Software 23 December 2025 - 14 April 2026

Samsung Widens One UI 8.5 Beta to Galaxy A54, A55 and S25 as Quick Share Adds AirDrop-Style Transfers
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Samsung Widens One UI 8.5 Beta to Galaxy A54, A55 and S25 as Quick Share Adds AirDrop-Style Transfers

Samsung expanded One UI 8.5 beta testing to a wider batch of older Galaxy models, with fresh beta versions landing for the Galaxy A54 and A55 in India. A ninth test build for the Galaxy S25 also turned up stateside. According to SamMobile, this S25 release brings Apple-device transfer support. File sizes: roughly 2.19GB for the A55 beta, and about 2.73GB on A54—suggesting Samsung’s push isn’t limited to its latest premium models. This is notable since, up to now, Samsung’s early software previews have stuck to newer Galaxy S and Z devices. Opening things up means a wider pool of users gets a taste of Galaxy AI features ahead of launch—something that could help Samsung edge closer to Apple’s ecosystem
April 16, 2026
Windows 11 finally moves closer to ending 32GB FAT32 limit as 2TB formatting reaches Beta
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Windows 11 finally moves closer to ending 32GB FAT32 limit as 2TB formatting reaches Beta

Redmond, Washington, April 14, 2026, 06:05 PDT Microsoft is getting ready to lift one of Windows’ longest-standing storage limits. Insider Beta and Dev builds now let testers format FAT32 drives up to 2TB straight from the command line—a big jump from the 32GB maximum that’s been in place for ages. The change applies to FAT32, that aging file system still found on plenty of devices.
April 14, 2026
Microsoft Outlook Lite Shutdown Date Set: Android Users Lose Mailbox Access After May 25
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Microsoft Outlook Lite Shutdown Date Set: Android Users Lose Mailbox Access After May 25

REDMOND, Wash., April 14, 2026, 05:08 PDT. Microsoft plans to pull the plug on its Outlook Lite app for Android come May 25, ending mailbox access for anyone still using it and pushing users toward the main Outlook Mobile app, per a Microsoft 365 admin notice dated April 10. After the cutoff, users can open the app, but mailbox access, navigation, and nearly all functions inside Outlook Lite are set to stop working.
April 14, 2026
Samsung One UI 9 Leak Reveals Cleaner Settings, AI Photo Tools and Tap-to-Share Ahead of Foldables
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Samsung One UI 9 Leak Reveals Cleaner Settings, AI Photo Tools and Tap-to-Share Ahead of Foldables

SEOUL, April 14, 2026, 01:05 KST. Fresh leaks out Monday show what could be in store for Samsung’s One UI 9: a more streamlined Settings menu, new AI-powered photo editing shortcuts, and a quick-tap sharing feature ahead of the upcoming foldables. Reports from Android Authority and SammyGuru flagged these tweaks as incremental upgrades—not a full overhaul.
April 13, 2026
Google Targets 500 Million Stranded Windows 10 PCs With ChromeOS Flex
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Google Targets 500 Million Stranded Windows 10 PCs With ChromeOS Flex

Google is pitching ChromeOS Flex as an option for breathing new life into old Windows PCs and Macs. The company is teaming up with refurbished electronics marketplace Back Market to offer a roughly $3 USB installer kit, aiming to make installation easier. Google says the kit targets users looking to keep aging hardware secure after Microsoft ends Windows 10 support. The timing is key here: Windows 10 lost its free security updates on Oct. 14, 2025. Microsoft maintains that PCs can still operate, but without technical support, software updates, or security patches—unless users make the jump to Windows 11 or sign up for Extended Security Updates, known as ESU. That program extends critical patches for a set timeframe.
April 9, 2026
Samsung rolls out One UI 8.5 Beta 4 to Galaxy S25 with “Direct Voicemail” feature
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Samsung rolls out One UI 8.5 Beta 4 to Galaxy S25 with “Direct Voicemail” feature

Samsung Electronics has launched the fourth One UI 8.5 beta for its Galaxy S25 series, bringing a new “Direct Voicemail” feature that transcribes incoming messages in real time, tech sites reported Monday. The update also packs in the February 2026 security patch and addresses bugs in both the Phone app and system UI. https://www.androidauthority.com/samsung-one-ui-8-5-fourth-beta-3638971/ Samsung is pushing the beta ahead of its next flagship launch, putting more emphasis on software control. One UI 8.5 is expected to leave beta and launch officially with the Galaxy S26 series. The company is betting big on its Android skin as a standout feature, with users paying as much attention to AI functions and call handling as they do to camera specs and screen
February 10, 2026
Google says Android’s Quick Share will soon work with Apple AirDrop on more phones
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Google says Android’s Quick Share will soon work with Apple AirDrop on more phones

