" could cause problems if they were used in... more http://dlvr.it/Rk7QyC

In a tradition dating back to the Nexus days, Google has always used fish-themed code names when communicating internally about their phones. Their laptops and tablets are usually named after video game characters. These names often give us the first evidence of an upcoming device when they're used in software commits in Android's open source code. Jump to a model year: 2013 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 Code names become very important when you're dealing with custom ROMs and root mods. The numerals in friendly names like "Pixel 2" could cause problems if they were used in... more http://dlvr.it/Rk4ZJc

Instagram is addicting — and that's done on purpose. To stop your Instagram habits, your smartphone likely has a built-in feature to curb the daily usage of a particular app, like Apple's Screen Time for iOS and Google's Digital Wellbeing for Android. But you don't need to mess with those complicated settings when Instagram itself can help you get some of your life back. A few years ago, a group of ex-employees from Facebook and other large tech companies announced the creation of a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting the threat of internet addiction. Many in Silicon Valley argue... more http://dlvr.it/Rk3hGQ

Google's Pixel smartphones have earned a reputation for taking great photos without relying on top-of-the-line camera sensors. Instead, Google leans on the software side to squeeze super images out of its camera. This also enables them to roll out new features out to previous-generation devices. The latest example comes in Portrait Light, which launched on Pixel 5 and is now rolling out to older Pixel devices. Portrait Light lets you edit the lighting in photos with faces in them, regardless of where the source of light was in the original photo. It's not exactly obvious how to do this... more http://dlvr.it/Rk3h9D

Your phone tracks your every move to some extent, and I'm not just talking about Google services. Smartphone manufacturers use telemetry services that run in the background to track how you use the device, mostly for ads or to improve their future products. You don't usually have a say in the matter, but if you have a rooted OnePlus, there's a way you can take control over it. There's a Magisk module by developer methuntt called Eagle Debloat, which was built for the OnePlus 7, but should work with any OxygenOS device running Android 10. So if you don't want to participate in forced analytics... more http://dlvr.it/RjldKY

Like with many aspects of One UI, Samsung's changes to Android's volume panel are controversial. Between the different orientation and alternative design, it isn't for everyone. Fortunately for Android purists, there's an app to solve this problem. This app does more than switch the direction of the panel to vertical; it matches the stock Android design. And best of all, it is customizable. While this guide focuses on switching to the Pixel's design, take some time afterward to play with the app's settings, as there are several unique features that enhance the volume panel. Don't Miss: How... more http://dlvr.it/Rjh6KW

Google's been on a mission to improve the privacy and security of Android lately, and Samsung's always been at the forefront in these areas. As a result, One UI 3.0, which is based on Android 11, is the most secure OS version to ever hit Galaxy phones thanks to few key changes and new features. A large focus of One UI 3.0 is app permissions, with the goal of giving users more control over their personal data. In addition, the latest version of Android adds new protections that happen in the background. These changes and APIs will better protect your Galaxy smartphone, without you having to do... more http://dlvr.it/Rjh6Gg

With Samsung's beautiful, large displays, the Galaxy S and Note series are great tools for multitasking. This goes beyond the hardware with tools like split-screen mode, floating windows, bubbles, and picture-in-picture mode. And in One UI 3.0, that last one is becoming even more useful. One UI 3.0, which runs on top of Android 11, adds the ability to adjust the size of the floating video player while in PiP mode. The maximum size is nearly double of the prior version, letting you see more of the video in this mode. With any supported app, trigger PiP by playing a video or activating... more http://dlvr.it/RjXJBb

When it comes to posting to social media from your smartphone, the process is typically the same. Find the app. Open the app. Tap the app's version of the compose button. Shortcuts for Google Assistant can cut that process down to a single command so that you can jump straight into create mode. While Routines can launch several actions with one command, Shortcuts are designed to execute specific actions in apps. Here's how to leverage Shortcuts in Google Assistant to quickly post to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and TikTok. Don't Miss: 10 Things Google Assistant Can Do to Make... more http://dlvr.it/RjTH8M

