XDA

Friday, March 30, 2018

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note 8 Always on Display updated with GIF support

The Always on Display has been a longstanding feature of Samsung phones. It’s a great feature to have, especially with the Super AMOLED displays. You always have the clock and notifications just a glance away. Samsung has slowly added more features to the Always on Display over the years. The latest addition to the AOD for the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ and Galaxy Note 8 allows you to put a little motion on the display.

Previously, it was possible to add photos to the Always on Display. This was an easy way to personalize your phone even when it’s idle. Now, you can take it a step further by adding animated GIFs. The feature was added in version 3.2.26.4 of Always on Display (APK below). All you have to do is download a GIF and you can add it to the AOD from the Gallery app.

The one limitation we ran into is the GIF can’t be too long. You will see a toast message if the animation length doesn’t meet the requirement. Tap the edit button in the Gallery to trim the GIF by removing frames. The other thing to keep in mind is the GIFs don’t actually loop on the Always on Display, so you don’t want to pick one that’s too short either. It’s basically just a short little animation when you turn off the display. Here you can see it in action:

galaxy s8 always on display gif

Download the APK below for the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note 8.

Download from APK Mirror

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 receiving Android Oreo update on Verizon and Sprint

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 may be on the horizon, but the Galaxy Note 8 is still Samsung’s latest stylus-wielding device. The AT&T model received the Android Oreo update earlier this week and now a couple more U.S. carriers are joining the fun. Reddit users and XDA Forums members are reporting that they’re receiving Android Oreo on Verizon and Sprint.

The update brings the phone up to Android 8.0 Oreo and Samsung Experience 9.0. All the Oreo goodies are in tow, including picture-in-picture, Autofill, notification dots, battery optimizations, and more. The update comes in at 1.4 GB and brings the firmware build up to version CRC2.

As always, you can go to Settings > Software update to see if you can grab the update now. The unlocked Snapdragon model still has a little while to wait before Oreo will be available, but now most of the U.S. carriers are up to date. The Exynos model should already have the Android Oreo update. If not you can manually install it with this tutorial. Sprint and Verizon have not updated their official software release pages yet.

Source: Reddit 1 Source: Reddit 2
Source: Sprint Note 8 forum Source: Verizon Note 8 forum

Google Assistant forgets how to tell you the weather

Google Assistant is extremely useful for telling you basic information like traffic on your daily commute or showing you the weather, but in a bizarre development tonight it appears that the service has completely forgotten how to tell you the weather. Multiple users have reported to us that they no longer receive any weather information when asking Assistant about the weather, what temperature it is, or what the forecast is. No matter what combination of phrases they use to ask about any weather related information, Google Assistant simply doesn’t know the answer.

We tested this ourselves and can confirm that this bug is present with Google Assistant on my Google Pixel 2 XL. When I ask about the weather, I either get Google search cards about weather-related items or oddly Assistant asks me to speak to Zyrtec (the Assistant integration for the allergy medication). I also asked my Google Home and Home Mini what the weather forecast would be, but with every query the device simply said it didn’t understand my question.

We’ve reached out to Google for comment and will update if this bug is fixed or if Google responds. We don’t believe this is an early April Fools joke because there doesn’t seem to be any kind of punchline here, but it’s still amusing to see something so basic go awry for a virtual assistant.

Huawei Mate 10 Lite Android Oreo beta program reportedly opens up in Pakistan

The Huawei P20 series is the talk of the town lately thanks to the ridiculous camera specifications of the Pro model, but it wasn’t too long ago that Huawei announced the Mate 10 series of devices. The Huawei Mate 10 and Huawei Mate 10 Pro garnered most of the attention as they were the first devices with Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin 970 system-on-chip, but Huawei also launched a lower-end Mate 10 Lite model with quad-cameras. That phone launched with Android 7.1 Nougat with EMUI 5.1 on board, but it appears that Huawei is finally opening up an official Android Oreo beta program with EMUI 8.0 for users in Pakistan.

According to several members on our forum, the beta program has opened up for model RNE-L21C185. RNE is the Huawei Mate 10 Lite while L21 tells us the variant and C185 is the region (Pakistan). Users can sign up for the beta test on Huawei’s Friendly User Test (FUT) page and after signing up can expect to receive the update within a few days. So far, several members have reported success in signing up, but none have actually received the Android Oreo update. As such, we can’t say whether or not the update will bring Project Treble compatibility.

We should note that the update is available for flashing right now on this model from FunkyHuawei.club, though that is a paid service so many would prefer to wait for the update to roll out officially for the device. Keep up to date on the latest news for the Huawei Mate 10 Lite by following the official XDA forum for the device.

LG is seeking feedback on display notches while rumors suggest LG G7 might have one

2018 may very well be the year of the notch. You either embrace it or you don’t. As we approach the end of the first quarter, the field is divided. On one hand, the ASUS Zenfone 5/5Z, the Huawei P20, the OnePlus 6, and the LG G7 are rumored or are confirmed to have notches. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S have bucked the trend so far. The notch trend has proven to be controversial among the community, so much so that people have been looking for ways to hide it. For that reason, LG is seeking feedback regarding display notches to share with their R&D team.

On a post over on /r/Android, LG support staff is seeking input from the community about the notch.

