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Google Photos introduces ‘Updates’ Feed; YouTube for Android TV adds quick ‘Subscribe’ button to improve user experience

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Google Photos AI Features

In recent updates, Google Photos and YouTube for Android TV have each introduced new features aimed at enhancing user convenience and interaction. Google Photos has shifted from the former “Sharing” tab to a new “Updates” feed, while YouTube for Android TV has added a more accessible “Subscribe” button within its player interface.

Google Photos’ New ‘Updates’ Feed

Following the August switch from a “Library” to a “Collections” tab, Google Photos has now replaced its “Sharing” tab with an “Updates” feed. Previously, the “Sharing” page featured a “people” icon situated between the ‘plus’ menu and the profile icon. Users could access shortcuts like “Create shared album” and “Share with partner,” followed by an “Albums and Memories” carousel and a list of “Conversations” at the bottom.

Now, this layout has been restructured. A notification bell icon in the app bar indicates sharing activity and directs users to the new “Updates” feed. This feed organizes recent sharing actions, including shared links and conversations, streamlining the view of shared moments and memories. The overflow menu also provides direct access to:

  • Sharing activity: Track shared links, shared memories, and ongoing conversations.
  • Conversations: View shared discussions in one place.

This change reflects a move away from the in-app messaging function, “Conversations,” aligning with Google’s common UI pattern of a notification bell, seen across apps like Google Home, Play Store, and YouTube. Currently, the “Updates” feed rollout is available for Google Photos on Android, though not yet on iOS.

YouTube for Android TV Adds Prominent ‘Subscribe’ Button

YouTube on Android TV has introduced a more visible “Subscribe” button directly within the main player interface, allowing users to easily subscribe to channels without needing to exit the video. The Android TV version of YouTube has evolved over the past few years, adopting a dual-column layout and larger visuals designed for TV screens. These adjustments allow easier navigation with a remote instead of a touchscreen or mouse.

In this latest change, users watching a channel they aren’t subscribed to will now see a prominent “Subscribe” button within the player UI. This quick-access feature lets users instantly join channels they find interesting or valuable without multiple steps. For those already subscribed, the button won’t appear, keeping the layout cleaner for regular viewers.

Additionally, the “Like” and “Dislike” buttons, previously combined, have returned to individual icons, adding more control options within the interface. Though this may make the UI appear somewhat crowded, it serves to encourage users to subscribe while also improving their content interaction options.

These changes across Google Photos and YouTube for Android TV are part of Google’s broader strategy to streamline user interaction and engagement across its ecosystem, offering convenient and quick-access tools in both mobile and TV settings.

Google

Google Search to help with health questions using AI and user tips, plus an Android bug alert

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Google

Artificial intelligence has become a big part of how we find information online, especially about health, which is a popular topic. Google recently shared that its Search tool is getting an upgrade. Soon, when you ask something like, “Why does my leg hurt?” you’ll see tips from real people pulled from online chats, alongside other health info.

When you search for a health issue on Google, you’ll notice neat sections tailored for medical questions. The AI Overview at the top will pull together details from reliable places like journals or trusted websites to explain what might be wrong. Scroll down, and there’s a “Related health conditions” part with advice from places like the Mayo Clinic.

Coming soon, a new section called “What people suggest” will show ideas from everyday folks chatting online. It’ll look familiar, like other health-related boxes on Google, with little social media icons—like Twitter (before it became X), Reddit, and Quora—showing where the tips come from. You’ll get short summaries with dropdowns to read more or check the source. Not every tip might be spot-on, so knowing where it’s from matters.

Google says AI will power these health suggestions, just like other parts of Search. There’s a small chance it might pick up funny or wrong ideas from joke posts, but it still adds to the pile of info you get. This “What people suggest” feature is starting on mobile phones in the U.S.

