Mobile Apps 17 October 2025 - 28 November 2025

Google Just Changed Gemini Live on Android — The Full-Screen AI Chat Is Going Away
·····

Google Just Changed Gemini Live on Android — The Full-Screen AI Chat Is Going Away

Mountain View — April 20, 2026, 11:34 PDT Google is rolling out a new look for Gemini Live on Android, shifting away from the previous full-screen layout and instead anchoring the voice assistant within the main Gemini app interface. Users running Google app beta 17.14 have spotted the update, which signals a marked change in the company’s approach to its AI assistant’s in-app presence.
April 20, 2026
Google Play Best of 2025: Focus Friend, Pokémon TCG Pocket and the 10 Android Apps You Need Right Now
······

Google Play Best of 2025: Focus Friend, Pokémon TCG Pocket and the 10 Android Apps You Need Right Now

Google’s “Best of 2025” list is live, and it’s all about focus, AI, and apps that follow you across phone, PC, car and even XR headsets. Google has officially published its Best of 2025 awards, naming the standout Android apps, games and books of the year across the U.S. Play Store. Digital wellbeing tool Focus Friend by Hank Green has taken the top prize as Best App, while Pokémon TCG Pocket has been crowned Best Game of 2025. blog.google+1
November 19, 2025
Apple Digital ID Puts US Passports in iPhone Wallets: What Travelers Need to Know Today
····

Apple Digital ID Puts US Passports in iPhone Wallets: What Travelers Need to Know Today

Apple’s new Digital ID turns your U.S. passport into a digital credential inside Apple Wallet, just as the holiday travel rush and full REAL ID enforcement collide. Here’s how it works, where it’s accepted, and why privacy experts are already debating it. Apple has officially launched Digital ID, a feature that lets U.S. iPhone and Apple Watch users create a digital identity in Apple Wallet using their U.S. passport information. The ID can then be presented at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints for domestic flights at more than 250 airports across the United States. Apple+2The Verge+2
November 15, 2025
Android Sideloading Lives On: Google Plans New ‘Experienced User’ Flow for Unverified Apps
···

Android Sideloading Lives On: Google Plans New ‘Experienced User’ Flow for Unverified Apps

Google is softening its controversial plan to effectively block sideloading of unverified Android apps. A new “advanced flow” for experienced users and a special account type for students and hobbyists aim to keep Android open while still fighting scams and malware. Back in August, Google announced that any developer whose Android apps can be installed on a device—whether through Google Play, alternative stores, or direct APK downloads—would need to pass identity verification and sign their apps. The Register+1
November 13, 2025
Google and Epic Games Settlement Caps Play Store Fees, Opens Android to Competition
···

Google and Epic Games Settlement Caps Play Store Fees, Opens Android to Competition

In a major development on Nov. 4, 2025, Google and Epic Games jointly proposed a “comprehensive” settlement to end Epic’s five-year antitrust lawsuit against Google’s Play Store. The court filing outlines a deal that would slash Google’s in-app fees and open Android to approved third-party app stores and payment methods. Google says these reforms will maintain security while giving developers and users more choice, but they still require approval by U.S. District Judge James Donato. The agreement has already drawn praise for its potential to reshape the Android ecosystem. Android users could soon see greater flexibility on their devices under this proposal. Google would allow users to download and install third-party Android app stores that meet new security and safety
November 6, 2025
OpenAI’s Sora: Viral AI Video App Arrives on Android Amid Excitement and Controversy
···

OpenAI’s Sora: Viral AI Video App Arrives on Android Amid Excitement and Controversy

OpenAI’s Sora is a new generative AI app that has rapidly gone from a closed beta to a widening public release on mobile devices. The company first rolled out Sora as an invite-only iOS app at the end of September 2025, initially limited to users in the United States and Canada reuters.com. One month later, in early November, OpenAI brought Sora to Android, significantly broadening its reach to key markets in Asia and beyond moneycontrol.com. The Android app launched on Google Play without a waitlist in some regions as OpenAI temporarily waived its usual invite-code requirement to meet surging demand androidauthority.com. This staggered rollout mirrors how OpenAI handled previous products, using an invite system to manage scaling. Sora is free
November 5, 2025
Android Auto’s Game-Changing Updates: Widgets, Smarter Assistant & More Coming Soon
····

Android Auto’s Game-Changing Updates: Widgets, Smarter Assistant & More Coming Soon

Android Auto is Google’s platform that extends an Android phone’s functions to a car’s infotainment screen for safer, hands-free use of maps, calls, music and moreeladelantado.com. By plugging in a phone, drivers get an interface on the dashboard that is powered by their phone but optimized for driving – complete with large buttons, voice commands via Google Assistant, and a simplified menu. The goal is to let drivers access key smartphone features “safely and without distractions while driving”eladelantado.com. First launched in 2015, Android Auto has steadily improved with new features and a major redesign in 2022 called “Coolwalk” that introduced a split-screen dashboard. Yet the platform often still feels like a work in progress due to frequent bugs and the
November 2, 2025
Samsung Wallet’s Shockingly Good Upgrades: The One App That Could Replace Your Wallet
···

