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Nowadays, we all look at our phones first thing in the morning. I know I do. Studies tell us we shouldn’t, but we do. We want to be connected to the world as soon as we wake up. We want to be plugged into what’s going around us, even as awful as that can be sometimes. You wake up, and you scan to see what’s happened overnight. After all, a lot can happen in 8 (hopefully) hours. So, which app is it that you open first thing? Is it some kind of social media app, do you answer a few emails, or simply solve the Wordle for the day before it’s time to set out to work?

Back during the early years of Android I was a rooting and romming maniac, flashing ROMs left and right, always in search of the most stable version with the most features I could find. Sure, I dabbled with Cyanogen, but I was more a stock ROM seeker, seeing I was on carrier phones back then, LG, HTC, Samsung, all of which offered their own custom skins that weren’t all that great. But that was years ago, I’ve since given up the ghost hunting down quality ROMs, perfectly happy with the status quo and the software that ships on modern smartphones. So for me, it’s been almost a decade since I stopped loading custom ROMs on my Android devices.

But what about you, our dear readers, when was the last time you sought out a custom ROM and installed it on an Android phone? Hit the comments to let us know, I imagine it’s been a while for many.

The Play Store is awash with free-to-play mobile games, which are too many to count, and Google assuredly loves it since it gets a nice cut of every dollar spent, which explains why these titles are often highlighted by Google within its top lists. So it makes sense that many will play F2P games when they are the titles elevated the most on the Play Store. So, are you one of the many who spends real cash on F2P mobile games, or have you held strong, ignoring titles that ask for endless spending to progress their gameplay? Hit the comments to let us know.

Now that the iPhone is sporting RCS in its messaging app, bringing together Android and iOS users for easy messaging that doesn’t ruin images and videos, I’ve been wondering how many of our readers know someone on iOS who is indeed taking advantage of RCS. For me, I know my friend group that uses iOS has remarked on the improvement in our group chats. But what about you, have you noticed your iOS friends and family are using RCS? Hit the comments to let us know, as I truly wonder if many iOS users give a hoot about messaging with RCS.

I can’t help but get annoyed I can’t really use Adobe’s products on my phone. I can technically, but they’re so incredibly limited and not optimized.I feel like this would be an absolute game changer. It’s something I keep hoping to hear from any brand at their conference, but never do. fingers crossed for Samsung Unpacked. What’s a feature that would be a game changer for you that you’ve always wished for?

Google offers a plethora of AI features across its products; some are tied to Gemini, and others are offshoots like Gemini Nano that are made to run locally on your phone. Thanks to how Google likes to confusingly name its products and features, you may have been unaware Gemini Nano is its own thing, and you may also be unaware which products can even run it.

This is why we have gathered together a full list of hardware that supports Gemini Nano, and since there are already different versions of Gemini Nano currently available, you can also use this list to check which version you are running. So, if you are unsure if you have access to Gemini Nano or which version it could be, make sure to read the attached article that covers this in detail.

The beauty of Android has always been its customization, and that often starts with your launcher. While the third-party launcher has lost some of its prominence in recent years, popular options like Nova Launcher, Action Launcher, and Niagara Launcher are still pushing things forward.

Windows Phone may be relegated to the dustbin of history, but its devices had plenty of features worth remembering. I loved the hardware design of my Nokia Lumia 1020, with its large camera bump and OLED display. Even though carrier support ended long ago, I still enjoy using my Lumia 930 on Wi-Fi. 

However, the signature feature of Windows Phone was the software. Live Tiles transformed how I view the UI experience, and I’ve been disappointed that no Android manufacturer has duplicated the experience. Sure, you can point to widgets that provide information at a glance, but nothing beats Live Tiles. Watching your icons display what friends and family were up to or the day’s news made your screen feel alive. You could also connect to Xbox Live with achievements and your avatar on screen. 

Which Windows Phone feature would you most like to see adopted by Android manufacturers?

One of the more irritating things about Google Maps is that the lane guidance isn’t always clear, especially if you happen to live in a city; things get complicated fast, and when traveling at high speeds, clear indicators of which lane you need to be in are absolutely necessary. This is why Android Auto’s latest feature is very welcome, offering improved lane guidance with larger arrows and more spacing, ensuring you can read the screen clearly (read more about it in the linked article).

Of course, this update is rolling out server side, which means not everyone gets it at once. So, have you received the new Android Auto update with improved lane guidance, or are you still waiting? Hit the comments to let us know, as I suspect this is a slow rollout.

Apparently, YouTube Premium users across the world have been receiving emails about impending price hikes. Those in Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy will see higher fees across the service, including family plans, and Switzerland and Sweden will see higher Family subscriptions, with the Middle East, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia receiving higher Premium prices. And this is just what has been reported by users, so expect more territories to get hit (read more in the linked article).

But with this change, we here at AP have been wondering how many users will be canceling their YouTube Premium plans when the higher fees drop? It’s not like YouTube Premium is priced very well to begin with, with many taking issue with the cost not reflecting what you get (especially if you don’t need YouTube Music) and rising fees sure won’t help this situation. So, will you be one of the people dropping the service, or do you feel the higher fees are justified?