For the most part, new features for Google Maps, such as Live View augmented reality walking navigation, come to Android first. One exception is changing your vehicle icon in driving navigation, which is now coming to Android after debuting on iPhones and iPads. On both versions, however, the ability to choose your navigation icon is not very obvious. Here's how to do it. Don't Miss: How to Use Your Phone's Camera as an Augmented Reality Viewfinder to Find Places in Google Maps Step 1: Update Google Maps Google Maps for iOS has had this feature already, so you shouldn't need to update... more http://dlvr.it/RjSYbv

Android 11 has a new power menu with integrated contactless payment cards and smart home toggles. It's definitely futuristic — so much so that it pushed out a tool many of us use in the present: the screenshot button. In prior versions, you could long-press your power button and a handy "Screenshot" option would pop up along with the "Power Off" and "Restart" buttons. Sure, you can still hold volume down and power to take a screenshot, but that's clumsy. Or you could bring up the Google Assistant, then ask it to "Take a screenshot," but that's not very discrete. Thankfully, there's a way to... more http://dlvr.it/RjDPbm

You can't beat Samsung's hardware, but their software still isn't for everyone. That's the thing, though — software can be replaced. So if you're more a fan of Google's vision for Android, but you can't get enough of Samsung's beautiful screens and build quality, you're just 11 steps away from getting the best of both worlds. Don't feel bad about this. Your Galaxy Note 20 is still one of the best phones money can buy. But if you were eying a Pixel 5 before pulling the trigger on a Note 20 because of its software experience, it's actually very easy to replicate on One UI — even without rooting... more http://dlvr.it/Rj89s7

Yes, that's right: Instagram has a sneaky, inconspicuous, cryptic, hush-hush way to change its iconic, colorful icon on your Android's or iPhone's home screen and anywhere else it shows up throughout iOS. The app really outdid itself too, with 12 alternative icon designs from its classic look to new themes, all located in an impossible-to-find preferences menu — unless you know the trick. To start, head over to your profile, tap the hamburger menu icon in the top right, then choose "Settings" — but don't bother tapping on any of the options in the list. Instead, pull down on the page. As you... more http://dlvr.it/Rj4mbq

From browsing social media to creating films, your smartphone can do it all. But even with all that power, for many, it is primarily used to communicate with others, particularly via text. In One UI 3.0, Samsung and Google drastically changed this core functionality with a new-ish feature called notification bubbles. Bubbles are basically a clone of Facebook Messenger's Chat Heads, except they'll work with any messaging app that adds support. They're also similar to Samsung's "Smart Pop-Up View" feature, which they actually replace by default. But they're not as straightforward as you might... more http://dlvr.it/Rj4L0w

Google TV gives the new Chromecast a home screen full of curated content from your various streaming subscriptions, but it's just that — a home screen app. Underneath, Google's new dongle is running Android TV, meaning its home screen is just a launcher that can be installed on countless other TVs and set-top boxes. Google may eventually make this new interface available to other Android TV devices like the Nvidia Shield, Mi Box, and Sony TVs, but until then, you can sideload it. You'll have to use a computer to send an ADB command to the TV, but that process has gotten so streamlined lately... more http://dlvr.it/RhqmQx

Google TV gives the new Chromecast a home screen full of curated content from your various streaming subscriptions, but it's just that — a home screen app. Underneath, Google's new dongle is running Android TV, meaning its home screen is just a launcher that can be installed on countless other TVs and set-top boxes. Google may eventually make this new interface available to other Android TV devices like the Nvidia Shield, Mi Box, and Sony TVs, but until then, you can sideload it. You'll have to use a computer to send an ADB command to the TV, but that process has gotten so streamlined lately... more http://dlvr.it/RhnBM5