TAIPEI, Feb 6, 2026, 17:28 GMT+8 Google plans to extend Android’s Quick Share feature, which now supports sending files to Apple devices via AirDrop, beyond just the Pixel 10 line this year. Erik Kay, VP of engineering for Android, revealed this during a Taipei briefing. He said the company is “expanding it to a lot more devices” and teased “exciting announcements coming very soon.”
February 6, 2026
Microsoft Copilot hits roadblocks as users drift to ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini
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Microsoft Copilot hits roadblocks as users drift to ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini

Microsoft’s Copilot is struggling to establish itself as a genuine ChatGPT rival, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing confusing branding and integration problems that are slowing its uptake. https://seekingalpha.com/news/4546840-microsofts-ai-product-copilot-faces-issues-competition Timing is crucial. Microsoft is wagering that “Copilot” features integrated into Office, Windows, and other software will drive a new wave of paid growth, all while it invests heavily in data centers and chips to power these AI services.
February 5, 2026
Google’s ChromeOS exit plan surfaces in court: Android PC “Aluminium” pushed to 2028, sunset eyed for 2034
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Google’s ChromeOS exit plan surfaces in court: Android PC “Aluminium” pushed to 2028, sunset eyed for 2034

According to court documents from the U.S. search antitrust case, Google intends to retire its ChromeOS laptop software by 2034, moving Chromebooks over to a new Android-based system. Timing is crucial for school districts and companies that purchase Chromebooks in bulk and hold onto them for years. A delayed transition sparks real concerns: which devices will receive the new software, and which will remain on the old version until support runs out.
February 4, 2026
Apple iOS 26.3 brings new carrier location-privacy switch as EU-only iPhone features expand
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Apple iOS 26.3 brings new carrier location-privacy switch as EU-only iPhone features expand

Apple rolled out a new option for iPhones and iPads that obscures the precise location data sent to mobile networks. This privacy-driven change also underscores the widening divide between features available in Europe versus other parts of the world. The “Limit Precise Location” feature is available on the iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and cellular iPad Pro models running iOS 26.3. Currently, only a few carriers support it: Telekom in Germany; AIS and True in Thailand; EE and BT in the UK; and Boost Mobile in the US. https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/29/apples-new-iphone-and-ipad-security-feature-limits-cell-networks-from-collecting-precise-location-data/
January 30, 2026
Google’s ‘Aluminium’ ChromeOS switch: Will your Chromebook get the Android-based update?
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Google’s ‘Aluminium’ ChromeOS switch: Will your Chromebook get the Android-based update?

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Jan 30, 2026, 01:40 John Maletis, Google’s VP of ChromeOS, confirmed that not all current Chromebooks can run the company’s new Android-based software “stack,” codenamed “Aluminium,” due to hardware limitations. He noted Google is developing a migration plan for “a lot of the newer devices” and will enable upgrades “where possible,” but no official list of supported models is available yet.
January 30, 2026
Windows 11 users: 5 popular Android apps you still won’t find on the Microsoft Store
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Windows 11 users: 5 popular Android apps you still won’t find on the Microsoft Store

On Thursday, BGR put together a list spotlighting five Android apps that Windows users still can’t access as native programs. The piece points out a gap where several popular mobile-first tools lack direct counterparts on Microsoft’s desktop OS. Among the apps mentioned were Textra SMS, BuzzKill Notification Manager, Podcast Republic, Hermit — Lite Apps Browser, and Web Video Cast. The timing is crucial since Microsoft’s official way to run Android apps on Windows is being phased out. Amazon announced it will stop supporting the Amazon Appstore on Windows 11 after March 5, 2025, as Microsoft is dropping support for the Windows Subsystem for Android, the key technology behind it.
January 23, 2026
Samsung’s One UI 8.5 plans leak out: custom Quick Settings images and bigger icons are on the way
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Samsung’s One UI 8.5 plans leak out: custom Quick Settings images and bigger icons are on the way

