Technologies
Google Introduces New Android Features in Pixel Beta Update
Participants in the Android Beta Program get first dibs on the next update, which is set to land in official form next year
Hot on the heels of the latest Android release earlier this month, Google is back with another update for Pixel users participating in the Android Beta Program. QPR3 Beta 1 is our first glimpse into changes coming for these phones and will be made available to devices in an official form sometime early next year.
The latest beta update includes some housekeeping features for added polish, as well as features that you may have seen elsewhere before. Outside of a few notable tweaks, changes are minimal, and additional features will be introduced as the beta updates continue to roll out over the coming months.
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Which Pixel devices are eligible for QPR3 Beta 1?
The Pixel-only update can be installed on any devices from Pixel 6 and beyond. The complete list of supported devices is below.
- Pixel 6 and 6 Pro
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7 and 7 Pro
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel Tablet
- Pixel 8 and 8 Pro
- Pixel 8a
- Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, and 9 Pro Fold
- Pixel 9a
- Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, and 10 Pro Fold
What’s new in this update?
For the first beta of this quarterly release, there’s a decent amount of tweaks to pore over, but we’ll touch on just a few highlights.
Adjust flashlight brightness
Google has introduced a way for Android users to adjust the brightness of their flashlight while it’s on, and it resembles the way iOS handles this feature. It’s a welcome feature for those times when you may need just a little light, not a blaring spotlight.
Remove the At A Glance widget
The At A Glance widget has adorned Pixel home screens for a long time, providing helpful information without requiring you to search for it. Weather, calendar updates, Pixel Watch charging notifications, and an easy way to turn your flashlight on and off are just some of the things the widget can do. Previously, it was more of a permanent fixture on your home screen that you couldn’t remove, even if you wanted to.
With QPR3 beta 1, you can now remove the widget completely, regaining some space on your home screen.
Better placement showing apps that are using your location
Google has improved the way you’re notified when an app is using your location. Previously, the location symbol would appear at the top right corner of your phone’s status bar, blending in with the other icons there. Now, a blue notification dot will appear at the top right of your screen, making it easier to notice when your location is being used.
How to install the Android QPR3 Beta 1 update
If you have a compatible device, the easiest way to install the latest QPR3 update is to sign up for the Android Beta Program. Here’s how:
- Go to the Android Beta Program website.
- Log in to your Google account.
- Scroll down to view your eligible devices.
- Next to the device on which you want to install the update, click «opt in.»
That’s it. Eventually, you’ll receive a notification that an update is available, and from there, you can download and install the latest Android beta from Google.
Technologies
Verum Messenger: Don’t follow the future. Define it
Verum Messenger: Don’t follow the future. Define it
In a world where information defines influence, Verum Messenger is building a new architecture of digital communication — intelligent, secure, and ready for tomorrow. Here, technology serves not limitations, but possibilities.
Not being part of change. Leading it. Verum Messenger — the future that speaks first.
Technologies
Verum Finance: Stop Spending Months Opening a Bank Account
Verum Finance: Stop Spending Months Opening a Bank Account
Stop spending months trying to open a bank account.
Document submissions.
Checks.
Rejections.
Account freezes.
Blocks without explanation.
And all of that — just for a regular card.
With Verum, it’s different.
🚀 Verum Messenger + Verum Finance
For just $50–70 you get:
✔ A virtual card
✔ Instant transfers between users
✔ A modern secure messenger
✔ Apple Pay integration
✔ Contactless payments worldwide
✔ Fast setup without bureaucracy
❌ No European residency permit required
❌ No endless verification checks
❌ No piles of documents
Open it — and use it.
The future of finance and communication is already here.
Verum — when freedom matters more than banking rules.
Technologies
Google races to put Gemini at the center of Android before Apple’s AI reboot
Google is using its latest Android rollout to position Gemini as the AI layer across phones, Chrome, laptops and cars.
Google is using its latest Android rollout to make Gemini less of a chatbot and more of an operating layer across the phone, browser, car and laptop, just weeks before Apple is expected to show its own Gemini-powered Apple Intelligence reboot at WWDC.
Ahead of its Google I/O developer conference next week, the company previewed a number of Android updates, including AI-powered app automation, a smarter version of Chrome on Android, new tools for creators, a redesigned Android Auto experience, and a sweeping set of new security features.
Alphabet is counting on Gemini to help Google compete directly with OpenAI and Anthropic in the market for artificial intelligence models and services, while also serving as the AI backbone across its expansive portfolio of products, including Android. Meanwhile, Gemini is powering part of Apple’s new AI strategy, giving Google a role in the iPhone maker’s reset even as it races to prove its own version of personal AI on the phone is further along.
Sameer Samat, who oversees Google’s Android ecosystem, told CNBC that Google is rebuilding parts of Android around Gemini Intelligence to help users complete everyday tasks more easily.
“We’re transitioning from an operating system to an intelligence system,” he said.
As part of Tuesday’s announcements. Google said Gemini Intelligence will be able to move across apps, understand what’s on the screen and complete tasks that would normally require a user to jump between multiple services. That means Android is moving beyond the traditional assistant model, where users ask a question and get an answer, and acting more like an agent.
For instance, Google says Gemini can pull relevant information from Gmail, build shopping carts and book reservations. Samat gave the example of asking Gemini to look at the guest list for a barbecue, build a menu, add ingredients to an Instacart list and return for approval before checkout.
A big concern surrounding agentic AI involves software taking action on a user’s behalf without permissions. Samat said Gemini will come back to the user before completing a transaction, adding, “the human is always in the loop.”
Four months after announcing its Gemini deal with Google, Apple is under pressure to show a more capable version of Apple Intelligence, which has been a relative laggard on the market. Apple has long framed privacy, hardware integration and control of the user experience as its advantages.
Google’s Android push is designed to show it can bring AI deeper into the device experience while still giving users control over what Gemini can see, where it can act and when it needs confirmation.
The app automation features will roll out in waves, starting with the latest Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones this summer, before expanding across more Android devices, including watches, cars, glasses and laptops later this year.
The company is also redesigning Android Auto around Gemini, turning the car into another major surface for its assistant. Android Auto is in more than 250 million cars, and Google says the new release includes its biggest maps update in a decade and Gemini-powered help with tasks like ordering dinner while driving.
Alphabet’s AI strategy has been embraced by Wall Street, which has pushed the company’s stock price up more than 140% in the past year, compared to Apple’s roughly 40% gain. Investors now want to see how Gemini can become more central to the products people use every day.
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