YouTube Music hits 5 Billion downloads on Google Play

The YouTube Music app has now reached an impressive 5 billion downloads on the Google Play Store, seven years after it first came out. This achievement was expected, but YouTube Music had a bumpy start. When Google decided to replace Google Play Music with YouTube Music in 2019, many users were not happy with the change.
Since then, YouTube Music has become the go-to music streaming app on most Android phones. It comes pre-installed on new devices running Android 10 and later versions, which has certainly helped increase its download numbers.
For comparison, Spotify, which is the largest music streaming service globally, has only reached 1 billion downloads on the Play Store. Not everyone who downloads these apps ends up using or subscribing to them. By February 2024, YouTube Premium boasted 100 million subscribers. You can use YouTube Music without a premium subscription, but some features like downloading songs for offline listening require one.
Google has also been promoting YouTube Music as a place to listen to podcasts, which might explain some of the recent downloads. However, the app primarily focuses on music, gradually adding features that were popular in Google Play Music.
The 5 billion download milestone includes many who might not have actually used the app, as well as those who got it automatically when updating or buying new Android phones.
Despite this, YouTube Music has joined an exclusive group of apps with over 5 billion downloads on Android, following closely behind Files by Google, which also hit this number recently. It’s now among the top 21 apps to reach this level, mainly because it’s on almost every new Android device. This makes YouTube Music accessible to nearly everyone with an Android phone.
Google One AI premium now includes enhanced notebook features and student discount

Google One AI Premium has rolled out exciting new features with the addition of NotebookLM Plus, making it easier for users to manage and interact with their notes. Additionally, there’s good news for students in the US, as they can now enjoy a 50% discount on this premium service.
NotebookLM Plus brings significant upgrades over the basic version:
- Increased Audio Overviews: Users can now generate 20 audio summaries per day, up from the original 3 in the free version.
- More Notebooks: You can create up to 500 notebooks, a jump from the 100 allowed in the free tier.
- More Sources per Notebook: Each notebook can now include up to 300 sources, compared to just 50 before.
- More Chat Queries: The daily chat query limit has been increased to 500 from the previous 50.
With the premium subscription, you also get access to exclusive features:
- Controlled Sharing: You can share notebooks in “Chat-only” mode, where others can chat with the notebook but not see your sources or notes unless you allow it.
- Customized Chat Experience: You can tweak your chat settings to get responses in your preferred style, like ‘Guide’ or ‘Analyst’, and choose how detailed or brief you want the answers to be.
- Notebook Analytics: After sharing, you can track how many people have viewed your notebook and how often they interact with it.
Google previously enhanced NotebookLM with updates like Gemini 2.0, a new three-column layout, and an interactive mode for audio conversations. These features are now also accessible for business, education, and enterprise through Google Workspace and Google Cloud.
The Google One AI Premium service costs $19.99 monthly, offering 2 TB of storage, advanced AI features with Gemini, extended Google Meet capabilities, scheduling in Google Calendar, and special perks in Google Photos and the Google Store.
For students aged 18 and over in the US, Google offers this premium access at just $9.99 per month for the first year, which could be a great tool for handling schoolwork, custom study aids, and efficient email management. More details on eligibility can be found on Google’s official site.
New Android Auto update brings fresh app features

Google has just released a new update for Android Auto, version 13.7. This update doesn’t bring many changes that you can see, but it does some work under the hood. This is the second update for Android Auto in 2025, and while there aren’t big changes you can see right away, there are some small tweaks to how things look with the Material You design. However, these tweaks are so small you might not even notice them.
Like most updates, this one mainly focuses on fixing little problems behind the scenes. Google hasn’t said exactly what they’ve fixed, though. But something is interesting if you look closer at the update’s code. There are new messages about new apps coming to Android Auto. One message says an app is now available for use in Android Auto, and another says an app is available but only when the car is parked.
These messages read:
- “Now available in Android Auto”
- “Now available in Android Auto while parked”
We’ve seen similar messages before, but this time, it might be connected to Google’s new push for “Car ready mobile apps.” Google updated a page in January saying they would start helping developers make their apps work well on car screens from February 2025. This includes apps that work when the car is parked.
However, this February rollout is only for cars with Android Automotive OS, not for Android Auto on your phone, which will get these updates later. This update started rolling out late last week, so by now, it should be available for most users. Keep an eye out for new apps that might make your drive or your parked time more enjoyable.
Big trade-in deals for Samsung’s new Galaxy phones

Samsung is making it easier and more rewarding for customers to switch to their latest Galaxy phone, the Galaxy S25, with impressive trade-in offers. Even after the pre-order period, Samsung is keeping the trade-in values high and has expanded the list of eligible devices to include the Pixel 9 series.
Previously, you could trade in for top dollar on older Samsung models, but now, the Galaxy S25 series offers even better deals. During pre-orders, Samsung gave up to $900 for certain devices when trading for the Galaxy S25 Ultra, a jump from the $750 offered for the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Now that the Galaxy S25 series is out in the stores, those high trade-in values are still available on Samsung.com. This is surprising because usually, such offers decrease after the initial launch buzz.
A new addition to the trade-in program is the ability to exchange your Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro for a Galaxy S25. Previously, only up to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro were accepted. The trade-in value for a Pixel 9 Pro can go up to $650, which is about 65% of its original price, and for the Pixel 9, you can get up to $550, which is just under 70% of its retail price. These values are quite competitive, matching what you might get selling privately, especially since these models were only released in August.
Here’s a quick look at what you can get for trading in different models:
- Google Pixel 9 Pro: Up to $650 for the Ultra, $400 for the S25+
- Google Pixel 9: Up to $550 for the Ultra, $300 for the S25+
- Older Samsung and iPhones: Values range from $100 to $900 depending on the model and the new phone you’re buying.
Remember, these trade-in values are exclusive to Samsung.com, and they might not last forever. Besides the trade-in, Samsung is also offering additional credits and larger storage options for each Galaxy S25 model. The starting price for the new phone is $799. So, if you’re thinking about upgrading, now might be a great time to do so with Samsung’s generous trade-in offers.
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