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Google Messages quietly drops YouTube picture-in-picture feature

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Google Messages

Top 3 Key Points:

  1. YouTube PiP Removed: Google Messages no longer supports YouTube’s picture-in-picture (PiP) mode.
  2. Silent Update: The feature was removed without any official announcement from Google.
  3. Potential Reasons: The removal might be due to low usage or the introduction of new YouTube features.

Google Messages, the default messaging app on most Android devices, has seen several updates and tweaks over time. Some of these changes have been positive, like the ability to hide the Gemini toggle or reposition image captions. However, a recent APK teardown has revealed that Google has quietly removed a popular feature—support for YouTube videos in picture-in-picture (PiP) mode.

Introduced in 2022, the PiP feature allowed users to watch YouTube videos directly within Google Messages when a link was shared. This was particularly useful as it prevented the need to switch between apps. However, the latest beta version of Google Messages indicates that this feature has been entirely removed. The code and text that triggered the PiP function are now missing, and in the stable version of the app, users no longer see video thumbnails or previews. Instead, when a YouTube link is clicked, it now redirects to the YouTube app instead of displaying a floating video window.

Despite the removal, Google has not provided any official explanation for this change. It’s possible that the feature wasn’t widely used, or perhaps users were simply unaware of it. This theory seems plausible given that many users, including the author, didn’t use the feature often.

On the bright side, YouTube is working on a new and improved mini-player for its app. This new version will allow users to resize and move the miniplayer around the screen, offering more flexibility compared to the current one, which is fixed at the bottom. Google has confirmed that this update is currently being tested with a small group of users across various platforms, including the web, mobile, and tablet versions of the YouTube app.

While it’s disappointing to see the PiP feature go from Google Messages, Google may be focusing on enhancing YouTube’s functionality instead.

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Google

Google Drive’s action button gets a fresh, simple design

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Google Drive

Google is giving its Google Drive app a user-friendly update for Android users, focusing on the floating action button (FAB). Currently, this button—a plus icon in the bottom right—opens a menu with choices like making a new folder, uploading files, scanning papers, or creating Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides. The menu appears as a sheet that covers part of the screen, which can feel a bit awkward.

A recent APK teardown of Google Drive version 2.25.180.0.all.alldpi reveals a cleaner approach. Soon, tapping the FAB will make the six options spread out smoothly around the button, similar to Google Keep’s style. This skips the pop-up sheet, speeding up the process and keeping the app’s look tidy. The goal is to make actions quicker and more intuitive.

The teardown also hints at Google’s Gemini AI spreading further in the app. First noticed on the homepage in April, Gemini’s presence is growing, suggesting new AI tools for tasks like better file sorting or smarter searches. Exact features remain under wraps, though.

Since APK teardowns show experimental changes, not all updates may reach the final app. Still, this FAB redesign promises a small but welcome boost for Drive users. Keep an eye out for these tweaks as Google rolls them out!

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Google is updating its app icons for a more consistent look

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Google

Google is making some small but noticeable changes to the icons of several of its apps. The goal is to make them look more unified, especially when seen together on your home screen.

These changes are focused on apps like Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Drive, and Docs. While the overall shapes and colors remain the same, Google is tweaking the proportions and spacing of the icons. For example, the Gmail icon now has a slightly thicker “M” shape, and the other app icons also look a bit bolder. These updates help all the icons feel more balanced and aligned with each other.

Google says this update is meant to improve how these icons appear in different places, like on your phone or computer screen. They’ll now better match each other in style, making the whole set of Google apps look cleaner and more polished.

The changes are rolling out gradually, so users might start seeing the new icons soon. These updates don’t change how the apps work — it’s just a visual refresh to give a more consistent and modern feel. While it’s a small update, it shows how Google is still working to make its design more user-friendly and visually pleasing across all platforms.

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YouTube TV app adds shorts and subscriptions feed for easier browsing

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YouTube

YouTube is making it easier to watch your favorite content on smart TVs. The latest update to the YouTube app for TVs now includes a new tab for Shorts and a dedicated Subscriptions tab.

Until now, the YouTube app on TVs mostly focused on general content and search. But with this update, a new “Shorts” tab is being added to the left-side menu. This gives users quick access to short videos that have become very popular on mobile devices. The videos play in a vertical format, and you can use your remote to scroll through them just like on your phone.

Another helpful change is the new “Subscriptions” tab. While this section has always been there in some form, it’s now easier to reach and works better. It shows the latest videos from channels you follow, giving you a feed similar to what you see on mobile.

These updates are rolling out starting this week, and they should reach most smart TVs and streaming devices soon. The goal is to make YouTube on TVs feel more like the mobile and web versions — giving users faster access to the content they care about.

With these changes, YouTube continues to improve how we watch videos on the big screen, especially as more people use TVs for streaming every day.

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