Meanwhile, some Android users are dealing with a glitch. A pesky “Update Google Play services” pop-up keeps showing up, even though there’s no update ready. Google Play services help run lots of phone features, and apps like Messages or Search need it to work right. Tapping the notice takes you to the Play Store, but nothing updates—it’s stuck on version 25.09.33.

You can swipe the notification away, but it comes back. Restarting the phone or clearing data doesn’t fix it either. It seems like a bug, with reports from Pixel and Samsung users, though it’s not hitting everyone. Fingers crossed Google sorts it out soon with a quick fix!

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Google

Google’s Pixel 10 Tensor G5 to feature a brand-new camera processor

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Pixel 10 Pro XL

Google is making big changes for its next Pixel 10 smartphone, set to launch with the Tensor G5 chip. Unlike before, where Google teamed up with Samsung to build its Tensor chips, this time they’re partnering with TSMC, a different chip-making company. To pull this off, Google is mixing some ready-made parts with its own designs, including a brand-new, fully custom camera processor (ISP).

In the past, Tensor chips were a blend of Google’s ideas and Samsung’s parts, built using Samsung’s tech alongside its Exynos chips. But with Tensor G5, Google is stepping away from Samsung and turning to TSMC. This shift means swapping out some pieces of the chip for new ones that fit TSMC’s process. According to a report from Android Authority, Google will keep some of its own upgraded designs—like the ones for AI tasks, sound, and memory—but it’s replacing other bits with off-the-shelf options.

Here’s what’s changing: the graphics part will switch from Arm Mali to Imagination Technologies DXT, the video system will move to Chips&Media WAVE677DV, and the display controller will now use VeriSilicon DC9000. The biggest highlight, though, is the camera processor. Google is ditching the Samsung version it tweaked before and building its own from scratch. This isn’t new for Google—they’ve made custom camera chips like the “Pixel Visual Core” for the Pixel 2 back in 2017 and the “Pixel Neural Core” for the Pixel 4, before switching gears with Tensor in 2021.

Other swaps include a new MediaTek modem instead of Samsung’s and different controllers for things like storage and power. For most people using the Pixel 10, these changes might not stand out day-to-day. Still, it’ll be worth watching to see if the new camera processor or other parts bring better photos, smoother performance, or maybe even some unexpected hiccups. Google’s move to TSMC and its own camera tech shows it’s aiming to take more control over what makes its Pixels tick.

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Android

Android 16 makes it simple to capture your external screen

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Android 16

Android phones come with a handy tool to record what’s on your screen. Normally, this works great for the phone itself, but if you hook your phone up to a bigger screen—like a monitor—it’s been tricky to capture what’s happening there. The built-in recorder just didn’t support external displays. Good news, though: Android 16 is bringing a fix for that.

I tried this out by plugging my Pixel phone, running Android 16 Beta 3, into a monitor. When I opened the screen recorder, I spotted a new choice in the menu: “Capture HDMI Display.” It wasn’t there when I unplugged the monitor—then it just showed the usual “Record one app” or “Record phone screen” options.

This new “Capture HDMI Display” feature let me record whatever was on the monitor, not the phone’s own screen. The video saved just like a regular phone recording, though the file name included a little tag with the monitor’s ID. It’s a small difference, but it helps you know which screen you captured. Still, there are a couple of catches.

For one, this only works with Android’s own recorder. If I used a third-party app to mirror my screen or tried casting it with the Cast option, the “Capture HDMI Display” choice disappeared. That’s a bummer because some apps could really use this trick. I hope Google opens it up more later.

This ties into something Android 15 started—taking screenshots of external screens. Since that update, the phone saves a separate picture for each connected display, tagged with its ID. Google’s also cooking up a Desktop View mode, so letting apps record or share external screens could make that even better.

In short, Android 16’s new feature is a step forward. It’s not perfect yet—third-party apps can’t join in, and I couldn’t trigger tools like Gemini or Circle to Search on the monitor. But for anyone who uses a bigger screen with their phone, it’s a nice upgrade worth trying out.

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