“We’ve seen a LOT of comments around “The Notch” over the past few weeks, from people who love the quick access to the menu to those that hate the wasted screen space. We would love to gather some more feedback to share with our R&D team- and this is where you come in. So…what do you think? Love the Notch? Or is it Notch your thing?” – LG Support on Reddit

This seems rather timely given the reception of many devices that are confirmed to have display notches. OnePlus’ CEO even took to their forums to defend the decision to implement a notch on the rumored OnePlus 6, and even though the decision makes sense from a design standpoint, it’s something that will take time for consumers to accept. The LG G7 was spotted with a notch at Mobile World Congress 2018 (the feature image is a still from that leak). It is rumored to launch in May alongside an LG G7 Plus model, so we’re skeptical that any major design changes would be made based off of feedback here.

Regardless, if you don’t agree with the notch trend or think you have an idea on how the software can handle them better, then check out LG’s thread on Reddit. If you’re looking for a decent Reddit client, then consider the latest official beta release of the app which brings themes including an AMOLED night theme, redesigned bottom navigation bar, and more.

Google Play nows offers 14 day refund window for purchased services if you’re in the EEA

There is a plethora of apps and services available in the Google Play Store. Some of the best apps require you to put some cold, hard cash down. Thankfully, the return window allows you to get your money back if you’re not satisfied with your purchase. Google is making some changes to how these return policies work in the European Economic Area (EEA).

In the past, EEA users had a 48-hour window on Play Store refunds. This is how it is currently for the rest of us. After that 48-hour period, you were stuck negotiating a refund with the app developer. Services you purchased through the app were subject to the same rules. Starting today, the 48-hour period has been extended to a full 14 days in the EEA. The change was made to comply with EU law that gives consumers a 14-day “cooling off” period for online purchases.

It’s important to note that the 14-day period is for “digital services.” There is still a 2-hour refund window for app purchases. The extended period is for buying in-app subscriptions and other services via Google Play. The example Google gives is if you buy file storage services on Google Play, you can cancel the purchase within 14 days for a full refund. The difference between “digital content” and “digital services” is a little tricky. Read the full description below.

Content vs Services

Digital content. Under the law, you have an automatic statutory right of withdrawal from contracts for purchases of digital content, such as apps, games, in-app items, or other media like movies or music. The same applies when you purchase a subscription for digital content within an app. However, when you purchase or subscribe to digital content with Google Play, you agree that the digital content will be available to you immediately, and you acknowledge that, as a result, you waive your automatic statutory right of withdrawal. Therefore, you will not be eligible for a refund (or any alternative remedy) unless the digital content is defective, unavailable, or doesn’t perform as stated.

In the case of a subscription for digital content, if you don’t want to subscribe anymore, you can cancel your subscription. You will still have access to the subscription until the end of the period you have paid for.

Digital services. Under the law, you have an automatic statutory right of withdrawal from contracts for the purchase of digital services for 14 days after you make the purchase. For example, if you buy file storage services on Google Play, you can cancel the purchase within 14 days for a full refund. You can request a refund here, or use this form to withdraw. After the first 14 days you will not be eligible for a refund (or any alternative remedy) unless the services are defective, unavailable, or don’t perform as stated. However, you can cancel your subscription, and the cancellation will be effective from the start of the next payment period. You will still have access to the subscription until the end of the period you have paid for.

Source: Google Via: Android Police

Google is testing a revamped Pixel Launcher search bar for the Google Pixel 3

It may not even be the most popular launcher app on Android (that reward probably goes to Nova Launcher), but Google’s Pixel Launcher definitely up there among the upper echelon of launchers. The only official way to use the Google Pixel Launcher is to have a Google Nexus, Pixel, or Android One device. With each new Google device, the Pixel Launcher receives a few tweaks here and there to coincide with the new design language of the latest software release or to better accommodate the device itself. We are now seeing an example of the former case as Google appears to be testing a revamped search bar for the Pixel Launcher that will ship with the Google Pixel 3.

Now, before you peek at the images, we wanted to clarify that we don’t actually have a Google Pixel 3. Instead, XDA Senior Member paphonb modified the existing Pixel Launcher APK from the Google Pixel 2 to enable some hidden, in-development features of the launcher (more details below). Hence, the screenshots showing off the changes are from my OnePlus 5 (the package conflicted with the existing launcher on my Pixel 2 XL, so I had to use another device). Without further ado, here is the revamped search bar on the Pixel 3.

Google Pixel 2 XL Pixel Launcher vs. Google Pixel 3 Pixel Launcher

As you can see in these screenshots, the search bubble has split in two. We’re not entirely sure what the purpose of this change is or how it will jibe with Google’s rumored Material Design 2 set to be unveiled during Google I/O 2018. It’s a rather small change, and maybe part of a larger re-design that will be arriving in the future.

When the Google Pixel 2 was in the works, we caught glimpses of the revamped bottom search bar before its release. That version of the launcher has since been made available for all by many APK modders including paphonb, credited earlier, and AmirZ. With that in mind, keep an eye out on XDA as paphonb will soon publish an update to his modded app with these new changes available as a toggle.

Oh, and by the way, if you’re wondering how we know this revamped search bar is for the Google Pixel 3, it’s because paphonb discovered the following in-development parameters in the latest official APK:

pixel_2018_qsb_use_two_bubbles
pixel_2018_qsb_mic_stroke_width_dp
pixel_2018_qsb_mic_opacity

That should hopefully clear any doubts you may have had.