One of the best things about Android is that it is highly customizable, whether you’re using a Galaxy, Pixel, or any other device. What launcher you use can have a major impact on your customizability, which is why many use apps from third parties. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t easily theme a device from Samsung or Google; they both offer plenty of customization on their own.

So, what’s your perfect setup, are you a third-party launcher person, or do you like to roll your phone stock? In either case, let’s see your home screen; this way, everyone can get a feel for the type of themeing going on in Android land. So hit the comments below and show us your perfect home screen setup.

Gemini is here in full force, and it finally offers a lot of the functionality of Google Assistant while still lacking some of the smoothness Assistant users have come to expect. This creates a situation where many are still using Google Assistant instead of switching over to Gemini. For me, I made the switch soon after Gemini was introduced, but I also never used Google Assistant, so the switch was painless for me. But what about you? Have you made the switch? Was it painful, or do you prefer Gemini? Hit the comments to let us know, as I have a sneaking suspicion there are more holdouts than expected.

Android 15’s finally here. Every software release is going to come with its share of new bugs, but overall, Android 15’s seemed pretty stable. Still, a subset of unlucky users have had problems that run the gamut from mild irritations to serious issues that rendered at least a few Pixel 6 phones inoperable.

We’re keeping track of widely reported Android 15 problems in the post linked to the right, but I wanted to ask: are you having issues with Android 15? I won’t be able to chase every single bug, but leave your Android 15-induced headaches in the comments so we can add the most prevalent (and weirdest) annoyances — and ideally, their solutions — to our roundup.

I know what mine is; it is the Pixel 5. Perhaps an obvious answer, but it truly is the phone that stands out to me the most over my many years of buying and using smartphones. Sure, HTC offered some very slick devices back in the Windows Mobile days, but if I were hard-pressed to name the one phone that stands above all others, at least in my opinion, the Pixel 5 is it. It was incredibly affordable while offering stock Android, which was a big deal at the time of bloated UIs from the competition, and frankly, it was the perfect size, pocketable yet useable, something I truly miss even in 2024. 

But after all of these years, what phone stood out to you as your favorite? What still sticks in your memory as the phone no one has been able to beat?

We all spend a large portion of our lives on our phones. The average screen time in the US is 7 hours.We use apps for efficiency, utility, entertainment, etc. We pay using them, make our schedules on them, buy tickets to the theater through them. My most used apps are Slack for work, Netflix for entertainment, and Samsung’s MyHealth for fitness. What are the apps you use most? What do you use them for?

Android 15 is rolling out today and should be live as you read this post. If you happen to own a Pixel, you should be able to install the update right now. Of course, new versions of Android can often introduce bugs, but this is likely why Google held the update back and didn’t ship it on the Pixel 9. So, it should stand to reason that 15 has had a chance to be smoothed out, ideally squashing bugs during testing. Still, there is always a chance that new software will bring instability. So, will you be updating today, or are you going to wait to see how things pan out before hitting the update button?

Call me a contrarian, but I never liked X (Twitter); I’m not a person who is big into social media. Still, it is hard to deny social media’s popularity. But, it would also seem that the popularity of X (Twitter) has fallen since its rebrand. Are you finding that you have been using the service more or less ever since it changed to X? Have recent changes chased you off, or are you now more likely to use X (Twitter) thanks to those changes? What about the subscription? Are you paying for one, or will you ever pay for one? Hit the comments to let us know.

While we still don’t know when the first One UI 7 beta will drop, it’s coming nonetheless. Some screenshots have already leaked, and plenty of rumors are swirling about incoming features, as the UI is expected to see a major design overhaul. One leak suggests there will be a split notification panel, and another hints at live activity in the lockscreen and status bar. More or less, big changes are expected, so even though it is early days with little nailed down, there are already some possible features to look forward to.

So, what leaked feature has you most excited for One UI 7’s incoming drop? Hit the comments to let us know. For me, the split notification panel sounds like it could be a great addition.

There is no denying the Galaxy S24 is a popular phone line, and of course, it packs competent cameras that are great for snapping shots of the family, friends, and locale. After all, the cameras in our smartphones are there for a reason: they exist to be used, and used they are, with millions of people taking photos each and every day. So, let’s look at some of these shots. What is your favorite photo taken with the Galaxy S24? Share your best shots in the comments below; let’s see the S24’s camera shine

Sure, I’ve used wireless charging here and there, but I can’t say it is something I’ve actually sought out. That is until I picked up my Pixel 9 Pro. Now, I own a primary device that can not only take advantage of Qi2 charging but also wirelessly charge devices on its own, like the Pixel Buds. That’s pretty slick in my book, so I’m finally wirelessly charging things like a madman. So what about you? Do you feel that Qi2 wireless charging is worthwhile, or are you disappointed with the slower charging speeds compared to wired? Hit the comments below to share your use case, or why you’re still shying away from Qi2 charging.