What are your favorite traveling apps?

One of the best things about Android is that it is highly customizable, whether you’re using a Galaxy, Pixel, or any other device. What launcher you use can have a major impact on your customizability, which is why many use apps from third parties. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t easily theme a device from Samsung or Google; they both offer plenty of customization on their own.

So, what’s your perfect setup, are you a third-party launcher person, or do you like to roll your phone stock? In either case, let’s see your home screen; this way, everyone can get a feel for the type of themeing going on in Android land. So hit the comments below and show us your perfect home screen setup.

Apparently, YouTube Premium users across the world have been receiving emails about impending price hikes. Those in Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy will see higher fees across the service, including family plans, and Switzerland and Sweden will see higher Family subscriptions, with the Middle East, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia receiving higher Premium prices. And this is just what has been reported by users, so expect more territories to get hit (read more in the linked article).

But with this change, we here at AP have been wondering how many users will be canceling their YouTube Premium plans when the higher fees drop? It’s not like YouTube Premium is priced very well to begin with, with many taking issue with the cost not reflecting what you get (especially if you don’t need YouTube Music) and rising fees sure won’t help this situation. So, will you be one of the people dropping the service, or do you feel the higher fees are justified?

We have a lot of good choices when it comes to e-mail apps on the Play Store. Sure, there is Gmail, a staple that comes installed on our phones. But there is also Proton Mail, Thunderbird, and even Outlook. And that’s just the big stuff; there are plenty more to pick from. So, out of all the e-mail apps we have to choose from, which is your weapon of choice?

In case you missed it, Gemini is rolling out a more compact UI on Android, essentially shrinking down the box so it only fills a small portion of the bottom of your screen, which is preferred to a box that takes up half the screen. But like most Google rollouts, these things come in waves, and so Gemini’s new compact design isn’t yet available to all. So, are you one of the lucky ones who have gained access to the new compact Gemini, or are you still waiting for the server-side update to land?

Google’s latest smartphones are excellent pieces of hardware — there’s a reason the Pixel 9 Pro won our Smartphone of the Year award — but the Pixel’s software experience has always been the brand’s bread and butter. I’m sure everyone has plenty of favorite software experiences on the Pixel, but personally, no amount of AI can top Now Playing. Google’s always-listening, offline-ready Shazam alternative launched with the Pixel 2 in 2017, and I’ve been a huge fan of it ever since. Gathering an updated list of every song that plays around you at all times is incredible, whether you’re scrolling through a DJ’s set or enjoying dinner at a restaurant.

In its near-decade of existence, Google has continued to build it out, adding features like online search — for when your Pixel’s database of tracks isn’t enough — album art, and default music services. And yet, despite the tool’s popularity, no one has taken the initiative to follow in Google’s footsteps. While I wouldn’t say it’s enough to k

We recently covered six reasons why a Google One subscription may not be renewed. With falling physical storage prices and heavy competition, it’s easy to see why. So, have you considered jumping ship, or are you going to renew your Google One subscription the next time it expires?

In order to make Pixel Phones enticing to the masses, Google tucks away its best Android features into its high-end Pixel line. But out of all of the features, surely there is one that stands above all others. Is it the call screening? Because I know that’s my favorite, never having to answer calls myself. Or maybe it’s message transcript, another handy feature that allows us to easily ignore contact with the outside world. Whatever it is, hit the comments below to share your favorite Pixel feature.

Taking pictures of the night sky isn’t something that ever occurred to me. I’ll use my phone to take quick shots of interesting things while out and about around town, but that’s about as much use as my phone cameras get. But, since I purchased a Pixel 9, I figured why not give its astrophotography mode a shot. And so I’ve dabbled a few times with mixed results. I can’t say it’s something I’ll go out of my way to use.

This got me wondering how many others out there make use of the Pixel’s astrophotography mode. So, if you’re a night sky shooter thanks to your Pixel, sound off in the comments below, and if you have a slick shot to share, all the better.

Google is testing a new way to answer and decline calls through the Phone app. Yep, Google is finally adding a way to swipe left and right to answer and decline calls. Finally, we won’t have to swipe up or down anymore, which can be confusing when you switch phones often, because some brands reverse the order to answer and decline. To me, up and down swipes for calls don’t feel natural, and I’d much rather prefer side swipes.

But what about you? Are you ready for a new way to swipe your calls, or do you prefer the up and down motion currently used?

I recently switched to Projectivy Launcher because I was sick of Google adding more and more recommendations into my Android TV interface, more or less shoving advertisements for things I didn’t want to see, into my living room. Not only does my Shield TV run better when it doesn’t have to load videos in the background of the UI, I regained full control of how my TV looks.

I also know there are many out there who are perfectly fine with Google’s recommendations and enjoy Android/Google TV for what it is. But this got me thinking about how many people out there like me have installed a third-party launcher to clean things up. So, sound off in the comments whether or not you’ve considered or are using a third-party launcher on your Google/Android TV, as I have a feeling this trend is growing.