Samsung has laid out new features coming to its Good Lock customisation suite for One UI 8.5, including the ability to swap quick settings tiles for user-chosen images and new controls for home screen folders, widgets and app labels, a company forum post showed. The planned update also adds new lock screen animation tools and fresh game performance options, according to the same post. The disclosure matters because One UI 8.5 is shaping up as a software-heavy release, leaning on optional modules rather than a single, sweeping interface rewrite. For Samsung, those add-ons are a way to keep long-time Galaxy users from drifting, especially the ones who care more about how the phone feels day to day than the spec
January 23, 2026
Apple’s iPhone Update Squeeze: Why You May Have to Install iOS 26.2 Now
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Apple’s iPhone Update Squeeze: Why You May Have to Install iOS 26.2 Now

Apple’s latest iOS 18 security update is only available for a select group of older iPhones, nudging users with iPhone 11 and newer models toward iOS 26.2 for the latest patches. “Keeping your software up to date is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your Apple product’s security,” the company emphasized. This is significant because Apple’s newest updates fix two zero-day WebKit vulnerabilities—security flaws exploited before a public patch is out—that can be activated by malicious web content. According to Apple, they are “aware of a report” that these issues “may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack” aimed at certain users running iOS versions earlier than iOS 26.
January 19, 2026
iOS 26 adoption scare: StatCounter flags Safari bug as Liquid Glass backlash simmersSAN FRANCISCO, Jan 16, 2026
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iOS 26 adoption scare: StatCounter flags Safari bug as Liquid Glass backlash simmersSAN FRANCISCO, Jan 16, 2026

On Thursday, web analytics company StatCounter reported that Apple devices running iOS 26 are being misidentified as older iOS 18 versions in Safari. This glitch has skewed popular narratives about the slow uptake of the new OS. “Apple are incorrectly declaring iOS 26 as 18.7 and 18.6 in their safari browser on iOS. We’re working on a fix for this,” the firm noted on its iOS version market share page. The reason this matters is straightforward: iOS adoption rates offer one of the clearest public insights into how fast iPhone users upgrade to new software. When adoption slows significantly, it means more devices stay stuck on older versions. That, in turn, forces app developers to maintain support for a wider
January 16, 2026
Apple’s New Siri Could Debut in iOS 26.4 Beta as Google Gemini Deal Lifts Alphabet Toward $4 Trillion and Squeezes Microsoft Copilot
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Apple’s New Siri Could Debut in iOS 26.4 Beta as Google Gemini Deal Lifts Alphabet Toward $4 Trillion and Squeezes Microsoft Copilot

Published: Jan. 13, 2026 Apple’s long-promised Siri makeover is finally moving from demos and delays toward something users can actually try — and it’s arriving alongside a major shift in the AI power balance on smartphones. Under a newly confirmed multi‑year partnership, Apple says the next generation of its Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology, a move designed to accelerate “Apple Intelligence” features — including a more personalized Siri coming this year.
January 13, 2026
Turn an Old Android Phone Into a PC Stats Monitor With Pitikapp — Plus Today’s Windows 11 and Smartphone Security News (Jan. 11, 2026)
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Turn an Old Android Phone Into a PC Stats Monitor With Pitikapp — Plus Today’s Windows 11 and Smartphone Security News (Jan. 11, 2026)

Give your unused Android phone a second life as a PC performance dashboard with Pitikapp. Here’s how it works, how to set it up, and what’s new today in Windows 11 and smartphone security. On January 11, 2026, one of the most practical “new uses” for old tech is getting a fresh burst of attention: repurposing an old Android phone as a dedicated PC stats monitor—basically a mini “sensor panel” you can keep on your desk to watch CPU/GPU temperatures, utilization, memory, fan speeds, and even frame rates while you game or work.
January 11, 2026
How to Run Android Apps on Mac and PC in 2025: Phone Link, Google Play Games, Emulators, and scrcpy
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How to Run Android Apps on Mac and PC in 2025: Phone Link, Google Play Games, Emulators, and scrcpy

Published: December 23, 2025Want to use Android-only apps on a bigger screen? Here are the best ways to run Android apps on Windows 11 and macOS in late 2025—official tools, emulators, and fast screen mirroring. If you’ve ever opened your laptop, reached for a specific app, and realized it only exists on Android, you’re not alone. In 2025, plenty of everyday essentials—scanner utilities, niche finance tools, fitness dashboards, regional services, and even some messaging companions—still prioritize mobile first.
December 23, 2025
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