YouTube Music can now play recommended music via Google Assistant, allow external devices to start music, and more

Google is slowly but surely getting ready to shut down Google Play Music, and YouTube Music is its replacement, for better or worse. The company has been adding features to bring YouTube Music up to speed with Google Play Music, and it has made some fair progress in recent months. The latest set of updates rolling out to YouTube Music add new features such as the ability to play recommended music via Google Assistant, allowing external devices to start playback, and bring over the “Recent Activity” section, in addition to other recent changes such as Android TV support and Google Maps integration.

Play recommended music on YouTube Music via Google Assistant

You can now play recommended music with simple Google Assistant voice commands. On Assistant-enabled phones and Google Nest smart speakers, you can say “Hey Google, play recommended music from YouTube Music” and have personalized music suggestions across your favorite artists and genres based on your listening history, play on your device.

Recent Activity

The “Last Played” section within the Library tab has been renamed to “Recent Activity”. This section now also shows recent albums and song additions to your library, much like how Google Play Music did.

Google did not note this feature in its press release, but the change has been spotted by users on Reddit.

Initiate YouTube Music playback via external devices

The app is now also surfacing an option that allows users to start playback through external devices, a feature that already existed in Google Play Music.

Google did not note this feature in its press release, but the change has been spotted by users on Reddit.

YouTube Music comes to Android TV

Google has brought over Android TV support for YouTube Music in a rather strange way. Instead of releasing a dedicated YouTube Music app for Android TV, Google has decided to instead bake the functionality within the existing YouTube for Android TV app. This server-side change was already spotted last month, so Google’s press release confirms its official rollout.

Google Maps integration

This is another feature that has already been rolling out to users over the past month, but Google is announcing the same nonetheless. You can now add YouTube Music’s playback controls to the navigation screen on Google Maps, making it easier to control music playback during your commute. To do so, tap on your profile picture in the top right corner of Google Maps and then tap on the Settings option. In the Settings menu, select Navigation settings and then tap on the toggle next to the “Show media playback controls” setting. Then select YouTube Music from the pop-up window, tap on Next, and then OK to confirm your selection.

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YouTube Music - Stream Songs & Music Videos (Free, Google Play) →

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Gboard adds 3 new suggestions: Smart replies, GIF search, and stickers

Google is starting to roll out new types of suggestions on Gboard, making it easier than ever for users to communicate. Or more accurately, it’s easier than ever for Gboard to communicate for users.

According to Android Police, some Gboard users on Android are reporting seeing smart replies, sticker recommendations, and GIF search recommendations based on the last text that was sent. Here’s an album showing off these 3 new types of suggestions:

Screenshots via AndroidPolice

 

In the instance of smart replies, users might see suggested replies to a question. The screenshot above shows this new system in action. After a question is asked, one-word answers in bubbles are recommended. It doesn’t get any easier to communicate than that.

Sticker recommendations show up in much the same way. As you’re typing a message, a sticker may show up above the keyboard. Tap on it and you’ll get a larger preview; tap and hold it and a pop-up will let you see more items or turn off stickers entirely.

As for GIF search recommendations, they’ll show up in the search bar based on the last texts you’ve sent. So, if you send a text saying, “I’m so happy,” you might see GIF search recommendations for happy, excited, or joy. Likewise, messages with sad-sounding text in it might surface GIF search recommendations for relevant GIFs.

Obviously, much of this can already easily be done by a user with Gboard. The whole point is to reduce the friction of communication and surface these features without much interaction.

AndroidPolice says these features are being tested among a small group of Gboard users, so not everyone has access to them just yet. If all things go well, however, we may see more users gain access to these features to make communication easier than ever.

Gboard - the Google Keyboard (Free, Google Play) →

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WhatsApp now lets you quickly search Google for forwarded messages

WhatsApp users can now search the web when receiving certain forwarded messages flagged by the platform. The messaging platform on Monday detailed the new feature, saying it provides users with a quick way to find news results and other sources of information.

When a forwarded message is shared, a magnifying glass will appear next to the message, signifying you can tap the magnifying glass button to search the web. To preserve privacy, users choose to upload messages via their browser without WhatsApp itself ever seeing the message. That way, end-to-end encryption will be preserved as the user is the one sending the contents of forwarded messages to their web browser.