Google has added Tasks to Calendar, Search, and Assistant, all the while also offering a standalone app, and each of the services that offer Tasks offers the exact same functionalities, begging the question of whether the app is even necessary at this point. So, if Google were to finally kill off its Tasks app, would you miss it? I think I would, as I prefer my apps to stand alone rather than dip into, say, a calendar app to adjust my tasks.

I know I sure do; I get a lot of fake shipping notifications, daily it seems, sometimes multiple a day. And I can see it plain as day, the numbers are foreign, typically from the UK, a dead giveaway the messages aren’t from UPS, DHL, or FedEx. I see a lot of complaints online too. So, have you, too, been receiving RCS spam messages as of late, or have you somehow escaped the fate of the masses?

There is no denying that Google is pushing Gemini into every space it can muster, from Messages to Gmail, there is no getting away from it. Sure, there is also the app, as well as a subscription tier for the app, but it would seem Google feels we all need some convincing to use its AI by shoving the service into everything. So this got me thinking: perhaps few are actually using Gemini, which is why I wanted to ask. How often do you use Gemini, or do you even use it at all? Hit the comments, as I have a sneaking suspicion nobody is all that interested in AI.

We’ve all been there. You’re clowning around, trying to figure out what the weekend plans are with your buddies, when suddenly you realize there’s an extra member in your group. Maybe someone added them by accident, or maybe you yourself added them and completely forgot. Either way, you don’t know how long they’ve been there, what they’ve read while active in your group chat, or who they even are. It’s a scary moment, and while kicking someone out of a chat (or, depending on the app, starting an entirely new group) is pretty easy, it can be both embarassing and stressful.

Apropos of nothing, has this ever happened to you? How often has it happened? And how did you react when you realized someone who shouldn’t have access to your group chats did? Just curious. Just asking questions.

There’s a lot of stuff you can keep in Google Wallet besides your credit cards. Boarding passes, event tickets, loyalty cards, just to name a few. Personally, I take advantage of the loyalty card aspect, keeping all of my allegiances in one place, always on hand, no matter where I’m going or what plans change. Like a Boy Scout, I’m always prepared. But what about you? What’s in your Google Wallet?

My Android journey started with the HTC Hero on Sprint, way back in 2009. It had a chin and a trackball, and I loved it. Not only was HTC firing on all cylinders back then, but the phone designs were also actually fun, unlike how boring things are today. Part of that excitement also included the software, where the HTC Hero shipped with Android 1.5 and eventually got updated to Android 2.1. These were early days, and back then I was a theming machine hot off modding Windows Mobile devices, so was deep into changing how my Android devices looked, like when Android 2.1 dropped, I was installing ROMs, apps, and themes that got me the old Android 1.5 look with its white drawer tab. Sure, plenty was rouch around the edges, but the excitement of making your phone yours was as relevant back then as it is now.

So, where did your Android journey start? Which Android version was your first introduction to the OS?

While we still don’t know when the first One UI 7 beta will drop, it’s coming nonetheless. Some screenshots have already leaked, and plenty of rumors are swirling about incoming features, as the UI is expected to see a major design overhaul. One leak suggests there will be a split notification panel, and another hints at live activity in the lockscreen and status bar. More or less, big changes are expected, so even though it is early days with little nailed down, there are already some possible features to look forward to.

So, what leaked feature has you most excited for One UI 7’s incoming drop? Hit the comments to let us know. For me, the split notification panel sounds like it could be a great addition.

I know what mine is; it is the Pixel 5. Perhaps an obvious answer, but it truly is the phone that stands out to me the most over my many years of buying and using smartphones. Sure, HTC offered some very slick devices back in the Windows Mobile days, but if I were hard-pressed to name the one phone that stands above all others, at least in my opinion, the Pixel 5 is it. It was incredibly affordable while offering stock Android, which was a big deal at the time of bloated UIs from the competition, and frankly, it was the perfect size, pocketable yet useable, something I truly miss even in 2024. 

But after all of these years, what phone stood out to you as your favorite? What still sticks in your memory as the phone no one has been able to beat?

Now that the iPhone is sporting RCS in its messaging app, bringing together Android and iOS users for easy messaging that doesn’t ruin images and videos, I’ve been wondering how many of our readers know someone on iOS who is indeed taking advantage of RCS. For me, I know my friend group that uses iOS has remarked on the improvement in our group chats. But what about you, have you noticed your iOS friends and family are using RCS? Hit the comments to let us know, as I truly wonder if many iOS users give a hoot about messaging with RCS.

The Google Play Store is absolutely filled to the brim with messaging apps, and Google has certainly made plenty of contributions to this app type. But at the end of the day, we all have our favorites. For me, I use Google Messages as my primary messaging app, thanks to its RCS support, sending media to friends and family rarely poses an issue. Still, I have a soft spot for Telegram because it offers speedy communication, as well as a desktop app.

But what about you? Which messaging app is your favorite, and which would you choose to use if you were only allowed to use one? Hit the comments to shout your choice loud and proud.