Samsung Wallet’s Shockingly Good Upgrades: The One App That Could Replace Your Wallet

Samsung introduced its mobile payment service Samsung Pay in 2015, initially focusing on letting users tap their phones to pay in stores. Over the past decade, that simple pay app has transformed dramatically. In 2022, Samsung merged Samsung Pay with Samsung Pass and rebranded it as Samsung Wallet, signaling its ambitions beyond paymentssammyfans.com. Today’s Samsung Wallet is a versatile platform that organizes your credit/debit cards, digital IDs, loyalty passes, smart keys, and even passwords in one secure appauto.economictimes.indiatimes.com. As Samsung puts it, the Wallet app lets Galaxy users keep “digital keys, payment methods, identification cards and more in one secure application”news.samsung.com. This evolution means what started as a tap-to-pay convenience has grown into a full-fledged digital wallet hub that can
November 2, 2025
Your Phone’s Default Apps Are Spying on You — Here’s How to Reclaim Your Privacy
···

Your Phone’s Default Apps Are Spying on You — Here’s How to Reclaim Your Privacy

Smartphone users often assume that the apps pre-installed on Android or iPhone respect their privacy. In reality, built-in apps from Google and Apple collect vast amounts of data by design. Cybersecurity researchers and privacy advocates have repeatedly warned that default phone tools spy on you. For example, a 2025 study by Trinity College Dublin found that Google’s Play Store and Play Services quietly drop advertising “cookies” and device identifiers on Android phones without user consent tcd.ie. On iPhones, Aalto University’s Janne Lindqvist reports that apps like Safari, Siri and even FaceTime keep gathering information in the background – “because these apps are glued to the platform, getting rid of them is virtually impossible” nasdaq.com. In short, default apps often leak
October 19, 2025
Samsung Wallet’s New Tap-to-Transfer Feature Leaves Google Wallet in the Dust
···

Samsung Wallet’s New Tap-to-Transfer Feature Leaves Google Wallet in the Dust

In the smartphone era, digital wallets are replacing traditional ones. Android users have two big options: Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet. Both apps can store credit/debit cards, tickets, loyalty cards and even government IDs bgr.com pulse.mk.co.kr. But recent updates highlight a growing feature war. Samsung has rolled out new capabilities that some experts say outshine what Google offers, while Google continues to refine its own wallet features. This report digs into the latest news, expert comments and real-world examples. Samsung introduced a peer-to-peer “Tap to Transfer” payment feature in mid-2025. This NFC-based function lets you tap two Galaxy phones to instantly send money using a Visa or Mastercard debit card stored in Samsung Wallet fintechnews.am fintechmagazine.com. Users do not need
October 19, 2025
AppLovin Under Fire: Shuts Down “Array” After Allegations of Secret App Installs
····

AppLovin Under Fire: Shuts Down “Array” After Allegations of Secret App Installs

AppLovin, a fast-growing adtech firm known for marketing mobile games, quietly pulled the plug on Array, its on-device app distribution tool. According to PocketGamer and Bloomberg, an AppLovin spokesperson confirmed that Array was discontinued “last quarter” because the product simply wasn’t economically viable pocketgamer.biz bloomberg.com. In practice, Array had been used by partners such as Samsung and T-Mobile to recommend apps to users and let them install with a single tap adweek.com pocketgamer.biz. The service worked by pre-loading app suggestions on new phones or in ads, so users could skip going through the Play Store. AppLovin’s executives even called Array a significant revenue driver in prior months. But by mid-2025 the company declared the feature a flop and “shut down”
October 18, 2025
Apple’s New iPhone App Is the Game‑Changing Document Scanner We’ve Been Waiting For
····

Apple’s New iPhone App Is the Game‑Changing Document Scanner We’ve Been Waiting For

Apple has officially released iOS 26, and tucked inside is a surprise new app called Preview moneycontrol.com. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Mac computers have had a Preview app for decades – in fact, it first appeared way back in 1989 on the Mac’s predecessor OS popsci.com. On macOS, Preview became the go-to utility for quickly opening images and PDFs, doing light edits, and digitally signing documents. Until now, iPhone users never had an equivalent built-in tool, relying instead on a mix of the Files app, Markup in Photos, or third-party apps to handle these chores. With iOS 26, Apple has finally brought this versatile app to its mobile devices popsci.com, instantly recognizable by the Mac-like icon that
October 17, 2025
1 2 3