The messaging platform first started flagging forwarded messages back in 2018. Earlier this year, they tightened restrictions on frequently forwarded messages by preventing users from sharing these messages to more than one chat at a time. With this new feature, users can quickly verify the veracity of any claims in a forwarded message for themselves by performing a quick Google search query.

WhatsApp said its “search the web” option will be available starting today in Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, UK, and the US for Android, iOS, and WhatsApp Web. This feature was spotted in beta tests earlier this year alongside other upcoming features like multi-device access, searching by date, and more.

WhatsApp Messenger (Free, Google Play) →

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Source: WhatsApp

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The Google Play Console will soon require 2FA for most developers

Besides the Android Studio IDE, the online Google Play Console webpage is probably the most important place for Android app developers. On the Play Console, you can see how your applications are performing in various metrics, read user reviews, gather manual and/or automatic feedback for improving your app, and much more. Because most of this information is sensitive and highly valuable, it is crucial for developers to protect their Google accounts. One of the best ways to do that is to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) during the sign-in process. Google already offers optional 2FA sign-in options for all their products, but they will soon make it mandatory for most developers looking to sign into the Google Play Console.

2FA adds a second layer of protection to your account by requiring you to authenticate with something other than just a password. You can use a token generated by a 2FA app, send a sign-in request or a one-time passcode to your device, or even use an external hardware key. Each of these options decreases the chance of someone gaining unauthorized access to your account.

According to Google, making 2FA mandatory for Play Console accounts will be a two-part process:

1. New users of Google Play Console will be required to set-up 2FA starting Q3 of 2020;
2. Existing users with high-risk permissions (app publishing, changing the price, removing the app, etc.) will be required to set-up 2FA later this year.

Google will also send out emails to developers 30 days before the change takes effect on their accounts. The company is also providing a feedback form for those who think that their workflow will be negatively affected by the change. If that describes you, then you can follow this link and detail your concerns. I think that pushing mandatory 2FA is the right thing to do for a platform like the Google Play Console which not only holds a lot of sensitive information but also affects the experience of regular users downloading apps from Google Play. However secure the service may be, you should always take precautions like enabling 2FA to guarantee the safety of your accounts.

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Source: Android Developers Blog

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August 2020 security update rolls out for Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy S20, and more Samsung phones

It’s the first Monday of a new month, which means it’s time for a new round of Android security updates from Google. The search giant on Monday published the latest Android Security Bulletin and Pixel Update Bulletin for August 2020. The update is rolling out now for Google Pixel devices, of course, but several Samsung phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S20, have also already started to get the update.

Similar to last month, there doesn’t appear to be any functional changes for Google’s Pixel devices — at least Google doesn’t specifically mention anything in the bulletin. There are, however, plenty of patches that address high and critical severity issues.

Build numbers (Global)

• Pixel 2: QQ3A.200805.001
• Pixel 3: QQ3A.200805.001
• Pixel 3a: QQ3A.200805.001
• Pixel 4: QQ3A.200805.001

Pixel 2 Forums ||| Pixel 2 XL Forums ||| Pixel 3 Forums ||| Pixel 3 XL Forums

Pixel 3a Forums ||| Pixel 3a XL Forums ||| Pixel 4 Forums ||| Pixel 4 XL Forums

Download Factory Images ||| Download OTA Images

Samsung devices including the Galaxy S10 series, Galaxy Note 10 series, Galaxy A50, and Galaxy S20 series are also receiving the August 2020 security update in some regions, so be on the look out for that. Apparently, some of the other improvements included in the update from Samsung feature camera and Wi-Fi improvements.

For more information on how Android security patch updates work, check out our in-depth explainer on the topic.

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Source: Android Bulletin, Pixel Bulletin

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Google Pay will add digital-first bank accounts from 8 banks in 2021

Starting next year, Google will begin offering digital-first, FDIC-insured bank accounts directly in the Google Pay app. The search giant is said to be partnering with eight different banks for the new initiative.

If you’ve ever used services such as Simple or Monzo, Google’s announcement sounds similar in that it’s all digital and will provide users the right financial insights, built-in budgeting tools, and an elegant interface. Partner banks will manage the financial side of accounts.

As of now, Google hasn’t confirmed if they’ll offer a Google-branded card (which we previously heard was in the works), so all payments will likely be done online or via NFC. One of the banks partnering with Google, BBVA, said the new initiative is designed to improve the financial health of its users.

“Google is excited to work with BBVA USA in enabling a digital experience that is equitable for all and meets the evolving needs of a new generation of customers,” said Felix Lin, Vice President of Payments Ecosystems at Google. “We believe that we can use our technology expertise to benefit users, banks and the entire financial ecosystem.”

Today’s announcement is actually an extension of an earlier partnership with Citi and SFCU; the other banks include Bank Mobile, BBVA USA, BMO Harris, Coastal Community Bank, First Independence Bank, and SEFCU, bringing the total to eight.

Google didn’t provide an exact date as to when consumers can take advantage of the new initiative in Google Pay, so we’re left with a vague 2021 timeframe for now. The company is always working on many different projects simultaneously, with their hardware division just recently announcing the Pixel 4a and upcoming Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5.

Google Pay: Pay with your phone and send cash (Free, Google Play) →

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Source: BBVA USA

Via: 9to5Google

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Current Trends in Retail and Culture, and How new Technology can help Merchants Grow Business

Livestreaming has become a cultural staple among youth and internet users of all kinds. If you’re an Instagram or TikTok user, you will have seen videos and livestreams used to push products to potential customers. These types of sales techniques are wildly successful. Many companies rely exclusively on their sales through video and livestreamed content.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are shopping from home than ever. This has caused a massive explosion in online retail. E-commerce is seeing a large spike in demand as users and developers drive the marketplace to expand and innovate. As more people shop online, the opportunities for e-commerce have grown quite a bit. Huawei is addressing the new demand with its new Live E-commerce solutions.

In the past, livestreamed sales events needed multiple people, large spaces, lots of equipment, and could be quite expensive at times. Huawei aims to make the process easier and more affordable with their Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) kits. These kits allow anyone to stream and sell products directly from their phone. As long as you have a smartphone, the rest of the process can be done virtually. This opens up the new live e-commerce industry to everyone.

Even those who do have access to all of the equipment needed for a successful online retail stream, the current world of social distancing prevents a large group of people from working closely together. If this is the case for you, Huawei’s new Live E-commerce kits could be the perfect solution.

Stream with live comments from your viewers

Stream with a minimal setup

The new e-commerce solution is designed to help merchants boost their traffic while lowering costs. Live streaming brings new opportunities driven by e-commerce transformation. Online retailers will be able to easily implement this solution, which is based on HMS to enhance live commerce capabilities.

Live E-commerce features will include:

Next-gen Live Studio

• Easy Controls
• Detailed info display
• Fluid streaming
• Digital backdrops

Versatile Mobile Phone Shooting

• Ultra-portable
• Highly-accessible
• Wider shooting angle

Real-Time Backdrops

• Digital backdrops replacements
• Immersive live sales

In-Depth Look at Products

• Internal product display
• Visual product specs
• Simplified AR materials development

Fluid Streaming Experience

• Buttery smooth streaming
• Prevents sudden disconnections

To learn more about Huawei’s new Live E-commerce solutions, be sure to check out their official launch on the upcoming Huawei Developer Webinar #HDD.

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Huawei Developer Webinar

The Huawei Developer Webinar | Connect LIVEs with E-commerce
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE EVENT LIVE

August 6th, 2020

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For developers that host their apps on Huawei AppGallery, they’ll have access to additional resources like splash screens, banners, featured pages, promotional campaigns, and more. These are just some of the ways that Huawei helps you market and grow your app. With Live E-commerce, your opportunity to grow your business is better than ever.

This article is sponsored and written in part by HUAWEI. Our sponsors help us pay for the many costs associated with running XDA, including server costs, full time developers, news writers, and much more. While you might see sponsored content (which will always be labeled as such) alongside Portal content, the Portal team is in no way responsible for these posts. Sponsored content, advertising and XDA Depot are managed by a separate team entirely. XDA will never compromise its journalistic integrity by accepting money to write favorably about a company, or alter our opinions or views in any way. Our opinion cannot be bought.

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